EXTRACTS.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 349, 12 September 1868, Page 3

EXTRACTS.

Ak liraroCENT Man Lynched —An American paper mentions an instance in which lynch law has miscarried in the State of lowa. A "vigilance Committee took upon itself to hang one Mr Roberts, a supposed horse thief, between Jonesville andWaverley. It subsequently tamed out that the horses alleged to have been stolen had not been stolen at alk but had only been " borrowed'* by two tipsy men, who had ridden them as far as Cedar Stalls, and had then turned them loose. Warrants have been taken out against the perpetrators of this murder, one ot whom is said to be the sub-sheriff of the county 5 but a wealthy and influential party has declared itself in favor of lynch law and its administrators, on the constitutional principle that authority must be supported, even at the cost of the life of an innocent man.

TflE EMPRESS CHAftLOTTE.^The following interesting details are given of the state of the Empress Charlotte's health, which is represented as in a much-improved condition >—The Empress now has periods of perfect lucidity, during which she is painfully conscious of her afflictions, and aware of the state of her mind. Attacks of lunacy 'come on immediately after eating, and so well aware is she of this, that she withdraws into complete solitude in the hope of thus escaping observation. When she dines with her-sister-in-law, the Queen, and the youthful bride the Countess of Flanders is at table, the Empress refuses to partake of (any food lest the attack should come on in presence of the Countess, who has but lately become

part of the family. The fempre'ss has 1 lately written to several friends in* Paris who once formed part of her 1 household. In her letter she speaks of her husband, and of her adoration of his heroic death. She has besides sen?; to them photographs of a picture" drawn by her self, representing the" Bmpefof Maximilian in the costume of a fcail'orj gfaSping the Mexican flag whilst sinking oh a shipwrecked vessel. On the reverse-, she has translated into Spanish the G-ospel tfsad at Mifainar during the last mass at Whiih she and her husband were present before toils ing on their fatal expedition Shocking Accident.—A lamentable" accident occurred on Tuesday at Farmwellgate Moor Colliery) Durham. It appears that when dinner hour arrived) a lad named Jonathan Bf IggS Entered the engine-room of the collidry) Wheite Septimus Turnbull) the engineiham was getting his dinnei 1 . As the lad came in, Turnbull observed that the belt of the screening machinery was not working right, aud lie told Briggs to try and pub it right. Briggs went to the belt, and endeavored to rectify it, but before he could do so } the cog wheel caught a portion of his jacket sleeve, and dragged him in among the revolving machinery. The boy screanied out when caught by the machinery and Turnbull, seeing his position) sprang to his assistance. He stumbled and fell, however) as he got to the tins fortunate lad, and the ny-wheel, which was making forty revolutions per mini ute, striking him upon the head, killed him instantaneously, hie head and shoulders being also dragged in amon» the machinery. The impediment of the two bodies brought the machinery to a standstill, and as quickly as passible the poor fellows were extricated, they presented a shocking sight. Briggs had his right arm severely mangled, while his leg was nearly severed from his body. The chief seat of his injuries appeared to be his bowels, which were protruding from the effect? of the excessive pressure they h?d been subject to. Notwithstanding this, he still lived, and when rescued continued to utter the most piteouis cries. Turnbull's injuries w&e also extensive, but were confined chiefly to the head, the blow which ended his life having been apparently delivered by the fly-wheel across the back of the skull. The injured lad expired during the afternoon.

An Earthqiiake at who arrived on the ship Rose of Australia, from Newcastle; Ne.7 South "Wales> which arrived at San Francisco, on 27th June* report, that shortly after passing between Curtis and Macauley Islands, of the Kermadec group, in latitude 30 degrees south;, longitude 179 degrees east, they experienced a severe shock of an earthquake, which lasted about four seconds and Was accompanied by a low vumbling sound. Those on board thought the vessel had grounded. Another, but slight Shock was felt about seven hours after the first.

Bishop Selwyn attended at the village of Cubar, England, to consecrate a new church. In responding to his health at a luncheon which {subsequently took place, his l/ordship, referring to the Work that called them together that day, expressed a hope that they would not -cease in their endeavors in connection with this church until schoolrooms and a parsonage had been also erected, 3&e% them onno account have a bazaar-. He thought that was a very unmanly Way of raising money. The meanest thing men could do was to throw Work on the women. 3E£e fiaid 'that advisedly, because having lived 25 years among savages he recognised that their distinguishing mark Was to make Women do the work of inett. That Was the system on Which bazaars r?ere held. He hoped they would complete their endeavors by direct taxation, not indirect. When he returned from ijew Zealand he hoped he should find thatthe remainder of the money necessary for the schools and parsonage had been raised. But his last words were> " Dont have a Bazaar."

The Otago TXetds gives the following interesting particulars concerning the Fiji Islands:—The Fijis are divided into nine islando, all governed by King Thackambau. The Wesleyans support Chief Tongk. The Wesleyans are very strong at Fiji, especially in Chief Tonga's island, and the Catholics aro said to b£ very weak* The Americans were formerly very strongj but they are withdrawing from the scene, Capt Stanley, the American Commodore, settles disputes between the natives and the colonists. Captain Stanley lately deprived an American of all his property because the Yankee endeavoured to cheat a Fiji. Mr James Turner, lately of Dunedin, has erected a splendid hotel iat thft Fyis,