AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 101, 29 April 1910, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

FATHER'S PATHETIC DEATH. While the sexton of the G-ulgong cemetery was at work at night, digging a grave, he heard five pistol shots fired in rapid succession, close by. Climbing out of the grave, the sexton, Mr. Baylis, ran over to where the smoke from the f-usi-lade was plainly visible. Here he found old L\lr. Thomas Hornsey lying across a recently-filled grave, bleeding from five different wounds in the head, and in a dying condition. The grave was that of the old gentleman's son, who was found with a rifle bullet in his head a couple of weeks ago, and died from the injury. Hastily summoning assistance, M-r. Baylis had the hapless old man carried to the ho-spital, but his condition was hopeless, and he died in a few minutes. Mr. Hornsey, who was 76, hid breakfast as usual. It was his expressed intention to go to Sydney en route for England. In the evening, it appears, ho was more than usually despondent, and said that before going away he would have one la-st look at his son's grave. ANOTHBE BALLOON MISHAP. An accident of rather a sensational nature occurred at the Xai'rabri show ground on Wednesday. Caplaln Penfold, the well-known aeronaut, was engaged by the show committee to make an ascent in his balloon. Owing to a strong wind there was some delay, and the crowd of about two thousand swarmed round the balloon. When the order was given to let go, only about half of the*' holding it down obeyed, and the balloon swerved round, careering in the direction of a shed, with Captain Penfold tied on. Fortunately, he managed to get loosf before the balloon struck the shed, but in falling he struck a lady, Mrs. Bridge, severely injuring her shoulder. After the aeronaut cut loose, the balloon travelled about five miles, and fell on the Xi Harney Plain. . ATTEMPTED SUICIDE. Arthur John Usher, who recently came from New Zealand with horses, met a constable in Collins-street, Melbourne, at six o'clock last Friday morning, and said: —"Here's a case for you. I've cut my throat." The wound was not serious, and a"er having the man attended to at the Melbourne Hospital, the constable arrested him on a charge of having attempted to commit suicide. Usher explained that he had become short of cash, and this brought on despondency. On Thursday night he drank a bottle of chloral, and on Friday morning took the blade out of a safety razor and cut his throat. He is now in the gaol hospital. The Brussels courts have condemned a, lady to pa 3' £200 damages to a man whom she accidentally blinded in one eye with an enormous hatpin as he was standing on the platform of a tramway car. As the accident' was also in part the result of an abrupt stoppage of the car, the tramway company, too. was required to pay £200 damages tv the victim. Born practically in beggary and brought up to mend besoms (says the Berlin correspondent of the '"DaUj News"), George Ruckert, the millionaire hotclkeeper, died last month at Brunkensen, at the age of seventy-two.