Page 4 Advertisements Column 4

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue 135, 5 December 1904, Page 4

• LOCAL AND GENERAL. ■ ♦ There is but little news of moment from the seat of war to-day. Before Port Arthur a .truce of a few hours for removal of the dead and wounded has been arranged, and the besiegers evidently count oa- having to fight hard to retain possession of Fort 203. Stoessel is reported as fortifying the Liaotishan district, the end of the peninsula south-west of the town, and there he may be expected to make his last stand. According to Russian official despatches Rannenkampf is still very much alive, for he claims to have lately driven a Japanese detachment as far south as the Taitse River. It seems a little remarkable that he got back to his base unhurt. A message of this morning says there are indications that the Russians are trying to regain the Yenlai coal mines. If such a movement is afoot it should be the prelude to a general engagement. The colonial mails which left Auckland per R.M.S. Sonoma on the 4th November, via San Francisco, arrived in London on the 4th inst. A well-known waterman named J. Thompson, who has only one leg, had a trying experience late on Satiuday night. He was attempting to row from the breastwork, near the Glasgow Wharf, 'out to Tanner's "Ark," in which he lives, when he lost an oar overboard. A high wind raging in the harbour soon swept him out from the shorn He shouted for assistance, and fortunately attracted the attention of Mr. George Smith, the Union Gompany's nightwatchman. The matter was reported to Constable Murphy, and in a few minutes he, Smith, and Mr. J. M'llwhan, the Harbour Board's nightwatchman, secured a boat, and put off to Thompson's assistance. After rowing for about half an hour they found him drifting to Oriental Bay, took his boat in tow, and after a tough pull landed him at the Queen's Wharf. A young man named Michael Drayton, who came to the colony from the Old Country about 18 months ago, this morning pleaded guilty before Dr. A. M'Arthur, S.M., to having stolen two watches v.alued at £4, the property of Newton John Taylor. Acting-Chief Detective Boddam explained that accused and informant worked together in the country eleven months ago. About that time accused was coming to town, and informant gave him -the watches to get repaired. Accused subsequently converted the property to his own use, and had not been seen since by informant again until yesterday. His Worship remanded accused for sentence until Friday in order to give the police an opportunity to make further enquiries about him. The hearing of a charge against Alfred Crossey of having stolen £7, a gold watchchain, and a ring, of a total value of £13, the property of Frederick Watson, was adjourned on Mr. Herdman' application -until the same day. Bail was granted — self in £50 and one surety of £50. Mr. J. Ashcroft, Official Assignee, was appointed to that position on Ist December, 1883, and has thus attained his official majority. Of that period he was nine and a half years in Dunedin, and for the past eleven and a half yeais has been in Wellington. Mr. Ashcroft has compiled statistics showing that during the period he has held office the numbtr of petitions in bankruptcy filed in the colony was 11,687, and the assets realised amounted to £1,657,256. During the first seven years of that period (188490) the petitions numbered 6212, from 1891-97 there were 3547, and during the sjveD years 1898-1304 they fell further to 1928. At a late hour on Saturday night two express drivers named Wm. Connor and John O'Connor created a disturbance at the Clyde Quay Hotel by kicking a door in after they hud been refused admission to the piemises. This morning both men appeared before Dr. A. M'Arthur, S.M., to answer a charge of having wilfully damaged the door in question, valued at 10s. His Worship found that O'Connor, who pleaded guilty, was the principal offender, and fined him 20s, with 16s costs, in default seven days' imprisonment. Connor, who denied the charge, was fined 10s, with 6s costs, in default 48 hours' imprisonment. On a further charge of insobriety he was convicted and discharged. For having occasioned a breach of the peace in Cubastreet on Saturday night, John H. R. Anderson was fined 10s, in default 48 hours. A similar charge preferred against Henry H. Horton was dismissed. On charges of insobriety James Carney was fined 20s, in defa-ult seven days' imprisonment, and Patrick Kelly and Louis Fredevick6on were each fined 10s, in default 48 hours. Five first offenders were dealt with. Handkerchiefs and gloves make the most acceptable of Christmas gifts to womenfolk, and those*who have such gifts on their list will be interested in the announcement made on page 7 by Kirkcaldie and Stains, Ltd. — Adst.