LAST NIGHT'S NEWS. [BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.] [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

Waikato Times, Volume XIV, Issue 1223, 1 May 1880, Page 2

LAST NIGHT'S NEWS. [BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.] [ FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

AUCKLAND, Last Night. Petronel, the winner of the Two Thousand Guineas at the Newmarket First Spring Meeting, is by Musket, the property of the Auckland Stud Company. The same colt in October last won the Toy Stakes of U2b. This must be gratifying news to the owners of Musket as also to tbe breeders in the province.

WELLINGTON, Yesterday. The new Licensing Bill to be introduced by the Government in the coming session, will, it is believed, embrace the Local Option system for new licenses only.

GRAHAMSTOWN, Last Night. The Wh«au got 40lbs. of picked stone yesterday, ami the mine is to be. opened up next week.

CHRISTCHURCH, Last Night. A company to purchase a section of land outside Ohristchurch for recreation grounds has been started with a capital of £45,000. A serious accident befel a man named Charles Leader yesterday, whilst working at the graving dock. He sustained a severe fracture of the small bone of the leg and other injuries.

MELBOURNE, Yesterday. In consequence of Mr Childer's resignation, the Government have decided to appoint another Agent-General at once.

A S i7pri.se Party.— There has been an attempt at a suprise party in Sheboygan this winter which is worth mentioning for the able and successful manner in which it was combated. The intended victim was a physician who had recently moved into the town, and who seems to have been a singularly bold and enterprising man. As usual, the aggressors made their appearance at about half-past 10 in the evening, when the physician and his wife were in bed. There were no less than 30 ciiminals in the band, some of them being old and hardened offenders, ami others being young men and women justj ust entering upon aca veer of crime. The physician and his wife rose, dressed themselves, and welcomed the invaders with an apparent cordiality which threw them off their guard. There was only one thing which seemed to mar the doctor's delight at seeing his " friends, " as he termed them — perhaps with a recollection of f-Jov. Seymour's famous speech to the New York surprise—party miscreants, during the draft excitement. This was his fear, lest they might have contracted typhoid fever by passing near a seweropening some distance from his house. He told them that although in the daytime the sewer-gas was comparatively innocuous he should be afraid to pass within reach of it at night, .and that he could not bear to think that his friends should have incurred any risk of health by their delightful and unexpected visit to his humble home. The "friends" laughed at his fears, and refused to be in the least degree alarmed. They made themselvos at home by scattering cake-crumbs on the carpet and the furniture, and playing airs from "Pinafore" on the piano in a way that showed that they wholly disbelieved in any world beyond the grave. When the physician brought out wine they accepted it gladly, and there was not one who refused his earnest request to drink a full glass of Avine to show their hearty good-fellowship. Five minutes later a strange silence fell simultaneously upon the assemblage. Strong men began to grow pale, and several ladies remarked that it was late, and that they must immediately go home. The good physician said he was afraid that some of them wev-c feeling the effect of the sewer=gas, and begged them to try a little more wine but, they all declined in much haste, and began looking for their hats in a hurried and preoccupied manner. One man rushed suddenly to the door, and vanished without hat or overcoat, and in a few moments the invaders began a panic-stricken re treat. In vain did the physician urge them to stay and have a dance. In vain did he press more wine upon them, and offer to have some nice little pork chops cooked if they would only wait a little longer. They fled, without waiting to say good night, and as the docter and his wife stood smiling at the front door holding the lamp to light, them on their way, strange and awful sounds came through the darkness of the night, and the fence on the opposite side of the rp'afj seemed to be hung with limp anil agon* ised criminals. The next day the physician was sent for by 27 of the 30 marauders, who informed him that they had been taken very ill from the effect of sewergas, and were on the brink of typhoid fever. He soon cured every one of them, and thus laid the foundation of what promises to be a large and succw^ful practice. One of the invaders, a fat old man, notorious as a leader of suprise part? jeSj needed no medicine, for he was fpund dead in the street the morning after the surprise party, and, in general joy over the event, the jury declined to enquire closely into the cause of his death, but attributed it to cold and alcoholism. The physician has, of course, since replenished his stock of antimonial wine, and frequently remarks that he greatly enjpyg surprise, parties, and wi}l always be happy to have his friends call on him at midnight and take a friendly glass of wine.-- New Xwli Times,