OUR AUSTRALIAN LETTER.

Evening Star, Issue 7405, 28 December 1887, Page 2

OUR AUSTRALIAN LETTER.

[From oue Mkeboubne Correspondent. J Wednesday, Pecember 14. ANOTHER. OUTBADE IN.HSW BOOTH WALKS Robert Russell, (18), carter, Henry Keddan, Alexander Russell (31V:Md Charles Leasing (21), carter, were charged »t fhe New Town Police Co»rt yesterday, <she two former with assaulting and the tetter with inciting to assault a servant-girl named Ada Fell at Petersham. The alleged outrage took plaice on Saturday afternoon in a paddock which the girl was crossing to go to abend's house. She wis accosted by a gang of larrikins known as the " Campcrdown rush " and thrown down. The alleged offence was then committed by four of the gang, while the others held her. The affair has caused great excitement in the district. The prisoners were remanded for a week, the polico expecting to arrest others im jlicated. AN UNDESIRABLE LODGER. A rather sensational affair took place at a boarding-house in Parliament place, Melbourne, last week; and it would appear that a lodger had laid himself out for robbing the whole of the establishment-. On Wednesday evening's young man took a room at Mrs Hansen's boardinghouse, fcUting that he was an architect employed in the city. He made an excuse for not presenting himself at the dinner table, and was not seen till a late hour in the night, when he was admitted by one of Mrs Hansen's daughters. He then went to his room, and nothing strange happened until about four o'clock in the morning, when pistol shots were heard at the back of the bouses, and the noise occasioned brought all the housbold on the scene. Several of the male boarders went downstairs to the yard, where the thieves were supposed to bo in hiding; but the only person discovered was the strange young man, who repeatedly called out "Don't shoot; I'm the new lodger." In the excitement of the moment he was not asked for an explanation of his presence in that place. It then transpired that Mr Raynor, another lodger, had fired three shots at the figure of a man, though he was unable to identify the new lodger as the person in question. Mr Raynor subsequently explained that he had been disturbed by the movements of a man in his bedroom, and had fired at the person as soon as the latter reached the rear of the premises in an endeavor to escape. Other lodgers stated that they had beard a noise as of somebody walking through the house, aid there was ample proof forthcoming of thievish exploits from the disturbed state of the clothes worn by the different lodgers. Some of them could not find their clothes to join in the search for the robber. A policeman who war walking bis beat made an early appearance, but the suspicious lodger was not pointed out to him, notwithstanding that the fellow; was, helping in the search. When all was quiet an hour later the manager of the house was awakened by a noise in the place, and the same "new lodger" was again found in the yard. He excused himself by stating that he could not sleep for fear of being robbed, and at six o'clock he left, telling him that he was off for "a constitutional." Mrs Hansen bflieves the thief got into her room and drugged her, as she was very sick and drowsy when called up in the morning. Nothing was taken from her room; and when an examination of the rooms and premises was made it was found that only a sum of L 5 was missing, and this belonged to a lodger named Davis. A watch, the property of Mr Lucombe, was, however, picked up in his room immediately under the head of his bed, and it is surmised that the thief in searching the room let it fall accidently, and, fearing capture, hurriedly disappeared. When the suspected marijengaged his room he bad a valise with bim, but at the time he left to have "a constitutional" he took nothing away. The bag having disappeared in a mysterious manner it is concluded that a second thief was implicated in the affair. The following day " the new lodger" had the impudence to send a note apologising for his hasty departure. D SAPPEARAKCB OF A CLERK. It is reported that a clerk named James, who for some years was in the employ of the wellknown Melbourne firm of White, Alford, and Co., has levanted, leaving a considerable deficiency in Ins accounts. He h*s not been seen since the 26th ult. MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS IN NEW SOUTH WALES. The Select Committee appointed by the Legislative Council to inquire into the state of the law for the regulation of the practice of medicine and surgery in New South Wales has brought up its report. The recommendations .arc numerous, the most important being the appointment of a medical board, which should have power to demand proofs of identity, the value of the diploma of applicant", and remove the names of those registered through misrepresentation, or guilty of professional misconduct. It is recommended that provision ought to be made that no person who is not registered may assume any title likely to deceive the public as to his being a qualified medical practitioner. A QUESTIONABLE STATEMENT. Says a correspondent of the ' Australasian':— " I picked up a shilling at the top of Collins street. As