NEW ZEALAND NEWS ITEMS

Otago Witness, Issue 2722, 16 May 1906, Page 32

NEW ZEALAND NEWS ITEMS

: ♦ AUCKLAND. [ A cablegram from Suva states that the 1 Fanning 'Island sale has Been mutually [ withdrawn. The officers of the Eariuni, which arrived at Auckland from the Cook Islands en Thursday night, report sighting a sea serpent off the Kermodeee, both on the outward and inward' voyages. Th-e serpent was close to the steamer, and is described as reddish in colour, about 60ft 'ong. with a head resembling that of a gurnet. The serpent remained in close ! proximity to the steamer for some time on ! Voth occasions. The difference in distance j between sighting the serpent on the outward and inward \cyage was about 60 miles. Thomas Clarke and Constable Rowe met with an exciting adventure, on the 10th in Auckland harbour. They 6tarted for Hobsonville in an oil launch, and the journey proceeded uneventfully unt'l well out into the harbour. Then it was suddenly discovered that the vessel was kakin?. Soon the engine was running in water, and the two men realised that the launch would sink unless the cargo was jettisoned. About a ton of horse feed, lime, and stores had been loaded on the launch. When the cargo had been jettisoned they were re- '„ lieved to find that the water was not gain- ~ ing, and the launch v.as slowly run in the direction of Hotsonville. The injuries to s the hull, which caused the accident, have not yet been ascertained, but it is believed ' that v.-hile the launch was lying at the a Auckland breastwork during the day it was either crushed by another boat or was run j. into. .j Mr? Craig-, a visitor from Fiji, was assaulted by a burglar at Devonport on Friday night. The man entered her bedroom. , seized her by the throat and neck, dragged her to the door, aiid thrust his fingers down her throat to prevent her from screaming. When the othea: occupants of the house arrived in the room the man had disappeared, and the woman, who was in a. weak state of health, fainted, remaining unconscious some little time. Her luggage was overha-uled. and 10 sovereigns stolen. A sensation has been caused in the Bay of Plenty district by a Maori prophetess, who 13 credited with some marvellous cures of sick people. Her panacea for all ills appears to be liberal doses of brandy, w ith the result that there has been an enormous ran on the hotel stock. About 100 Maoris camped at Awa-awaroa Bay, Waikaremoana, are followers of the new prophet Rua, who foretells the coming of Christ and of King Edward on June 25. He claims to have taken the spell off the lake, and says it is always going to be fine and smooth. Most of the Natives come fro'n Whakatanc and Opotiki. POVERTY" BAY. The Supreme Court was occupied all day in connection with the daylight robbery of a Chinaman's house in Gisborne, for which four men were charged and found guilty. Andrew M'Keown, the chief culprit, who has a previous record, was sentenced to tv/o years' hard labour. Thomas O'Connor to six months, and John Stevens to three months. George Heywood was admitted to probation. Judgment was given by Judge Chapman in the case of Gkner v. Mill, Gisborne, the claimant being awarded £17 (on a basis of half wages) and costs. He had. whilst employed as a draper, lost the sight of one eye through an accident when doing a little carpentering work in the shop. jHis Honor said claimant had been tacitly allowed to do such work, and the benefit of it had been accepted, adding: — "We think that what he did was intended for the furtherance of his employer's interests, and that he regarded it is a necessary thin? to do. If. as he said, the splint caught in his waistcoat" and co interfered with his work, it was to his interest that he should remove it. In this country emDlovment was not 6c- narrowly specialised that a man was not. exnected to aseisfc his employer occasionally in matters somewhat outside his daily duties." WELLINGTON. Twenty-five cases of ptomaine poisoning are reported in Palmerston North, the resulta of eating pressed tongue purchased from a local pork butcher on Saturday , nig-ht. In three instances whole families were down. The effects of "the poisoning do not appear to be serious, though some ' of the sufferers are yet confined to their beds, and others are left in a weak con- . dition. It is reported that several other oases of less severity have also occurred in the district, all traceable to the same cause. In the Supreme Court on the Bth the Chief Justice-, in sentencing a man named George Robertson, lately from New South Wales, j who was convicted of attempting to piok a pocket in a crowd of tramway passengers, said (after referring to the sentences already served by the accused in Sydney) : "You must see, as other prisoners must see, that this continued in and out of gaol does not give you much pleasure in life ; in fact, the time is coming when you and those like you will have to be differently dealt with. After a certain number of convictions a man who has preyed upon society as you and others prey is not entitled to citizens' rights, and is not entitled to liberty. He ought to be kept in a place where he would be comfortable, and would have to work hard for his living, but liberty ought not to be granted to him." His Honor then sentenced the accused to two years' hard labour. The Minister of Public Works, in an interview concerning the statements made in a Pres3 Association telegram from Pal- ] rtierston Nortli on Monday night, 7th, with , reference to labourers ojx the North Island A

