ACCIDENTS AND OFFENCES. | [From March l to April 2.]

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIV, Issue 3342, 2 April 1868, Page 6

ACCIDENTS AND OFFENCES. | [From March l to April 2.]

AXA K inquest was brld on Ma- oh 3, »t the Suffolk Hotel, T?re« man's Bay, befo»u Dr. Phi s-n, c rover, o > the body of Charles Henry Duckiu field, who was drowned, at SbeUy Bench, on the 2nJ, whilst bathing. After the evidence was taken, the jury returned a verdict of •• Accidentally drowned," adding the following rider:— "From the recklessness manifested in this uufortunate case, the jury feel it to be their duty earnestly to caution parents and gUftrriians against allowing ohildren of tender age to bathe, unless under their own immediate charge." A firs broke ont in College Road, Freeman's Biy, about 1 o'clock a. no. on March 3. It was found to he in the house of Mr. Biggins, soap-boiler, standing in a prominent position on the rise of the hill in College Road. A number of the police and fire brigade were coon present, but all attempt at saving any part of the building was from the first hopeless, and only a few artioles of the furniture were saved. The home consisted of a single storey and attic, was large and well built, and was surrounded by a well • kept garden, containing some valuable tree*, all of which are, of course, destroyed. The nearest houses were those belonging to Mr. R. Macfarlane, and those were for sone time, during the greatest force of the fire, in considerable danger. Owing to the direction of the wind, however, they were Bared, with a slight charring. The fire, whiohwebelievewasfirstdiscoveredby the inmates of the hou«e, is supposed to have originated in the back kitchen, probably from some fire which had been left there when the family retired to rest, The house was insured with the Royal Insurance Company for £600, and the furniture in the same office for £400. The polioy had only one month to ran. Mr. T. Hancook had a heavy mortgage on the house. Mr. Walter Williamson sustained serious injury in ooniequence of falling over a cliff about 25 feet in height, whilst on his way to a claim at the Thames early on March 3. He was conveyed home much bruised and shaken, but is not in a dangerous state. On March 6 a daring robbery was perpetrated at the Commissioner's office, Shortland Town. It appears that an iron safe containing all the documents of the Warden's office, transfers, registration papers, account and receipt book, &c.,and a cash-box containing £60, were stolen. On the discovery of the robbery a notice was issued offerin > a reward of £50 f<>r the conviction of the offender, ami all claims were protected by order from the \V srden's office. The *afe was sub rquently recover «', together with all the property, by a native police man named Nohi. They were found buried near the creek. A fire, undrr distressing circumstances, took place at Patumahoe on March 7, at about 6 o'clock, by whioh every article of household property, clothes, blankets and bedding included, belonging to one of the most industrious immigrant settlers, was totally destroyed. Mr. J. Kerr, with his son, was carting flax for hackling up to his house, which is situated at the very top of the Patumahoe Hill, while his three daughters were employed at a creek washing flax, and Mrs. Kerr was milking a cow, when it is supposed, from a sudden gust of wind through the stones of the chimney, some article in the room must have taken fire, which got considerably ahead before it was discovered, so that not a vestige of property could be saved. Great kindness was sho.vn by their neighbours in providing house, clothing, and food for the sudden emergency, and offers of labour to rebuild the hou«e were freely made by many of the immigrant settlers. The total loss is estimated at £50 to £60, and the settlers are endeavouring to raise some trifle towards reinstating them on their homestead. A painful dog-car t accident occurred about 5 o'clook on March 12, at the corner of Barrack and Welledey streets. It appears that as Mr. Balmer, of Onehunga, was driving bis horse and trap round the corner of Barrack -street, the animal suddenly ■hied and upset the conveyance, precipitating himself and family with great violence on to the hard roadway. One of his sons, on being picked up, was found to have sustained a fracture of the leg, and was conveyed to a neighbouring house, when medical aid was summoned. Mr. Balmer sustained several severe contusions, and the other children, three in number, were more or less injured by the sevedtyof the fall. Thesufferers were promptly attended by persons living near, and had their wounds dressed. The horse was alto brought