the coin was dirty, I did not like to put it into my pocket, so I determined to give it away to the first object of charity that 1 met. But I walked right down the street without encountering any suitable person, so I finally had in despair to dispose of it to two little girls who were selling newspapers. Certainly mendicity does not obtrude itself in our city." If the inference to be derived from this little story is that Melbourne is exceptionably free from beggars, it is altogether a false one. My experience of Collins, Bourke, Swanston, or Elizabeth streets is that I cannot go a hundred yaids without having my attention attracted to a blind beggar producing melancholy music out of either a concertina, a flute, a barrel-organ, or set of Irish pipes. To crown all, I frequently come into mest objectionable collision with a sightless Chinaman, who feels his way round at a remarkably rapid rate with the aid of an old broomstick KI'LKD ON A RAILWAY. , On Saturday night a porter named William O'Brien, in crossing the railway line at Kensington station, was knocked down and killed by the 8.25 a m. train on its way to Melbourne. He had been attending to a train which had just Uft the opposite platform for Essendon, and was endeavoring to rush across the line hj» as to collect the tickets from one coming in the opposite direction, when he was struck down, and most fearfully mangled by the locomotive. The sufferer was at once removed to the Melbourne Hospital, but died shortly after admission. ATTEUPTkD WIFE MTJBDEB. At the Warrnambool Police Court last week a man named Marcus Cohen was charged with attempting to murder his wife. It appears that Gohen-and his wife have been- constantly quarrelling for weeks: past on account of his wife's alleged improper intimacy with a boarder in the house. On Sunday she left home with the expressed intention of ' going by steamer to Melbourne,. but remained at the hotel at the jetty till Tuesday, when she re- - turned home. Her husband at first treated her kindly, but on being about to retire he suddenly spired her, threw her on. the- bed, and then pulled a razor from under' the mattress. With this he attempted to'cut her throat, but .she seized the razor in her hand, cutting; it severely; and after a struggle she succeeded in getting possession of it. Cohen then seized her by the throat and attempted to choke her, but after struggle she managed to get away from him. The neighbors in the meantime had heard her screams and ecnt for the police. Accused was in receipt of, a pension, having been twenty years'in the British Army. . GOLD DISOOVKBY AT MABYBOBQUGH. A rich discovery was made last Wednesday in the mine of the Bast Duke Co-operative party, when a solid nugget of gold weighing 650z, .besides 2£oz of loose rough sold, .was. found in the wash. The party consists of ten men, who hold under lease from the Crown sixty-four acres. The sinking is 94ft, and there are three or four feet of wash about 250 ft in width. A machine of dirt washed last week yielded 7pz gold. The lead is a continuation of the Humbug lead, and a tributary from the quartz ranges. A nngget weighing 70oz was found in the same locality several years a S O -, V* MYSTKBIOOS DEATH. A woman named Lee, caretaker at the drapery establishment of Mr J. Twentyman, atßallarat, -was found on Saturday mornuM? in a room at the rear of the premises, suffering from wounds in tho back of her head, and close by was found a pair of scissors bearing traces of blood. She was removed to the hospital, where she died on Sunday afternoon. No i explanation has been made public as to how deceased came by her injuries, though it is asserted they were not self i inflicted. SENSATIONAL LIBEL ACTION. A leading article was recently published in the Sydney 'Daily Telegraph' under,,the heading "A Challenge to Mr Dibbs," in which the career and capacity of the* present Leader of the Opposition were criticised, and he was challenged to appeal to the Supreme Court to decide whether the newspaper strictures could be sustained. Mr Dibbs has on the strength of this instructed; his solicitors to at,once take proceedings in ihe Supreme Court in the shape of an action for libel, in whioh damages are laid at L 20.000. -.,. THE WRECK OK THE GLABLYN. Captain A. L. Rive appeared before tho Steam Navigation Board on Friday to show cause why he should nut have his certificate cancelled for the "culpablenegligence"of which the Board bad found r him to be guilty in connection with the loss Of the barque Glaslyn. 1 The Board found Captain Rive had been guilty of the brought against him, and suspended his certificate for a period of 12 months, but offered to ittant a certificate for a lower grade if desired. ■''•!■* ■' ■ •'ARRIVAL OF Tfflt BRITANNIA. befdne ofctßßjfinest vessels afloat, arrived yesterday from London. She is stated to have made the quickest passage on record, taking into account her detour to Colombo from Aden. Amongst her passengers are Lord and Lady Fitzjroy, the Duk* of Manchester, and several well-known colonists, including H. P. Fergie and Miss Nellie Stewart. CHARGE AGAINST ! A POBTJC INSTITUTION. - The dying depositions have been taken of a

