The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24, 1887.

Evening Star, Issue 7298, 24 August 1887, Page 2

The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24, 1887.

Bishop Lusk and Fathers Egan and O’Sullivan proceed to Wellington to take part in the Investiture of Archbishop Redwood on the 28th inst. Over 200 navvies are camped, in the neighborhood of Greymouth unable to obtain work. They went there expecting to obtain employment on the Midland Railway worjts. We hear that Mr H. F. Hardy (High Ward) and A. C. lyimbell (South Ward) are likely to be the nominees of the Ratepayers’ Association for the vacancies! in the City Council caused by the retirement of Crs Murray and Pagan by effluxion of time. The Mrs Child whose breach of promise pase was mentioned in our London letter yesterday was an ex-resident of Roslyn, and on the death of her husband at the end of last year much sympathy was felt for her, and appeals made on her behalf to the charitably disposed were liberally responded to, and she was thus enabled to proceed to England, The sitting of the City Police Court this morning (Messrs K. Ramsay and M. Pym presiding) only lasted a few minutes. Agnes Brown, for allowing the chimney of her bouse in Leith street to take fire, was fined 5s without costs. A charge of abusive language, preferred by George Lloyd against Leon Nelpen, was adjourned till to-morrow, the defendant only haying been served at five o’clock last evening. Private advices received at New Plymouth from Buenos Ayres (according to the correspondent of the Christchurch ‘ Press ’) give a dreadful account of affairs in La Plata. A letter received says:—“ Every day brings worse news from the rural departments, and tells of impending drought. We are menaced with the loss of millions of cows and sheep, as in the terrible year of 1859. Thousands of the said cows are now undergoing skinning, and the beef Is left to rot on the plains, and beef in another month will be dearer in Buenos Ayres than in London. The drought, which has already caused heavy losses in Chill, Is now oeoomlng general in this province, and every day sees 50,000 sheepskins arrive by rail in this city." There was a sitting of the Supreme Court in Banco to-day before Mr Justice Williams. Considerable time was taken up by argument in the case of Andrew Sutherland v. JVlexander H, Neill, in which Mr Haggitt moved for a nonsuit. The case first came before the Court in March last, plaintiff claiming L2OO damages for alleged libel. Plaintiff was an attendant in the Seacliff Lunatic Asylum, and he claimed damages on the ground that defendant had written to the superintendents of other asylums stating, falsely and maliciously, that plaintiff had been guilty of gross insolence and insubordination. The jury in the case returned a verdict for the plaintiff, with damages (L 5) sufficient to carry costs ; but Mr Haggitt, during the hearing of the case, obtained leave to move for a nonsuit, and he this morping moved accordingly. _ In so doing, counsel said .that he .baged his application on the same grounds as at the trial, namely, that the libel was not proved, and that, assuming it was, the occasion of l writing the letter in question was a privileged one, Mr Stanford, who appeared for plaintiff, was heard in reply, and His Honor reserved judgment.

A very serious stabbing affair occurred on Monday morning at the Old Men's Home, Ashburton. It appears (says the ‘Lyttelton Tiote# ’) that in one of the sleeping places in the said sleeping places not being large enough to swing a cat—two men slept. One was a German named Schaffer, a man of about forty years of age; the,other an old Englishman of well on to sixty. The sleeping bunks of the two men were in close proximity to each other, and old Morgan was given to snoring, and caused much annoyance to the foreigner, who several times in the night called out to the old man to “ shut up.” Ultimately Morgan got up, and for some unexplained reason Schaffer hit him over the head with a billet of wood. This was followed by a wrestle in the very circumscribed area between the beds, but the aid man was able to get the wood out of Staffer’s hand and to put him under. In a paroxyay of rage Schaffer made use of his pocket-knife, y/ith which he attempted to stab Morgan in the* abdomen. Morgan warded off the blow with his hand, and so saved himself from almost .certain death; but in saving his body his hand suffered, the knife, go|ng through that member, entering between the finger phones; at the -back of the hand and protruding at’ the wrist just under the palm. In response to Morgan’s -yell for help another inmate came and secured Schaffer, and the master of the Home, who was' immediately called,, bound up the wounded hand as a temporary j measure until Dr Trevor came to attend toi it in a more professional way. At daylight Constable Smart arrested Schaffer.

