MANAWATU NEWS. (Our Own Correspondent.)

Evening Post, Volume XLII, Issue 127, 25 November 1891, Page 4

MA NA WA TU NE WS.

(Our Own Correspondent.)

PtijjrEKßTOjf Nohth, 23rd November. During the pawl, week a gentleman, reproHrnting' Hevprol of the largest produce mwcltuiii i, 11113 been engaged in buying 1 large cni>sigtitnontH of btittur 11. tliia diatriat, and 0 .\i;o*rea himuolf well pleased with the jvjulU of liis canvass of the district. I'ho Committee of the Manawatu Racing < utli decided at their laHt mooting to retain i:f (,'atcn, grandstand, and saddling paddock ]ii.vilegeß at the animal summer meeting. U ! 0 Committoo also resolved to reduce the c i.irijo for iidmitflion to tho grandstand a 1 saddling paddouk from ten to five shiliii.'fs. Tho reduction in prico is an experiti ■ ut, nnd it is to be hoped it will proveto be a mccogaful one. Uthough diligent search hasboen made no 111 1 ueo lias been found of tho body of tho man d .owned in tho Manawatu on Friday. DocoiiHdd endeavoured to ford the river instead o ' -,'oiiig to the bridge (nearly a mile away), n.n< I whon about half-way across wus washed by (he current on to a snag in tho middle of a rapid. A oarpontor, engaged on the works on the racecourse, noticed him in this prodi'Mincnt, and rushed along tho bank to his Ii Ip, but when ho came again in view of the . 11 .ff deceased hud disappeared, his hat float1 " in the river. It ia surmised deceased \v...i on his way to Palmeratoii from f.no bush camp at Fitzhorbcrt. He had «• . ulontly crossed one brunch of the river, as hU_ trousers were wot to tho knees when j.nHeod by tho eurponlor bofore entering the rivor a second time. The man mast have hei'n foolhardy to have attempted to cross at tho spot ho did, as the river there is both )• i;.id nnd deep. .V sensation was oreated in town on Saturd iy morning whun it became known that an old resident named John William Franklin hud committed suioide under most distressing circumstances. He had been drinking )i*avily since show week, and on Friday was uuiiering soverely from tho offectß of his bout. About 6 o'clock on Saturday morning Mr. Hood, who had romained with deceased d.iring tho night, was awakened by a noise in t .0 room, and found tho deceased standing b liia bed hacking at his throat with a table knife. Hood closed with him, and after a h' niggle auocoeded in wresting tho knife from deceased. Hood thon rushed to tho floor and called for' liolp, and on taming l-jimd again saw docoascd ramming a broken walking stick into tho gaping wound he had in ide in his throat. Deceased then fell back and expired within ten minutes. Deceased had apparently used thrco knives— an ordii..iry tablu knito, a carvor, and a pocket knife — and ho had initiated a horrible wound in his throat, which must havo been fatal, beforo Mr. Hood awoke. During the evidence at tho impost it was elicited that deceased had inado most determined efforts to accomplish his design. After Hood had thrown doceased on the bed and takon away the knivos and stick, Franklin got hold of a poukct knife and tomahawk, and attempted t j stab himsolf in tho heurt with tho knife and knock bid head with the hammer end of tho tomahawk. A vordiot was returned tliafc doceased cominittod suicide whilst temporarily insane. , Since its formation tho Manawatu Amateur Athlotic Club has made astonishing progress, and now numbers 50 active members. The following in a resumi of tho programmo drawn up at tho last Committoo meeting for tho sports on Anniversary Day : —Maiden (100 yds;, Ladies' Bracolet (440 yds), Mile Handicap, Milo Walk, 120 yds Hurdles, 250 yds Championship. Tho foregoing are opon to membors of tho Manawatu Club only, and tho following to members of clubs afliliated to tho Now Zealand Amatour Association i— looyds Handicap, 220 yds Handicap, Half-milo, High and Long Jump, One aud Three-niilo Bicycle liacos. Mesßrs. R. S. and L. A. Abrahams havo each presented handsome cups for competition, and the other offioors of the clnb have made liberal donations to its funds. The Manawatu Racing Club must be complimented on the energy and enterprise they havo shown in building a now grand stand and adding othor oxtouaive improvements to the course. Tho ono fault about the raceconrsa has been the small straight, and to remedy this tho clnb decided to have tho tiuishing post on tho opposite sido of tho course, thus providing a fine length of straight. Tho now grand stand, 93ffc by 23ft, is a paricularly fine structure. It ib bnilt on n, sloping bank, Oft abovo tho lovel of tho course, and its height above this ia JBft. It is capablo of seating 800 people, and the accommodation for patrons is mi surpassed. Its whole appearance is very attractive, and a better grand stand does uofc exist on this coast. Beneath it is a large public lunoheon-room, 46ft by 23ft, a stewards' lnnoheon-room, and a ladies' dressing-room, nnd spaco is also provided for tho construction of a bar. The lawn tud saddling paddock occupy over an acre of ground, and contain improvements which cannot be improved upon. There are right horse stalls, eaoh 12ft by Bft, and attached to this is a jockey's room 12ft by 12ft. Forming a portion of the bonndary line of the course ia a building containing the secretary's, stewards', and weighingroom, all commodious and well-appointed. The band rotunda on the lawn is another voryneat struoturo, and tho samo remark applies to the totalisator building, which ia constructed in a very convenient position. A "people's stand" capable of holding about 400 people, and publicans' and refreshment booths, well and substantially bnilt, complote tho list of improvements. Mr. J. H. HankinB 1 Somnns colt Endymion broke down while doing a gallop on the training track yestotday. It is to bo regretted, as tho horse had been doing oxcellont work up to the timo of his mishap.