man at the Coast Hospital, Sydney, as ho alleges that he has met with foul treatment at one of the Government asylums. He Bays that he threatened to exposo somo abuses in connection with the management, and shortly afterwards he was taken ill. His symptoms are of a suspicious character. BABY-FARMING. A woman named Kllon Gardiner has been sentenced to six months' imprisonment on a charge which practically amounts to baby-farm-ing. The woman was living in a deplorable state of wretchedness in a house in Peel street, Windsor. It contained four rooms, each of them full of old boxes and valueless lumber. In a small room, which could only be enterod by squeezing through a stack of box's, packed up against the doorway, two infants were found lying upon a stretoher covered with an old shawl and a few dirty rags. Tho compartment was only ventilated by the doorway, and alittlo light was afforded by a small skylight in the roof. Both infants were in a lamentable condition, their bodies being grimy and wasted. In some parts the skin was peeling off their bodies with tho dirt, which, apparently, had been allowed to accumulate for a considerable time One of the infants, a boy, ten weeks old, saul by Gardiner to bo the illegitimate offspring or ft servant-girl at Hotham, is very ill and not expected to live. The other is a boy about three weeks old, but tho woman would neither discloso its parentago nor give it up. w nen asked whit she was doing w..th he oh ldren Gardiner said she was keeping them to pay her housohold expenses and rent. ► fte is a married woman living apart from her husband.

THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL. On Saturday evening I went to the Alexandra Theatre to hear 'Maritana sung in Italian by Mr S'monsen's opera company. The performance was a pronounced success, for although the opera is less acceptable when rendered in the foreign tongue and with now traditions, the music throughout was sung in an almost perfect manner, and the recitative music by Mattei whioh took the place of tho dialogue of the English version proved an interesting novelty. The theatre was crowded with a most demonstrative audience, and all the favorite ballads wore loudly encored. The singers were guilty of one or two unartistio displays in altering written terminations for the purpose of taking the top notes which, according to Maccabe, are bound to "fotch" an English audience. This was the case in 'Alas those chimes,'' Let me like a soldier fall,' 'ln happy moments,'and 'There is a flower that bloometh.' In the martial air mentioned the tenor worked his way up to top C, to the delight of the majority of the audience but tho disgust of not a few. The baritone, on being encoicd for ' In happy moments,' created much amusement by afterwards attempting to sing the two verses in English. The orchestration of the opera was devised by the talented local musician Signor Zelman, and excellent effects were produced by the instrumentalists, who were banded together under the baton of Signor Hazon, a remarkably demonstra'ivc conductor, who infuses a wonderful amount of enthusiasm into those under his command. . Madamo Schiller gave her first concert in Melbourne at the Town Hall on Saturday, her assistants being Mrs Palmer and Mr H. W. Stockwell (vocalists), and Mr W. J. Turner (accompanist). Madame Schiller created a profound impression, her technique being recognised as perfect and her interpretations full of soul. Without doubt she takes her place in the front rank of living pianists, and I am glad to hear that there is a prospect of Dunedinites having the opportunity of hearing her, a New Zealand tour being spoken of. A few words as to Madame Schiller's early careor will no doubt be of interest. She was born in London, the daughter of an Englishman, though, as her name indicate, of German descent. Sho is said to be a relation of the poet Schiller. At a very early age she showed remarkable talert for the piano, though at firtt no thought was entertained of a public career for her, and she received merely the ordinal y instruction of a well educated young lady. When about twelve she had a few months' instruction from Mr Ben Isiacs, a very ablo English teacher and thorough musician, and shortly after she received four or five lessons from Sir Jules Benedict and aHout a dozen from Charles Halle, but was already forming her own style. Sho then went to Leipsic to study at the Conservatoire, having there the benefit of Mosohellcs's able tuition, who styled her his " favorite pupil." " Others," he would remark, "are obliged to do as they arc told, but Miss Schiller is a ijcnius, and we allow her to do as she pleases." This idea eccmed to be clearly recognised by all who attempted to teach her, and they felt that her divine genius was a better teacber than all tho virtuoii in the profession. Louis Plaidy observed in his odd manner, " By the grace of God | she is greater than tho King of Prussia. He also stjled her a " born interpreter ot Chopin. The Melbourne Zither Club gave a concert in tho hall of the Athenieum on Thuißday evening. The performances upon the instrument which gives the titlo to the society were by Herr Pfleger and Miss Stabb. Mr R. Brough may be considered out of danger but owing to tho delicate state of his health ft is thought that he will not be able to take any part in the active management of tho Bijou for some time to come. Messrs B-ough and Boucicault have taken the Criterion Theatre, Sydney, for a term, and will open there shortly in ' Little Jack Sheppard with the old company. Miss Emilie Melville, Mr Verdi, and Mr IVOrsay Ogden havo been playing a piece entitled ' Nobly Won' at Brisbane. Mr Charles Warner has signed a contract with Messrs Williamson, Garner, and Miugrove to tour in Australia with, among other things, a new drama oiled 'Advance Aus tralia, 1 by Henry Pettitt. Mr Walter Bently, a London astor, has written to Mr Monty Browne that he wants to come to Australia. , An unfortunate accident occurred to Mr Pain last Saturday evening during the reproduction of the imposing spectacle, Tho Last Days of I'ompcii. Fully 10,000 people patronised the Friendly Societies' Gardens to witness the display, but probably scarcely any of these visitors were aware that during tho progress of the performance the director was the victim of au unlucky mishap, which placed him hors de combat for the time being. Mr Pain, who personally superintends and directs the destruction of the mimic Pompeii, was standing near some bombs which were charged with powerful explosives, when, through a mistake on the part of some of the employes, the bombs were ignited, the result being a tremendous upward explosion, of which Mr Tain got the effect. His body was fortunately protected by his clothiDg, some of which, however, was almost blown off him, but his hands and face were severely burnt. His hands in particular suffered, and some of bis finger nails were so badly injured that they will come off. About tha face also Mr Pain was much scorched. His hat was knocked off, and moustache and hair were burnt. Mr Pain, who was attended to by Dr James, was removed to his rooms at Menzieß* Hotel. On Sunday morning Mr Aubrey Bowen, oculist, in company with Dr James, visited Mr Pain, and it was found that his eyes were not permanently injured, though they must have had an exceedingly narrow escape. It is anticipated by the medical gentlemen that their patient, after a few days' careful treatment, will quickly regain his normal state of health. # The Melbourne Liedertafel gave their 190 th concert, under the conductorship of Mr Julius Liede, at the Town Hall last night. The entertainment passed off with the customary success. A NKWSPArKII ANKCDOTB. Most newspapers have at one timo or another a severe struggle for existence, and the ' Age,' whieh is now only second to the 'Sydney Morning Herald' in its financial worth, was nearly going to the wall once. On going to his office one morning Mr David Syme, one of the proprietors, found a communication from the Colonial Bank notifying that the plant of the newspaper would be 'oold off unless the firm s overdraft was paid off within twenty-four hours. Mr Syme went and remonstrated with the manager, but found him obdurate, as he was aotiDg under instructions from the directorate. That day, when Mr Syme as usual took his luncheon at the Athemeum Club, Mr James Gatehouse, afterwards Mayor of Melbourne, who was sitting opposite to him, remarked in his well-known gruff manner: "Whatis the matter with you, David; you look as if you were going to die?" Mr David Symes countenance certainly displayed signs of distress, and, hesitating, he said I m a ruined man; the Bank has foreclosed on me, and after to-morrow there will be no issue of the paper." "Oh, is that all " How much do you owe them ? asked Mr Gatehouse. "A large sum - L 7,000." Mr Gatehouse, turning to a waiter, ordered him to bring a blank cheque on tho Union Bank of Australia, which he filled up for L 7.000, awl handed to Mr Syme, saying: "Theie, take that over to the Colonial Bank and tell them to go to Sheol. From this Btart tho ' Age' has steadily risen to its present position; but it was more than four years after the episode that Mr Gatehouse received his last cheque on account, which was paid him " with thanks," lie having persistently declined to receivo any interest on the sum thns advanced. PERSONAL AND SOCIAL. Captain Baldwin, who has been a rosident in Otago for the last twenty-five years, intends taking up his residence in Queensland. He is at present in Melbourne. A benefit is to be tendered to Edward Hanlan at Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney; and the sum of L2OO has been subscribed towards a testimonial to him. .'..', Mr D. A. Macdonald, of the 'Argus' reporting staff, is writing a book called ' Gum Boughs and Wattle Blooms,' dealing with the wild life of the Australian bush. Very personal.—A North Queensland editor states that the literary staff of a certain Townsville paper hasn't washed itself since childhood s happy hours. , A fashionable wedding took place at St. Mary's, Sunbnry, Melbourne, on Friday, when Mr O. F. M'Donald, of Wantabadgery Station. (N.S.W.), was married to Miss Alioe Blanche Clarke, eldest daughter of Sir William J. Clarke, Bart. There were eight bridesmaids, the Misses Ethel, Mary, and Vera Clarke, Miss Snodgrass and Miss Gertrude Snodgnws (sisters of Lady Clarke), Miss Russell Young of Tasmftntoi Miss Bella Clarke of Twmanu (cousins of the bride), Miss Mabel Byan (cousin of Lady Olarke, and sfetft? of Lady Oharta Soott).

