MELBOURNE ITEMS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 2947, 4 June 1891, Page 4

MELBOURNE ITEMS.

(FROM Ol'B o\V* COKKESPONDKXT).

In addition to the many wrecks which have occurred within sight of Port Phillip Heads, two others were added to the list last week. The loss of property is in both eases very large, uud, iu the case of one of them there has been a deplorablo loss of life. Of course, thoro will be an inquiry, and it ought to bo a searching one. In one ease, that of tho 1 'Craigburn," there seems to have been something like H row on board, and tho pilot had to order the captain to his cabiu. A tug went up to tho ship when she was aground and offered to tow her off for £500—a not unreasonable sum to usk under the oircumstiucos. The captain offered £.10, and then raised the sum to £100. Tina was rofused ; but, as the ship was in a dangerons position, the pilot advised the captain to accept the offer of £500. Then, it seem*,there wore ■wordsbetween the two, and it is alleged that the master of tho ship struck the pilot. Be this as it may, it is known that the offer to drag him oft' was made and refused, and that the ship has becomo a total wreck—in fact she has gono to pieces. Tho other vessel was certainly out of her course, and in so far tho captain is also to blame. Ho contends, however, that had tho pilots been less fond of keeping near the shoro thoy would have seen his signals, which had been flying all day for tho boat, and he would have been all right. There may bo a groat deal of truth in this, for the complaint is not a new one. More will bo heard of the matter, however when the inquiry is held. At any rate, these mishaps, happening so near our door-steps, as it were, will not improve the already evil reports which are so often inade about us. What with the dangers outside, and the troublesome strikes ashoro, owners do not care to accept low freights for Melbourno, when they can get the same money for ports where there is loss danger and fewer vexations, Tho novel spectacle of Dr. Craver and wild Indians at tho Alexandra Theatre this week is sufficiently exciting and will draw crowds to the house, being something entirely new in a Melbourne theatro. But they beat us for sensationalism in tho other hemisphere. I read that the sensation of Paris during the holidays was to havo been an exciting spectacle at the Hyppodrotne, when real lions were to devour Christiams in the amphitheatre. Living performers were to disappear unobserved down trap-doors, leaving their effigies stuffed with sausaglmeat in their places. The lions when relased would devour these savoury dummies, and the bull fighting Parisians would doubtless have enjoyed tho sight. Tho perforinance had, however, to bo abandoned, one of the liuus while rohoarsing having mado a savage attack upon its tamor. This reminds us of Sue's description of tho tastes of the Parisians when crowds went to tho Porte-Saint-Martin to see Morok, the lion tanner and the panther.

A fresh candidate for the fallows has just prseutcd himself in the person of (in ex-Salvationist. The tragedy which occurred (it l'arliameiit-place in August lust, in which Mrs Julib met her death, lias ben revived in a cuniio.H way. It will bo remember, d tint at the time there was considerable doubt of mystery surrounding tho occurrence, but this wat thought to have boon satisfactorily clearcd up at tho coroncr'tt inquest, at which I'urucr, who was alleged to be implicated iu tho affair, was charged with murder. The jury returned a verdict of suicide, and Turner was discharged. Now a prisoner serving a sentence of sevon years in l'entridjyo, named Arthur Melrose, who is identic il with that notorious schemer and importer, " Captain" Foley, late of t.he Salvation Army, has made a confession, which, while halt' supporting

this verdict, otherwise contradicts it. He states that tho ease was not one of snicido, hut ono of murder, and that not Turner, hut lie was the murderer. He says that, he hvl just come out of I'entridge after serving a oentennu of five years, and having reduecd himself to a state of destitution he broke into Mr .Jubb's house. In ransacking the place ho found a loaded revolver, which lie retained. While continuing his work of turning tho place over, he heard footstops and found himself confronted by a man and a woman. Ho fired at the man, who fled, and then shot the woman, who was screaming. Seeing the danger of his position he got away as quick as possible, and alleges that in the street he was recognisod by an old acquaintance, who lives in V iotoria Parade, and whose namo he gives. Foley dosires to be placed on his trial for tho crime. The authorities entirely disbelieve Foley's story as he hns a reputation for untruthfulness. It is believed that ho is emulating B irnes. who confessed to the murder of Mr J. B. Slack. Foloy's sole aim is thought to be to gain not.orioty. Nevertheless, ho would hardly liko the notoriety were he taken at his word and hanged.

One of the Argus staff achieved n pretty ililKcult feat, in reporting last week. Ho interviewed the Governor of New Caledonia, who could not spink a word of English, and not only oarriod on convolution in French, which was an e;i«y matter to him, but what, wan difficlut, took a .short hand note of the interview. The curious thing was that other members of the staff, by readingthe shorthand, wore able for the first time to acquire a really good French accent. Of course the shorthand was phonetic or sound writing, and it opens up room for speculation. The French student who knew shorthand to begin with wonld find it a great aid to catching the right sound for tbe word, provided the lessons were printed in phonetic type. This serves to show the superiority of Pitman's over any other system. Being a sound system—that is, you write the word nnspokcn,not as it is spelled it maybe adapted to any language. Whether Bear Hill be a bare hill or a gold-boaring hill, tbe bears have been pretty well hugged during the past week, and there are wild rumours floating about that it will cost them somewhere about £100,000 to get free, with the ransom on the rise. The lambs who generally tako their wool to be shorn are standing around in a circle bleating their interest, like their brethren in Queensland, whcro the union shearers nre on strike. It is not every day we go to the dentist aud find him out, and it is a new sensation for the public to watch a 'Change gamble in which they aro not the victims. It seems only fitting that "bulls" and tho "bears" should occasionally prey upon each other. It is an immoral frame, though, is "spec" buying and selling. A man sells that which ho has not got, and knows that ho may not bo able to deliver; but legitimate business is unsettled by such gambling, and the gamblers should be made to smart —in their pockets. We nre copying the customs of the United States when a man is sentenced to be hanged, heaven and earth are moved to preservo the valuahlo life of the assassin. Mr David Gaunson, who acted as solicitor for Joseph Chehab, who was sentenced to death by Mr Justico A'Beckett during last week for the attemped murder of Abraham Khaled, has drawn up a petition to the Governor-in-Council, praying that the prerogative of mercy may be exercised in favour of the prisoner. The petition points out that Khaled was shot at four a.m., and that had Chehab continued of his original mind thore was nothing to prevent him murdering him between that hour and nine, when his condition was discovered. It is pointed out that so far from Chehab killing Khaled outright, ho not only did not do that, but he actually weut for a doctor whilst the police were present in the wounded man's bedroom, and that ho afterwards voluntarily returned and allowed himself to be arrested, instoad of attempting to make bis escape as ho certainly might have done. It is intended to ask tho jurymen who tried the case to sign a statement setting out that tho judge informed them that, therefore, in arriving at their verdict they believed and hoped that the death penalty would not be carried out. Mr Gaunson evidently believes that every man who enters a jury-box henceforth becomes an idiot.