NEW ZEALAND NEWS. (By Telegraph-Press Assciation.)

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1315, 19 December 1911, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND NEWS. (By Telegraph-Press Assciation.)

SAVAGE ASSAULT. TIIK LODGKIt AMI LANDLADY. Christchurch, December 18. 'I'liis nfti.'riioun a iiiiin named .lames Gibbons iiUi-in|)li!(l to' lake tho life of Mrs. Eliza .\l.'Ki!n7,i«, a murried woman living ;il JIO Klreel, Sydenham, l>.y. r-iitliiifi hi , ] , lliroat villi a ra-zor. GibImii?, wild whs ;i lodger ill lilt! house, wns resting, in his room, while -Mrs. , iMMCvuziv ami two friends were playing funis in the liHclicn. .Mrs. M'Kcuxie subsequently went through, and invited Gibbons to conic and liavo dinner. 110 suddenly rose, knocked her down, and prodiici'd a razor, with which he inflicted 11 wound in her threat.. She screamed for help, and (In; others in the house—a married con|ilc—came lo her assistance, and pulli'il the man away. Mrs. .M'Kenzie gut up, and rushed to a neighbour's house, where she was followed by Gibbons, who again attacked her, and iiillictcd another wound on her cliin and hand. Gibbons was then tackled by a couple of men, thrust out into (he yard, anil finally "knocked out." The. police were sont for, and Gibbons, after a Mniggle, was lukeu into custody by Constable, O'Connor. Tlie woman is likely to recover, though the wounds which she received are serious, the carotid artery being exposed. A BAD HUSBAND. Auckland, December 18. "I think that the words blackguard and brute will adequately express my opinion of you," said Mr. C. C. Kettle, S.M., this afternoon, granting an application for summary separation which was made by a delicate little woman against her husband, a labourer of Uakor Street. "Further than this," continued his Worship, "you lied to mo in stating that you had never been drunk in your life?. iVow respectable witnesses have come, forward and testified to your drunken habits. I would not ask any women to live with a. blackguard like you. Yon are too low and too lilthy." Mr. Kettle made an order for the payment of £1 10s. per week towards the support of tho wifo and two young children. AN OPIUM RAID. Palmerston N., December 18. At the Magistrate's Court, William Tie, a Chinese, laundrynnn, charged with having opium in his possession in a form suitable for smoking, pleaded'guilty. The charge was the result of a police raid on election night. Accused has been before the Court , on seven previous occasiors. Tlir magistrate stated ..that,' . judging from'the quantity of opium • found (a half-pound tin full awl three others partly full), accused had' encouraged others to smoke. A tine of £io and costs was imposed. '. ■ ■ :' AUCKLAND PIONEERS. ; - • • Auckland, December 18. The annual reunion of old colonists.was held in Auckland to-day. In the forenoon a thanksgiving service was held in the new Town Hall, and in Ihe afternoon a social gathering was held to commemorate the founding of Auckland and tho anniversary of tlio arrival of the pioneer colonist? by the sh'ip Duchess of Argyll, Jane Gilford, Brilliant, and other pioneer vessels. The Mayor (Sir. C. J. Parr) presided on each occasion, and it was estimated that, at .least 2000 old colouists and their descendants took part. The programme included organ selections by Mr. Maughan Baructt, and addresses by the Governor, tho Mayer, and the Bishop of Auckland, SOUTH CANTERBURY ITEMS., ' Timaru,. December 18. The weather continues wet, with frerment showers. About 2\ inches of rain lell-during the last threo'flays. This will be beneficial to farms. Heavy hail has done, damage m some localities. The Anniversary Day holiday was observed to-day. All outdoor arrangements were by the wet weather. About sixty South Canterbury farmers have irranwd to visit Lincoln College to-morrow, Farmers' Day. » REFUSED TO PAY. , Hawera, December 18. A young man named John Stevenson was to-day sentenced to six months' imprisonment for disobedience of an affiliation order. Defendant admitted that ho had means, but said he would not' pay, as he was not tho father of the child. Later. John Stevenson, whj this morning was sentenced to six months' imprisonment for disobedience to an affiliation order, later paid arrears, £8, and was released. AUCKLAND BIRTH-RATE GROWING. Auckland, December 17. Auckland is advancing rapidly in the number of births recorded by the local Registrar, and the present year promises to beat all previous records. Should the rate of birth registration continue to the end of the year, the Auckland record'will be close on three thousand births. THE ONLY kINDNESS. Auckland, December 17. " A Native lad was charged in the Police Court yesterday with theft and forgery. In reply to counsel's plea togivo the lad a chance, the magistrate stated that the best form of kindness to accused was to turn his instincts firmly in the right direction, and, to that end, hs would be sentenced to two years' reformatory treatment. ' CLUB-SWINGING RECORD. Napier, December .17. A new world's club-swinging record was completed by Tom Burrows in Isapier on Saturday night. Ho started on Wqdnesday night and continued for 72 hours 5 minutes at 100 revolutions per minute— 50 with each hand. He thus beats his own- previous record of 72 hours at ,80 revolutions. BRIEF MENTION. Timaru, December 16. The cold wet spell of the last two nights nave a pood soaking to the low country. It. his also nut a lot of snow oa the tops of the ranges.