Among the guests present were His Excellency the Governor and Lady Loch, the Misses Locb, Mi'sb Heyman, the Earl of Buckinghamshire, ! Captain and Mrs Traill, Judge Moleswortb, Mrs Molesworth, Lady Murphy, Dr Charles Byan, Dr Madden, Captain Payne. Mr and Mrs M'Donaldhave left for England. MISCELLANEOUS. Mr Walker, of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, haß told Sir Henry Parkes that he is "a cross between an Egyptian mummy and a baboon, o jumping-jack politician and a turncoat." There seems to be "pc'ifect freedom of speech" in Australian Parliaments. "The growth of tho Australian cities that I liavo seen," observes Lord Carnarvon, "is, I believo, equal to the growth of any townß in any part of the world. Of course there are a certain number of towns in tho United States, and possibly one or two in Canada, where the growth has been very rapid, but nothing has, I imagine, exceeded the growth of some of the Australian cities." He is also struck with the wisdom with which they seem to have been laid out in view of an increasing population and commercial and industrial requirements. A strange story is reported from Hay, Now South Wales, to the effect that all the cheques, amounting to a large sum, lost in the famous Cudgellico mail robbery, for which a man named King was some time back sentenced to ten years' penal servitudo, have been found concealed in a log. There is a strong fecliDg in the district that King is not tho guilty person, and this is now strengthened by surrounding circumstances.