An Early Closing Association has keen formed in Oamaru, and it is intended to go in fora half-holiday on Thursday afternoons. The Rev. R. J. Williams, late minister of the Timaru Congregational Church, has accepted a call to Nelson. He selected Nelson in preference to Lin wood and Christchurch, from which places he also received calls. Referring to the statement in our telegrams that Sir George Grey says “ that the Ministers have filled vacant appointments with Lyceumttes,” the Premier requests us to say that the statement is absolutely without foundation. At a meeting of the Committee of the Agricultural and Pastoral Association held last evening, it was decided to hold the annual horse parade on Thursday, 6th October, while the annual show was fixed for Wednesday and Thursday, the 23rd and 24th November. The only Case which came before the Resident Magistrate’s Court to-day was that of the trustees of the Lyceum flail (Robert Stout, Thomas Low, and Joseph Braithwaite) v. George Chainey, a claim of L 24 7s 3d for rent. Mr Farnie appeared for the plaintiffs, for whom judgment was given by default. A strike of tramway employes in Brisbane took place on the 16th, but lasted only one day. In the afternoon an arrangement was come to, the Company granting the concessions demanded, except that they should be compelled to employ unionists only. The Company also guarantee not to reduce the wages for twelve months. Mr J. F. Edgar, of Lawrence, has instituted proceedings for libel (says the ‘ Tuapeka Times’) against the proprietor of the ‘Tapanni Courier ’ on account of an article which appeared in a recent issue of that paper. The damages are laid at LSOO. The case comes on for hearing at the next sitting of the Supreme Court at Dunedin. Messrs Fraser and Stilling are plaintiff’s solicitors. The Bible-in-Schools Association Council of Otago, encouraged by the success which has attended their efforts, and strengthened by the spontaneous and hearty offer of the Women’s Christian Association to co-operate, have determined to undertake more work still. Amongst other things, the Women’s Christian Association have volunteered to make a vigorous canvass of Dunedin and suburbs and obtain signatures to petitions, which will be presented to Parliament early in the session.

The London correspondent of the ‘ Western Daily Mail ’ tells a story which is going about regarding six Scotch bailies who came up to town to present an address of congratulation to Her Majesty. They asked, he says, what they had to do on entering the Queen’s presence, and were told they should kiss hands. Thereupon Bailie No. 1, as he solemnly stalked past the throne, raised bis hand to his mouth and blew Her Majesty a kiss. The remaining five followed suit, till the Queen had a fit of the heartiest laughter she has enjoyed for a long time. One of the oddest forms of celebrating the Jubilee we have come across was that attempted p.t Clifton (Bristol) by Lawrence Donovan (aged twenty-four years), who described himsplf as the champion diver of the world. He had arrived in England three weeks before, and took up Ips residence in Bristol on the Thursday preceding Jubilee Day. At 6.30 a.m. on Jubilee Day he appeared on the bridge iu company with a man, but the toll collector on the Clifton side had evidently been informed of his purpose, for he took immediate steps to intercepthim. Though told that the permission would not l)e granted, Donovan said he would apply to the Bridge Company for leave to make liis jump. At 7.30 next morning he drove up to the bridge in a hansom, which the tollkeeper would not allow to pass, and, an altercation ensuing, the services of the police were obtained, apd ponoyan was arrested for attempting to commit agicide. That the jump had been arranged was evidenced by the fact of crowds gathering iu the neighborhood of the bridge, and of a boat being in waiting beneath it. While the tollkeeper was oi opinion that it would have been certain death for Donovan to have jumped into the river, some watermen who had been engaged to effect his rescue were of a contrary opinion. One of the latter mentioned the case of a man who had jumped off the bridge and swam for several yards, but was drowned because there was no boat in attendance, Tlio defendant told the Bench that he had been a jumper ever since he was a boy. He was the first to successfully jump from the Brooklyn bridge, which \vaa 20(5ft high, and the highest bridge iu America. He had safely accomplished many other jumps, and he bad come to England to parry op his profession. He wanted to jump from the Clifton bridge on Tuesday, to commemorate the Queen’s Jubilee. He did not think lie would have lost his life if he had been allowed to do as he desired. He was prpperly padded, and wore baseball shoes so arranged as to break his fall. By trade he was a composjtop, and had worked for five years on a npiyspajper jn New York. Mr C. Watheu (Stipendiary Magistrate! said they could not allow the prisoner to aitejppf the jump from the Suspension bridge. He might have been successful in America, but the bridge at Clifton was about 50ft higher than than any }m,<l hitherto jumped from. Such performances not be permitted in England. Though some people Plight cafl fbai& brave, he thought them very foolish. The defendant would have to enter into very substantial bon/js for his future good behavior ; and the police were directed to give the Bridge Company any help they needed.

Mr Gore’s Committee meet to-morrow. Mr Hodge’s Committee meet to-morrow, liop. T. D/ck’s Committee meet to-morrow. Non-comicuuiopeiJ Officers’ Club meet tomorrow.

Taieri Agricultural Society's meeting on tpp 30th inst.

Volunteer parade on the Ist prox. Sea advertisement.

Mr Buoklaud speaks at Shag Point on Thursday apd at Flag swamp on Saturday. Good Templar# attend special service in Ring street Congregational Chur.ch qn Sunday night.

Mr H, Warner, of Caversham. has been requested by the Managing Committee of the Emigrants’ Information Office, London, to supply them with information relative to the present demand for labor and the rates of wages in this provincial district, and will be glad to receive reliable information from trades interested.

Master Albert Rougbton, who rescued from drowning the boy Smith a fortnight ago, was presented with a handsome writing-desk in the Kensington school yesterday afternoop. The head-master (Mr Moore), In making the presentation, spoke in terms of praise of manly actions, whatever their nature. As a teacher, he had ever tried to inculcate in his pupils thorough straightforward conduct. He trusted the recipient would treasure the present, and never have cause to regret anything he might write upon it. ”