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Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 264, 5 June 1868, Page 2

There was no Resident Magistrate's Court held yesterday in consequence of Dr Giles being away at Addison's I Flat, where he held a Warden's Court. It was just as well as well he was so occupied, for there were no police cases, \ even if he could have sat. The District Court will be opened this morning, but at the time of writing there appears hut little hope of the Judge arriving in time to go on with the business. It may be however that the Bruce or Charles Edward may turn up by this morning's tide, and if so, no further time will be lost. We are glad to say that the Tatc3 Memorial committee have at length taken action, and it is now arranged that a suitable monument shall bo put up in the cemetery over Mr Tales' grave. The money in hand is about £IOO, and this is to be expended forthwith. We shall givelurther particulars in a future issue.

Some of the strangest characters in the world are to be met with in this community, as the Ararat Advertiser remarks, proceeding to illustrate its observation thus:—" Perhaps one of the strongest examples of this fact was the centre of an amused circle on Saturday night, at the Manchester Hotel. The personage we refer to is a Peninsular veteran, and one of a hundred who at one time successfully disputed the passage of the Douro against an overwhelming force of the Carlist army. The veteran must be close on seventy years of age, and shows with evident delight the wounds he received during his campaigns. One sabre cut, which he received upon the head, is a perfect mystery when the position of the brain comes to bo considered ; it extends from the brow to the crown, and in any head with an ordinary development of moral faculties must have proved fatal. In this case, the allowance of brain must have been the minimum, and shows that this proportion, added to a thick skull, is by no means to be despised in a soldier. The old man, who comes from the Sydney side, declares that he had a personal acquaintance with Gardiner and Morgan, and both of these gentlemen hold a high place in his esteem ; of them he told some anecdotes that were not uninteresting. The veteran was very wrath at some one who stated in his hearing no person could stick him up ; he swore that he could do this feat with ease, and to prove it would undertake to rob him ou the day following; not, he said, that he cared for the money—which was only eleven pounds—but to show that Sydney men, and especially a friend of Morgan's and Gardiner's, could stick up any one. He repeatedly vowed he would put his threat into execution, take the money and hand it over to the hospital. We have not since heard whether Morgan's friend has shown his doxterity in this accomplishment, but we can easily conceive how bushrangers would flourish in a community formed of such men." We have Launccston files to tho 12th ult., including HobartTown news to the 11th. There was considerable excitement on the old wharf, Hobart

Town, a few days ago, in consequence of tho appearance of several largo sharks in the neighborhood of the fisherman's dock. One was captured which measured about nine feet. A terrible accident, which terminated fatally, occurred at the bark crushing mill, recently established by Mr Parker in Hobart Town. A lad named Henry Stokes, about 11 or 15 years of ago, was employed to feed tho mill. This consists of two hoavy rollers, tho surfaces of which are studded with largo iron teoth, closely sot together. The lad was alono on tho platform, which is level with tho rollers, and was engaged in feeding them when he attempted to pull out a strip of bark. The mill was going very fast, and his right hand got between the teeth. He made a spring forward, when both legs were drawn in up to the knees. Mr Montgomery, the manager of the mill, was fortunately at the engine, and at once throw off the band, putting the mill out of gear. The difficulty then was as to how the unfortunate lad was to be released, and it wasi feared that the only plan would bo to ' unfix the rollers. Mr Montgomery, however, suggested reversing the mill, and this was done, when tho lad was taken from between the rollers, his limbs horribly mangled. He was sensible during the whole of this painful process, but he sank gradually, and died in a few hours. A sad accident occurred on the Ist inst. to a little boy, three years of age, son of Mr Benjamin Sykes, a resident at the New Ground, Port It appears that the father was engaged burning off scrub, and the little boy was playing near. Before leaving his work, Mr Sykes looked round for his son, but, not seeing him, thought he had gone home first. On getting to the house, however, he found that the boy had not been seen. Becoming anxious, Mr Sykes went back in search of him, and found the poor little fellow between two logs burnt to death.

As will be seen by a report in another column, a provisional committeo was appointed at the hospital committee last night, and comprises a number of the leading business men of the town. We are necessarily compelled to very materially abridge the remarks of Mr Kynnersley and other gentlemen, in consequence of the late hour at which the proceedings terminated. The members chosen meet to-night for the first time, and as they are essentially a real working committee, we have no doubt but that their exertions will soon be productive of material good to the cause.