up by the reins, and prevented from doing further injury. A respectable man, named James Hunter Allen, shepherd on the run of Mr. Sotrrott, Wairoa, Faipara distriot, was accidentally- drowned on the 3rd instant, in a lake on the station. An inquest was held on his body on the 7th, before Dr. Bell, Coroner, and a jury, when a verdict in aooordanoe with the faots was returned. A mo»t daring case of housebreaking occurred in Fort-street on March 14 ; but the robbers were too daring, and were captured on the premises. Mr. Hodgson, who keeps a fishmonger's stall on the wharf, left his houie in Port-street about 9 o'clock a.m., on March 14, the door being well secured by a padlock. The housebreakers had apparently thought that, from the fewness of the passers-by in that part of Fort-street in which Hodgson's house is situated, a few yards beyond the Custom-house, they might make an entranoe without any precautions. A neighbour was astonished to see two men come coolly to the door of Hodgson's house armed with a bar of iron, which they had got from the blacksmith's shop adjoining, and proceed to wrench off the staple. He immediately went to the Police-office, and constables Poster and Martin returned with him, and entering Hodgson's house they found two men, who were just finishing the packing up of a considerable amount of wearing apparel and other things, and were about to decamp with their booty. The men were at once taken to the Police-office. Their names are Thomas Johnstone and William Costello, and both of them have been previously convicted. Onr Bussell correspondent writes on March 14 : — " Yesterday morning the • Petrel 7 came in from Whangaroa, bringing a poor fellow named Patrick Campbell, who had had his left arm torn off at the shoulder on Tuesday, He was working at the sawmill of Messrs. Smith and Martin, and by some means got a rope round his arm, which dragged it between two bars and cut it off. His head is also injured. We hare now three whalers in harbour—* Jameß Arnold,' Captain Sullivan; ♦Milton,' Captain Grant; and 'Bartholomew Qosnold,' Captain Charles Nicholls— all of whom, I am glad to say, have done exceedingly well." An inquest was held at the Mauku Bridge Hotel, on March 16, before C. Mellsop. Esq., E.M., coroner for the districted a jury of the neighbouring settlers, Joshua Crispe, Esq., foreman, touching the death of two men in the employ of Mr. Keleher, named Alexander Monro, aged about 20, and Jonas Gilbert, aged 16, who were found drowned in Mauku Creek on the previous Sunday. The men were carting railway sleepers down to the beach on Saturday, and it is supposed they were bathing at the time of the accident, as they were both naked and their olothes on the bank. The probability is that one was drowned in attempting to save the other. The cart and horse were found standing in the bush close by. There has not lately been a case of sticking-up in Auckland, a crime which used to be so common, and itAronid almost seem as if this arose from the gang who perpetrated this offence having all beencong victed and put in gaol, and having left no successors. On the night of March 14, however, one of our mostretpected citizens was robbed, suffering from the hands of the miscreants a more than ordinary amonnt of violence. WD. Caley, baker, Queen-street, left his shop shortly before 11 o'clock on Saturday night, and proceeded to his house, Mona View, Karanganape Road, by way of Upper Queen-street. He had nearly reached the top, and was just opposite the house formerly occupied by Mr. Walters, *j U «* vv m * n came U P to him ft" 0111 the .aide of the road, and inquired if he knew where a person of the name of Birley lived. Mr. Caley, knowing nothing about the person asked for, was saying bo, when another man came up behind, caught him by the throat, and he was then struck several heavy blows in the face, stomach, and breast, causing him to bleed profusely. The grip on the throat was then let go, and Mr. Caley was knocked down and dragged to the side of the road. One of the men pulled the silver watch out of Mr. Caley's pocket, and took it, breaking the gold chain that wae round the neck. Part of the chain was taken away, and part remained on Mr. Caley's person. There was a quantity of small silver in the trousers pocket, which was also taken away. Mr. Caley then became insensible from the blows he had received, and cannot say how long he so remained before assistance came. It could not have been long after, however, when a gentleman conneoted with Mr. Short's drapery establishment, !&f?i & 7 ho WM P«w°& noticed him, and with the aid of another rawed him and assisted him tome. Information was at once given to constable Wreene, of Newton, who immediately came to the bead office, and got the assistance of Detective • Ternahan. The gentleman who first observed Mr. Caleysaw nothing of the robbers, so thatby the time the priice knew of the affair the perpetrators were beyond the reach of immediate pursuit. On the •goer* visiting Mr. Caley for the purpose of making

