AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8325, 5 January 1907, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

BARRIER RANGE EXPORTS

Received January 4, 9.22 a.m. SYDNEY, January 4

The exports of lead, silver and zinc from the Barrier mines—which include the Broken Hill district—during ttse past year were valued at £2,075,000.

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN TRADE, Received January 4, 9.22 a.m. ADELAIDE, January 4.

The State's exports for the past year increased by over £2,000,000, and the imports by £BOO,OOO. The trade totalled £19,000,000, an increase of £3,000,000, the direct oversea trade amounting to nearly ten millions. THE IRISH MONARCH. Received January 4, 9.22 a.m. MELBOURNE, January 4. Pumping out of the steamer Irish Monarch, which arrived here with fire among her cargo, is proceeding.

ADELAIDE BUILDING STRIKE,

Received January 4, 9.22 a.m. ADELAIDE, January 4,

The demands ofjthe employees in the building trade, who struck work for an advance of a shilling a day, have been conceded on a number of minor jobs, \and work has been resumed.

NEARLY A TRAGEDY. Received January 4, 10.35 p.m. SYDNEY, January 4, A tragedy nearly occurred to-day at Cabramatta.

Mrs Deane, seized with sudden madness, attacked her three young children with an axe, and severely, but not dangerously, injured them. After being arrested she attempted to throw herself under a train. She declared that the children were better off dead, and that she would rather be hung. The woman has been sent to an asylum.

THE ELECTIONS. Received January 5, 1.4 a.m. ADELAIDE; January 4. A recount of the Senate votes resulted in Vardon, Anti-Socialist, beating Crosby, Labour Socialist, by a narrow majority for the third seat.

THE CRICK-WILLIS TRIAL,

EVIDENCE BEFORE THE ROYAL COMMISSION.

Received January 5, 12.24 a.m. SYDNEY, January 4. The Commissioner examined the sheriff's officers.

Those , s m charge of the jury-room declared V that their conduct in the jury-room was always regular. They were never in the room longer than necessary in the performance of their duty, except on one occasionfor half an hour listening to the reminiscences of one of the jurymen. They never discussed the case with the jurors, or divulged anything. They denied listening at the door. One officer stated that on several occasions the jury discussed the case within the hearing of the officials. Felton, the sheriff's supervising officer, gave similar evidence. He was also once or twice with the defendants, but the case was never mentioned between them. The officers did their duty properly. He emphatically denied the statement that the sheriff asked him to ascertain the opinion of the jury. He mentioned that, with the other officers, he was present in the jury-room, at the special invitation of the jury, when the foreman received a birthday presentation from the other jurors. The Commissioner's comment on the incident was that the officers had no right to be there. They wandered in and out of the jury-room as if it were part of the Courthouse. He told the witness that that would do for the present. The officers in charge of the defendants deposed that they never discussed the case with the defendants. After the trial they accidentally met Crick's brother in a refreshment room and they had dinner together. Crick's brother paid. • Haynes, the editor of the Newsletter, at his own request, gave evidence regarding an article published in the Newsletter. He got the information for the article from the foreman of the jury, and the reporters further alleged that they had been told that-a newsagent was approached by an officer and asked for £l5O to square the jury. Crick, at his own request, deposed that the sheriff's officers were utter strangers to him. He knew that special precautions were being taken in the case, and he scrupulously refrained from mentioning the case to the officers. They never mentioned it to him. He did not know a single juror. The sheriff, re-called, said that he received special instructions from the Attorney-General to prevent possible interference with the jury. These instructions were carried out. The hearing was adjourned till Thursday.