ORMONDVILLE.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3588, 11 January 1883, Page 2

ORMONDVILLE.

[KKOJI OUIt OWN CORRESPONDENT.] January 10, 1883. A fatal accident has occurred on Saunders' contract, Makatoka, by which a man named Petersen lost his life. He was working as a carpenter on the bridge across theMangatcwaiuui, and. iij trying to catch one of his tools which was falling down hy lost his balance, aud fell on to the l-iver bed below, a distance of ninety feet. He was terribly smashed, and did not live many moments. An inquest was held at Smith's hotel today, aud a verdict of accidental death was returned. The poor fellow has a mother living at Makarctu. It is to be hoped every precaution will be taken to prevent similar accidents in future on this most dangerous work. Whilst Mr Burgess was in charge of the work not a single accident occurred, and h,; had only two day's previously left the The usual sittings of the R.M. Court

brought the usual crop of cases, including the final act in the Sorensen v. Wegner case. Wegner had laid a charge of perjury against three persons, and appeared in person (supported by twenty witnesses) to conduct his case. Mr Lascelles appeared for the prisoners, and raised several objections to the information and other portions of the proceedings, whilst the plaintiff and his witnesses looked on with blank astonishment. The R. M. upheld the objections, and dismissed the case. In another debt case Mr Lascelles appeared for plaintiff, and Mr Lee for defendant; each one fought hard for their clients, hut the Leviathan of Clive pulled it off. The police are busy enquiring re an alledged case of highway robbery by a masked man from a German woman near Kopua, in which, after tearing the clothes from tho woman, he took £3 odd from her and decamped. Suspicion has fallen on a man who has previously been in Mr Miller's charge.