inquiries, he was fortunately able to give a pretty gou I de-cription of one of hi< as-ai'a its— that one who bVfc spoke t» him. fFe described him as being gnoil>l- oking, aud of ratber .plausible adilre<»p. On examining that part of the road where the scuffle had taken place, the officers found nothing which the robbers had dropped that might have led to their identification. Their footprints, however, were plainly marked in the dust, and measure* were taken, that these should not be disturbed. Two men, named Henry Renting and Joseph Bryant, had been released from the Stockade on Maroh 12 last, the first-named having undergone sentence for stealing a pig belonging to Mr. DornweU, and Bryant for highway robbery committed under circumstances resembling pretty closely the act of the night of March 14 . These two men had been seen together during the 14th, and, as the description given by Mr. Caley of the man who first addressed him corresponded in great measure with that of Kersting, search was at once set on foot for them. The suspicion was strengthened by the fact that Bryant, who belongs to the Military Train, was found to bo absent from Barracks, After visiting, without aucoees, a number of houses in which it was thought these men might be, Ternahan and Qreene went about 2. o'clock on the morning of the 15th to the house of a woman named Eliza Kelly, in Banaok* street. There was some delay in getting admittance, but at length the door was opened, and Kersting and Bryant were found. There were two other men in the house. Greene picked up a vest, which had been thrown aside, but no one in the house would own it, Kersting stating that it was not his, and that he had thrown away the one he had been wear* ing during the day. In the pocket of this vest, Mr. Caley's watch and park of the ohain were found. In the pocket of Kerating's trousers was a quantity of small silver, amounting to 18?. 6d., amongst which were three 4d. pieces and four 3d. pieces. Thisoor- ' responded pretty nearly with the kind of money which Mr. Caley stated that he had lost. No trace has yet been found of a bunch of keys whioh were taken from Mr. Caley. Nothing was got on Bryants person whioh could connect him with the robbery, but it was found on examination that bia boots agreed precisely with oertain of the marks on the road. The nails on the soles of the boots are fastened in a peculiar pattern, aud the B»me pattern was found imprinted on the ground. Mr. Ca'ey, we regret to say, is very severely injured. He lost a considerable quantity of blood, and his face is bruised in a shocking manner. Be has also been severely injured in the body, baring been kicked when lying on the ground. Altogether this is one of the must atrocious affairs of the sort which have occurred iv Auckland; and it is to be hoped that the guilty parties will be convicted and severely punished. By the arrival of the schooner 'Ivanhoe' on March 18, we learn that a native who is strongly Buspscted of the murder of Mr. Smith, settler at Mangonui, has been apprehended, and. awaits the preliminary examination before the magistrate. Owing to the absence of Mr. White, 8.M., of Mangonui, at Wellington, Captain Butler and Mr. Ball, J.P.s, were i about to bear the charge, in order to commit the prisoner for trial. An inquest was held on March 19 at the Farmers' Hotel, Drury, to inquire into the cause of a fire which, occurred at the Great South Road Hotel, Drury, on Friday, the 28th February last, belonging to Mr. J. C. Morrin, of Auckland, and lately in the occupation of Mr. Castledine. Charles Mellsop, Esq., F.M., acted as Coroner. After hearing evidence, the Coroner adjourned the inquest until Friday, the 3rd April, at 12 o'clock, the recognizances of the jury being first taken. We regret to state that an accident occurred on March 20, to Mr. J. Woodhouse, the respected manager of the Bank of New South Wales. Mr. Woodhouse was riding quietly up Queen-street, at about four o'clock, and «ras nearly opposite the United Service Hotel, when a breaking-in van, in which was a young and spirited horse, drew up close beside him. The young horse began to plunge, and, entangling itself in the harness, fell. This startled Mr. Woodhouse's horse, which sprang quickly to one side, and the rider, who, as most of our readers know, suffers from paralysis, fell off on