AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 41, 17 February 1910, Page 6

AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

THE EXTREME PENALTY, ROBUSTELLI HANGED. PERTH, February 9. At Fremantle Gaol to-day Picter Robustelli, who killed Giovanni Forsatti with an iron bar at Coolgardie, on October 19, was hanged. A short drop was -allowed, and death was instantaneous. The Press representatives were excluded. Robustelli met his death calmly. He said nothing except on the previous evening to an Italian resident of Fremantle, that it was not fair or just that he should have to die when what he did to Forsatti was done in defending himself. Forsatti and Robustelli were rivals with respect to a girl, and had quarrelled. Coming to Coolgardie from the mine, they started drinking, and later Forsatti was found in an alley near the hotel whero he was staying, fearfully battered. Robustelli made several attempts to get his blood-stained clothing washed or burned. PEACEMAKER'S DEATH. MELBOURNE, February 9. Late on Monday night a man named Benjamin Hutchinson attempted to stop two men from fighting in lieacousfieldparade, Albert Park. One of the men turned on him and felled him with a blow in the face. The peacemaker's head came into violent contact with the pavement, rendering him unconscious, and as remedial measures, applied oil the spot by the bystanders, had no effect, the injured man was removed in an ambulance to the Melbourne Hospital, where he died •to-night. Both men ran olf when the blow was struck, but to-day a man named Robert Warnecke was arrested and charged with inflicting grievous bodily harm. In view of Hutchinson's death, a more serious charge will probably be made. CONSTABLE SHOOTS BURGLAR. ADELAIDE, February 9. Alberton railway station, on the Port Adelaide line, was entered early this morning, and some time later the burglars, in attempting to gain entrance to the Woodville station, were observed by a police constable, who shot one of the intruders. Alberton station office is a small building, and it is the custom of the department to remove the greater part of the cash takings at the close of each day's work. T!ie stationmaster, Mr Jeffries, hud finished late at night, and left only £2 12/ in the safe, which was found to be blown open and rilled. On Wednesday the burglars turned their attention to Woodville station about 3..'10 a_m., and while seeking to gain admission were discovered by Constable Bond. While they were escaping the police officer fired with his revolver. One man was undoubtedly wounded, as bloodstains were found on the platform at daylight, and a bloodstained glove was also picked up. The constable, as the man opened the window, (lodged behind the counter to await until the entry was completed. As the burglar was getting through the aperture | Constable Bond waited with his revolver ' handy, with the intention of pouncing I upon the man as soon a* he put his foot j to the floor. Just as the visitor wa» about to land on the floor his mate outside gave a shrill whistle, and called him by name. It was the signal for the man to leave. The burglar began to retreat, and as Constable Bond saw the movement he called out: "Stop, in the King's name, or I'll fire; I'm a. constable." It was quite dnrk, and r.ne man paid no attention to the threat. He was getting away, and tho constable, in the hope of bringing his quarry to bay, fired through the open window at the I legs. The intruder reeled, and fell on the platform, and the constable, considering a second shot unnecessary, went out of the door. To his surprise, the man got up and decamped. It is believed the shot J entered the man's legs. ANOTHER RAILWAY SMASH. SYDNEY, Feb. 8. A serious railway smash occurred at the Central Station early yesterday morning, as a result of which a. man is lying in the Sydney Hospital, and a guard's van and passenger car of the LX.X. class were bcdly damaged. The 6.50 train fov Newcastle was being made up at No. 1 platform, and a string of carriages was shunted on to the line, to be attached to the brake van, which was already standing near the dead end. In the usual way, an engine had given the carriages a *' kick," to send them down the line, and fior some reason they ran into the station .vith ttx> much force, and, bumping the brake van, hurled it against tho dead end. The force of the impact was sufficient to telescope the tne ear, the former being almost completely wrecked, and the latter badly i damaged. : There was considerable excitement at j the station after the accident happened, which was intensified when groans were | heard coming from underneath the debris. . The break-down gang was immediately sent for, and, pending its arrival, some officials and a policeman got to work with axes and crowbars to rescue the man who was evidently buried in the ruins. For a quarter of an hour they worked strenuously before he was freed from the wreckage, and it was found that his injuries, though painful, were not ol a serious nature. The civil -ambulance conveyed him to the Sydney Hospital, where he was admitted, suffering from a fracture of the left leg and a d.ilocated shoulder, in addition to bruises, abrasions and shock. The injured nan was Robert Bowmaker, who is 4S years of age, and lives at St Johns-road, Glebe. He is employed an an upholsterer on the railways, and was attending to some cushions in the car while the train was being made up. The telescoped car presented a sorry spectacle, two second-class smoking com. partments and a lavatory compartment being splintered and the roof smashed. People who saw the damaged car irould not understand how Bow-maker had come out of the accident alive. The only explanation is the one given hy himself that his presence of mind,which enabled him to throw himself'down saved him from sudden death. WIDOW'S PECULLaR DEATH. i SYDNEY, Feb. 11. Mrs. Mary Agnes Allingham, 24, a widow, died on Thursday evening at her home, 40A, Abercrombie-strcct, Sydney, uniier peculiar circumstances. For the past two months she had been complaining of indigestion and severe pains, but did not consult a doctor. She left homa on Thursday morning, and returned about 2 pm. Immediately after dinner she took a dose of medicine she had obtained from a chemist in the city, and shortly after- , wards said to her sister-in-law, Mrs. . Mabel Bowe, "Oh, Mab, 1 feel in terrible gain. I think lam dying." Mrs. Rowe,

becoming alaxmed, said " lia,t is tlie matter?" "I feel as if I'm swelling up all over," said the woman, who collapsed immediately afterwards. Dr. Breitner, ~who was passing at the time, was called in. He advised her removal to a hospital, but before the City Ambulance arrived the woman died. A bottle containing medicine and a box containing sulphate of zinc -were impounded by the police.