A death from starvation occurred about three miles from Swan Hill last week. An old man and woman named Smith have for some time past been living in an abject state of poverty, in an isolated hut in a place known as the Swan Hill paddock. This hut was surrounded by water about sft deep. The old couple silently endured their privtations, and it was not until the woman was dying that the old man came into the town and related his pitiable story. During the extreme heat at noon last Wednesday a stonemason gamed Bethel dropped dead from sunstroke whilst at work in a stone quarry at Pyrmont, Sydney. In connection with the railway accident at tho Springs, New South Wales, on tho 24th November, Johnson, the driver of the speoial tiain, has been d'smis cd the service, and his fireman reduced to a cleaner, while the driver of the other train has been disrated one grade for six months.

Two men are in custody at Perth for attempting to fire the Custom-house, and another has been arrested on suspicion of a project to blow up the Fremantle gaol. The "other side" of tho Chinese question was held at tho Melbourne Freemasons' Hall last night, when Mr Cheok Hong Cheong gave an address in excellent English. He based his arguments against the likelihood of an influx of Chinese on the natural disposition of the people to stay at home, and the vast internal resources of the Chinese Empire which have yet to be developed. Burglaries are becoming frequent in Sydney and suburbs, One night last week a private residence at Rcdfern was entered by two men, who used chloroform or some other chemical to stupefy the inmates while they ransacked the house.

A few nights ago one of the constables on duty in the machinery hall at the Adelaide Exhibition, while engaged going his midnight round, was suddenly startled by hearing a weird voice, apparently emanating from someone in distress, crying out: " Give me my leg; give me my leg;" followed by deep moans. The constable searched in vain for the cause, and as the sounds were strongest in the vicinity of the deadhouse, he decided that something supernatural bad occurred, and hastened from the spot as fast as his legs could carry him. The next night the blood-curdling sounds were again heard. All sorts of rumors began to circulate. Just when the fever waß at its height tho joke was "blown," and it was then teen that scientific and not supernatural forces had been at wok. There is in the western annexe a new kind of telephone called the Cluny telephone, and it communicates with a small building immediately to the cast of the machinery hall. When spoken into at one end it magnifies tho voice at the other to a wonderful extent. Pomeono connected with tho Exhibition, having discoveicd the peculiar properties of this telephone, hit on the idea of working up a good practical joke out of i*, and hence the ghost story, A cable message was received in Melbourno last Wednesday annourcing the death of Mrs Cameron Lees, the wifo of the Rev, Dr Cameron Lees.

The piece of tin whioh. as was reported by telegraph from Perth some weeks ago, was found fastened round the neck of an albatross on tho beach at Frcemantle, and on which was stamped what purported to be a message from French castaways on tho Crozet Islands, is to bo seen in Melbourno. The words pricked on the tin are as follows: —" 13 nanfrat/cs sont rejwjiit mr les Iks Crozet. 4 AoM-, ISS7." At the Koroit Tolico Court lately James Watson was proceeded against by Sergeant Kelly for a breach of an Act of Parliament of the reign oi Charles I. Tho oifenco consisted in driving a loaded wool waggon through the township on Sunday, the 23rd October. The magistrates inflicted a penalty of 20<s. The statute under which the conviction was obtained provides that this sum must bo given to the poor of the parish. Myriads of locusts have prcsontcd themselves in Victorian country districts, and are causing great havoc among the crops. It has been determined to import an organ for the Anglican Cathedral of Melbourne at a cost of I 3,000.

I The above communication should havo arrived by week's boat, but apparently missed that mail.—Eu. B.S.]