his back. He was at once raised by constable Foster, and in a few minutes had recovered so far from the stun caused by the fall that he was able to mount and ride home. Two prisoners, named Alexander Campbell and Robert Kelly, escaped from the Mount Eden Stockade on March* 25. It appears that the police on duty at the Stockade had been called to town during the reception demonstration, and the prisoners were consequently kept inside the gaol. When the Acting-gaoler (Mr. Young) called over the roll in the evening the prisoners were found missing. They are believed to have made their escape over the fence at the back of the Stockade about halfpast four o'clock. Alexander Campbell was under sentence of four years' imprisonment, on a conviction for arson and robbery at Papakura in September last. He is 25 years of age, five feet five and a quarter inches in height-, fresh complexion, darkbrown hair, blue eyes. He is a native of Scotland, and has the representation of a ship on his breast, and a woman on right and left sides. Features, sharp ; eyes small. Robert Kelly was convicted at the last criminal sitting of the Supreme Court of stealing a bank deposit receipt for £200 from the Wynyard Hotel, and sentenced to two years' imprisonment, He is 25 years of age, five feet seven inches in height, dark-complexioned, dark hair, hazel eyes, and has the name " Maria Cameron " and outline of a ferntree marked on right arm, with the letter T and an anchor on the left. He is described as sharp-featured, with a very prominent nose. Intelligence of the escape, with a description of the men, has been forwarded to the police in the out-districts. About one o'clock on Friday, March 20, a fire broke out in Vincent-street, which was not extinguished, or rather did not burn itself out, till seven houses had been consumed. The buildings destroyed were in Vincentstreet, about half-way between Cook-street and Pitt-street, on the left-hand side going towards the latter street. Mr. Good's four houses were insured in the Royal Insurance Office for £125 each— £6oo in all. Mr. McGinley's house and shop were insured in the Imperial Insurance Company, for £200. Mr. Derrom's houses were not insured. In the confusion of the fire a story was current that a man had been seen going out of and into Captain Norton's house, and carrying bundles away, and that, in a few minutes after his last visit, the flames broke out. Further inquiries on the 21st confirm the report, and give it such an aspect of truth as to make it likely that Captain Norton's house had been plundered, and recklessly set fire to, for the purpose of concealing the robbery. Margaret Ritchie, daughter of the tenant of the house immediately to the north of the one in which the flames burst out, states that about half-past ten o'clock she was sitting in a back room of the house, with her sister, who is sick, when she saw a man going, as she thought, from Norton's house, with a bundle under his arm. He went away down a passage which leads to Grey-street, and was absent for about twenty minutes, when he returned. The room where the girl was sitting was dark, so that she could see pretty distinctly what was going on outside. She felt certain that the man, of whose appearance she gives an accurate description, had entered the house, and she told her sister. The man again went away in the direction of Grey-street, and again came back. This time the girl arouEed her mother, who also came to the window and watched. In a short time, a noise was heard in the house as of a bin bucket being moved, and Mrs. Ritchie went to arouse a lodger who was in the house. The sick girl had also risen, and was looking out of the window. While Mrs. Ritchie was away, the man came out of the house and went hastily down the passage to Grey-street. The lodger I and Mrs. Ritchie were called to by the girls, and ran downstairs to the back-door to pursue thetnief.whentheynoticedthatCaptainNorton's house was on fire. This discovery, of course, put an end to all idea of pursuit, Mr. Ritchies house was within a few feet of Captain Norton s, and, from the direction of the wind, exposed to the first fury of the flames. The inmates state that they are quite certain that, had they not been aroused as above stated, they must have perished. If the storyis true— and all the parties are consistent with themselves and with each other— the perpetrator of the act deserves most condign punishment, and we hope that, through some of the stolen articles, he may be identified, and brought to justice.

A fancy bazaar, in aid of St. Joseph's Convent and School?, mu opened on Maroh 9, in the Catholic* Institute. Onohunga, and continued open until the 13th.