INVERCARGILL

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 255, 19 December 1872, Page 8

INVERCARGILL

(From, aw own Correspondent.)

November was remarkably fine and warm, in fact it threatened to be too dry, but after a strong north wind gentle showers followed on the evening of the 29th, and continued at intervals through next day. Ist December was fine, and I thought we were going to have an exception to the rule here that rain should be accompanied by cold stormy weather; however on the 2nd rain came on again, and gradually it got colder, and on the 3rd there was a bitterly cold wind, with showers of rain aud hail. Although still cold and cloudy, it is clearing up. The warm weather ] greatly improved the crops and pastures, and the rain came in time to prevent a shortness of straw, and to bring away the swede turnips, very few yellows being sown yet. Since the establishment of the meat preserving works, a large quantity of bone manure is used, chiefly with potatoes and turnips. A great portion of the site of Invercargill was bush land, and although the bush has mostly dissappeared in the town, in the suburbs a quantity of timber is still standing and lying on the ground. During the wind, on the 29th ulfc., a fire raged in the bush to the N. E. of the town, aud burned several cottages, firewood, &c.

We have been without a visit from professional caterers for public amusement for some time, neither have the amateurs given an entertainment lately. The Prince of Wales birthday being kept as a general holiday, a number of the townspeople availed themselves of the excursion trains.

The balf yearly sessions of the Supreme Court commenced on the 18thult.,his Honor Judge Chapman presiding. Win Hoare, an old offender, was found guilfcy of larceny, and sentenced to four years penal servitude. Stephen George, a Greek sailor, was tried for an indecent assault, but found not guilty. Donald Morrison was charged with , the murder of John Simmons. Morrison kept an hotel about 30 miles from Invercargill, on the Lake road and Simmons was hanging about, drinking. Being suspected of stealing, Mjrrison ordered him out, and on his refusing to leave, procured a potato binger, and struck him on the head.. Simmons fell, but afterwards got up and walked away, bat next daj was found paralysed about 200 yards from the hotel. He was conveyed to the hospital at Invercargill, where he died nine days after receiving cheblow. The medical evidence showed there was a fracture of the skull, wit)i clotted blood under it, pressing on the brain and sufficient to cause death. Morrison was found guilty of manslaughter, bat receiving a good character from several witnesses, was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment. The last criminal case was that of Caroline Wilting, eharored with the'nmrder- of her three children. No attempt was "made to dispute the facts stated, bub prisoner's counsel endeavoured to prove that she was insane; however, he did not bring sufficient proof to establish this hypothesis to the satisfaction of the jury, and they returned a verdict of guilty. His Honor passed sentence of death, and the prisoner, who had previously maintained a singularly calm demeanor broke down, and was removed crying bitterly. A petition, praying for a coinmutatiuu of sentence, has been numerously iigucd, and probably the prayer will be granted. The prisoner, not belonging to the criminal classes, must have been labouring under some hallucination when she committed the crime, probably caii3ed by the fact that her married life was unhappy. As frequently happens amongst navvies some of the men working on the Mataura line got drinking at a store, and quarrelled. One of them, named Malcolm Shaw, got stabbed, and James Me Laren, Storekeeper, was charged at the Resides t Magistrates Court with committing the offence, but remanded for the production of further evidence. The Ironsides, a clipper iron ship of 1000 tons register, is loading wool, <fee, at Bluff Harbour for London, and probably will have quick despatches. In addition to the trade caused by the railway and the wool season, several new 3awinills have started lately, and the timber trade continues to expand. Eecently an unfortunate man, who had only beftn at work at one of the mills for a few days, got so severely injured by the saw that death ensued. The dismissal of the - Executive, not affecting this locality in a direct pecuniary sense, excites little interest. I think if Superintendents are allowed to dismiss Executives without consulting Provincial Councils, then the sooner Councils are abolished the better ; although a despotism seems better suited to the majority here thau free institutions.