A SCOUNDREL TRAPPED.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VI, Issue 1294, 18 September 1873, Page 7

A SCOUNDREL TRAPPED.

• A Scotchman, named Stnart, 35 years of age, made the acquaintance of a young lady of "considerable personal attractions," who resided with her parents in Liverpool; and, falling in love at first sight, proposed marriage. He gave himself out to be the manager of a publishing company having a branch in that city, and pretended to be well off. The young lady accepted him, but her parents wanted more information, and owing to this difference she went to stay with a brother at Bebington while preparations for the marriage were being made. At the eleventh hour the brother found the man was an imposter, and that he had already a wife and three children living at EdgehilJ, and that he was only a book canvasser. It had been his intention to take the young lady abroad immediately after the marriage. Stuart came at the appointed time, and was taken on some pretence to the George Hotel, where he was led to a room that was filled by a company chiefly consisting of young men from Liverpool or resident in the village. The door having been quietly locked, a well-known Liverpool artist was voted to the chair, and opened the "court" with an address, in which he depicted the fellow's heartless conduct, and called upon him to defend himself, if he could, against the accusations brought against him. The man tried to treat the affair as a joke ; but he had fallen into, the hands of those who were in no joking humour. While he was delivering himself of his defence, two females who were in the room poured about a pound of treacle upon his head, and he was pelted from all sides with bags containing flour and treacle. He was compelled to admit that he was a married man, and was then adjudged to pay glasses round, which he did, and which cost him all the money he had with him. When he left, a crowd was waiting, and though a policeman was brought to escort him he had great difficulty in escaping.

" We like plain food, sir," said a worthy citizen of credit and renown, " and only in moderation. Fur instance, give me a basin of Scotch broth — which is the champagne of soups — a tender steak, oyster sauce, and a well-boiled potato ; a bird, partridge or woodcock (I care not which), an apple tart, a bit of cheese, with a bottle of port and sparkling Moselle, and I wish fcr nothing more." A sensational case of " self-suspen-sion," accompanied by unlooked-for results, occurred (Bays the j"Talbot Leader") a few days ago, not a hundred miles from M'Callura's Creek. A farmer, well known for his preference for stimulants, and his tenderness ? to his wife, took it into his head to hang himself. This he effected, and had just commenced to "dangle," when the partner of his bed and board discovered his position. In the excitement consequent upon the unexpected sight she seized hold of his legs and pulled him so forcibly that the rope broke, and down he came before the vital spark had ceased to flicker. Whether the husband or tbe wife has the most cause for congratulation is a question upon which the neighbors are not agreed. A correspondent, who says he baa serious thoughts of becoming a writer for the press, sends us the following as an example of his descriptive powers: — " The Latest Triumph of Steam. Watts never dreamt of it. Fulton never thought of it. Ericson never tried it. Mechi, the great experimental and practical farmer of England, never conceived it. Steam, and steam power is brought into the use and manufacture of nearly everything we enjoy — printing, ploughing, crushing, grinding, travelling, sawing, weaving, pressing, sewing, cooking, hoisting,, boring, pumping, &c. I have also heard of music by steam ; of steam being used to assist in the bass and chorus of a large singing congregation: of flying by steam. These have not, however, been perfected. But growing vegetables by steam ! No I never. I have been led into the above remarks by the appearence in town last week of a quantity of rhubarb, grown by Mr Kichter, gardener, Waikivi Bush. The bunches were about 9 or 10 inches in length, the roots being planted only a month since. This is an extraordinary growth, considering that the plants are exposed in the open air to tbe cold elements that prevail here during the month of August — considering, too, that that plant, when left to tbe ordinary course of nature, has not j et made an appearance above ground. Here was a field for inquiry. I went to tbe garden and my curiosity was soon gratified. I found that Mr Richter had procured the crop by artifical means. This is how he did it : He laid wooden pipes, or steam conduits, about 15 inches under the surface and 3 or 4 feet apart. These open into a trench at one end ; at the other, steam is forced in (which, by the way, is the exhaust steam of an engine used for other purposes). The hot vapour strikes through the pipes, puffing out at the open ends. In its passage the soil above and between is thoroughly warmed up and saturated, whereby the vegetables are forced in their*growth in an extraordinary degree. Tbe ground being thus warmed day and night, John Frost does not come near, lest he be melted into non-existence. The steam in its passage, too, unlike heated dry air, or tire gases, condenses, thereby ! also watering the plant%at their roots, which strike down even below the boxes. Mr Riccter has also lettuce and other " garden sarse " planted in this artificially warmed earth, in a very forward Btate of growth for this time of year. I await development ! Let Southland ahead ! Don't stop her !" From this it would appear that the Yankee's notiou of inducing tbe trees to keep on their leaves in winter by applying steam to their roots is not so very absurd -s4%Qr all « Southland News/