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Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 463, 9 February 1869, Page 2

Yesterday afternoon a woman attempted to commit suicide by throwing herself into the river nearly opposite tho Ship and Castle Hotel. Mr Labatt, who was discharging his duties as landing waiter on the wharf, immediately jumped into tho water with the object of rescuing her, and he succeeded in doing so, at the imminent risk of his own life, as the woman seized hold of him, and both were under water for some seconds. Uultimately, md by a severe struggle, Mr Labatt was successful in dragging her to the bank. There was at least fifteen feet of water where the ittempt was made, and, for the risk he under;ook, Mr Labatt certainly deserves great jraisc. That he did not earn the gratitudo of ;hc woman whom ho saved is apparent from he fact that, at a later hour, she again threw lerself into the river. She is now in custody. \t a later hour in the evening another woman nade a similar attempt, was similarly saved, md is now also in the custody of the police. The scurry race in which a protest had >een lodged with the stewards of the late Vest port Races was run 011 Saturday, between ?ommy and Mr Freeth's grey, and resulted n the defeat of Tom ny. Mr Freeth's mare me in an easy winner. The steamer Wallabi was announced to ;ave the wharf on Sunday last, pn a " pleaure excursion" to the Steeples, but, when iking in her coals on the south side of the iver, she got " neaped," and was unable to roeeed on the trip as intended. This is the eeond time that she has been chartered for a unday pleasure excursion, and the second me that the charter has not been fulfilled, t is, perhaps, as well that it is so. The

selection of Sunday as a day for pleasure I £ trips or seal hunting excursions is, in such a place as Westport, as ridiculous as it is inexcusable. The Charleston people were hopeful of having some improvements upon their courW . house effected, but we understand that a telegram has been received from Nelson, * giving the instruction that no work shall at present be proceeded with. The District O-urt sits to-day eleven o'clock. As has already been mentioned, there arc no civil cases to be tried, and only . three criminal charges. Dr. Giles again visited Charleston yesterday, for the purpose of holding a court there. : It was his intention to have given, yesterday, . his decision in the civil case of Seaton v. j M'Laren, but, in consequence of the necessity ] of visiting Charleston, judgment was reserved , until to-day. Wc believe that Mr Shallcrass has been i appointed head of the Police in Nelson Province. This appointment has been made in compliance with the request of Inspector Franklyn, who has charge of the force on the goldfields, and we believe that the combination of the two forces is likely to be of csonsiderable advantage. By the steamer Bruce, the Bank of New Zealand shipped to Hokitika 3100ozs I6dwts 19grs, upon which there was paid, as duty, £387 19s 9d. By an " order in council " dated the 29th ult. the following has been added to the rules regulating the practice and procedure of Wardens' Courts: —" The Warden of any Warden's Court may, on being satisfied that any person is a fit and proper person to be registered as an Agent to act in such Court on behalf of parties in any such complaint, action or proceeding, register such person as >m Agent to appear and act at the Court for any such parties ; and any person so registered may, so long as his name shall be on the Register kept at such Court, have the right, in the absence of a barrister or solicitor to appear or act for any party without express or further permission from the Warden of the Court." A severe hail-storm has been felt at Tutaenui, near Wanganui. Some of the stones were as large as guinea fowls' eggs. Several windows were broken, boughs of trees and heads of corn cut off, and gardens and trees all more or less damaged. It extended about three miles in width. The oldest settlers have , never seen anything so severe. On Friday last, says the Nelson Colonist, as Mr C. Hibberd was crossing over the Big Creek, about six miles up Nelson harbor, on ' his way to the Boulder Bank, he saw a large ? J fish swimming at a very swift rate in the channel. Watching its movements while > wading up to his knees in shallow water Mr Hibberd was somewhat surprised to see the fish making directly towards him. Having an axe in his hand an opportunity was soon 1 afforded (by the fish deliberately placing his 3 head on the edge of the creek) of stopping its t rapid sporting in the water. The fish proved T to be the genuine Fox Shark or Thresher. It measures 9£ feet, its tail being full 5 feet in length. A reformatory school has been fairly started in Dunedin ; it has 32 children in it; two '* only of whom belong to the criminal class, •i A steeplechase will be run under the - auspices of the Canterbury Jockey Club, in ,_ honor of the visit of his Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, in April next. The Grey River Argus states that there is at present a dead-lock in the operations of the Grey River Coal Company. For - some weeks all active work in connection i with the construction of the railway has > been suspended, and latterly the Company | has discontinued bringing down coal by the river. It is alleged that this cessation is merely a temporary one pending a decision whether or not the Company is to be • allowed an extension of time for bringing down the quantity of coal stipulated for in t the lease. ] The annual meeting of the shareholders of the Grey River Steam Co. has been held at Greymouth. The balance-sheet showed that the total earnings of the p.s. Dispatch for the year were £5040 19s 9d, and the expenses .£3557 17s. 6d., leaving a profit of £l4ll 2s. 3d. After paying all liabilities to date, there remained a balance available for dividend of £74S 10s.; and a meeting would shortly be called to consider the advisability of declaring another quarterly dividend at the rate of 10 per cent.