DUNEDIN.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3734, 13 December 1880, Page 2

DUNEDIN.

This day. Presentation to Sir D. Sell. Sir P. Bell was presented with a silver claret jag and cup at the Town Hall, Palmerston, on Saturday afternoon. The The present was purchased by subscriptions limited to. one shilling from-.each subscriber. Sir D. Bell denied that his taking office as Agent-General was a matter of arrangement between the present Government and himself, and said he was surprised when the offer was made to him. He claimed to have devoted himself unselfishly to the service of the colony, having been one of the first of an adventurous band that rescued the country from a wilderness. He said he had great pleasure in returning to England to represent it. He cordially thanked his fellow settlers of the Waihemo district for their present and for their expression of esteem and good will. About sixty settlers were present. ' . ; At Bannockburn, some boys were playing in an old sluicing ground, when one named Manson got the pick and started picking under the hanging face, when the mass of earth fell, crushing him to a jelly. Alexander cables that he hopes by to-morrow to obtain leave for Groube and Slight, when he will telegraph definitely whether the Australian team leave on January 4th or the 11th. Fatal Shooting Case. An accident happened on Saturday evening which resulted fatally. Alfred Kissling, a boy aged 13 years, with his brother and a number of companions, went out shooting rabbits, and had two guns with them, one single and the other double-barrelled gun, and when in one of Mr B. B. Martin's paddocks, was in the act of placing the right hand hammer on the nipple when the left barrel exploded, and the contents lodged in Kissling's side causing almost instantaneous death* Alfred cried •• Oh, Jack, Jack, you have shot me!" John said, " Alf, are you dead P" and Alfred replied," Not quite." Deceased's brother then called on the other boys to help him, but they all ran away except two, with whose' assistance the wounded lad was carried to Martin's house*, where he expired almost immediately.