Alain Trunk line, said the standard rate of pay for a navvy of average ability was 8s per day under the co-operative system. ' If gangs were mixed in the way the telegram declared, then it was contrary toinstructions. If any man was incompetent he could be balloted out of the gang. The gangs were composed of men of average, ability. Th& Mines Department has received several applications for the use of the diamond drills which it ordered in England, but until the machines arrive nothing can bo decided upon as to the districts in which they are to be placed. At the Supreme Court the jury disagreed in the case of Thomas CSoodger, charged with the manslaughter of John Prestidge. The sequel to the disorders on the ship Cassius during her voyase from Liverpool . was the admission on Friday by three meiu- • bers of the crew Whiting. Scott, and ! Woo.ley,—a nd George Allright, the chief . mate, that they had been guilty of cargoj broaching on the j ascage. The police stated? I that the accused broke down the bulkhead! ; separating the seamen's quarters from the hold, and periodically helped themselves to whisky and preserved milk. On different dates during the voyage each of the accused was in such a state of drunkenness as to seriously interfere with the work of the ship. On ono occasion Whiting had to be ironed. The mate had^ while drusk, sug- ■ gested to the crew that they should overpower theca-ptain. Accused were remanded! for sentence. * The Agricultural Department states that none of the bonedust used for fertilising lands at Bombay. Auckland, on which tho cattle attacked by anthrax were grazing, was imported since the new sterilising regulations came into force. 1 A deputation from the Council of Churches waited on tha Minister of Justice on Friday, and urged upon him the desirableness of introducing a system of inde- ' terminate sentences in the case of habitual criminals. The Minister, in reply, said he intended to place proposals before the Ministry on the subject, and he hoped! something of value would be evolved. If; would be hard if a prisoner, even if a bad man, should have no chance of liberation after conviction. He thought it would be a good thing if the causes of criminality were investigated. Special knowledge on this subject should be cultivated at the university. A missing belt containing £5000 was a. subject raised at an inquest held concerning the death of George Cassidy, «. Greek 62 3? f c - D ec«asad, it appeared, resided in Cornwall place, Wellington. On ihursday last he got a cart-load of firewood, and whilst assisting to unload the " vehicle suddenly became giddy and in three or four minute* later collapsed on the floor of the cart. Dr Chappie was summoned, and on arrival 10 minutes later pronounced life to be extinct. Subsequently he made a post mortem examination of the body and found that death was due to heart failure. Ethel Cassidy, daughter of de- " ceased, said her father wore a belt, and when he first came from Fiji it contained j-5000 in notes. She did not know" of his " having spent the money. The last time she saw the belt was in Fiji some seven or eight weeks ago. Deceased had a barber's shop there, but sold out. Witness had searched about, but could not find the money. The bolt, she said, was mado of canvas and flannel. Constable Wilton deposed to having found six shillings and a. penny on deceased. There was no belt on the body Ho did not take the clothing off, but felt the body round the wai«t. A verdict was returned in accordance with the medical testimony. Cabinet has agreed to appoint a commission to collect information dealing with the early history of the colony. The colony is to be divided into districts, collectors * being appointed to each district, their duties to " involve the securing of experiences and matter of public interest from those who tended or were born in the ro'ony prior to 1870. Special attention is to be devoted to old settlers in tho large centres, also to old whalers and miners. The investigation is to cover the period from the foundation of the colony to 1887. Discussing appendicitis with a Post reporter, a melical expert declared that during the last year there were about 50 operations for appendicitis at Wellington Public Hospital, with two deaths, and these occurred because the malady had been ' left too lonj? before the patients were brought to the institution. They were not the result of tho operations. So far this year the operations had gone on at about the same rate. The great majority of the cases treated last year had been previously attacked, and the patients were fairly sound, but about a third of them had been in the acuto stage. While patients were in this condition operations were not. performed, except when they were absolutely required in the endeavour to save life. If an -operation were performed after an - attack had passed off there was practically no danger, but there was very often a considerable amount of danger if the operation had to be done while the attack was on. There wa3 nothing abnormal in the present number of cases. There was no doubt that 10 or 15 years ago, before appondicitis was recognised, larger numbers of people died from peritonitis than now. The greater danger of appendicitis was in setting up a general peritonitis, and, therefore, came tho adviseableness of timely remedial measures. Another expert said the operation for appendicitis, if done before inflammation had thoroughly set' in, was a simple one, but tb.o, danger of allowing tho evil to run to pus was very, very great. Certainly, if an operation were avoided and the abscess burst inside, the person was bound to die. There was no - case on record where a recovery had been made from that condition. The Premier received, through his Excellency the Governor, a cablegram from, the Secretary of State for the Colonies, conveying the thanks of the King of Italy for the colony's sympathy with sufferers by. eruption of Vesuvius. Parliament will be opened on the lasti Wednesday in June. The opening will be by commission, eonsisfcinc* of tfie Speaker, of fche Legislative Council (the Hon C. C. Bowen). and the Hona A. Pitt. J. D., Ormond, G. M'Lean. W. D. H. Bailey, 9Lr. George, and T. Kelly.