Australian.

Evening Star, Issue 7432, 30 January 1888, Page 4

Australian.

John Stapleton, a miner, and a new arrival in the Colony, was found dead on Friday on the road near Hillgrovc mine, about 313 miles north of Sydney. When picked up it was seen that his throat was cut, and he had also received several scalp wounds ; in fact, the base of the skull had been fractured. The watch which he was 1 nown to have worn when last seen is missLig, and it is supposed that Stapleton was murdered. There is great distress among the unemployed in Sydney, and on Saturday one of their number committed suicide owing to his being unable to obtain work. In Adelaide a perfect silver mania has set in, and the excitement is quite unprecedented. A number of shopmen in the town have thrown up their engagements and repaired to the field, where they have gone in for speculation. One of their number is reported to have made L 20,000 in three months, but most of them have lost everything. One mining broker has cleared LIO,OOO this week, but should a sudden fall in the stocks take place it means ruin to a large number. At the Cadgegonga races on Saturday a horse fell, and one of the jockeys was killed. A Kanaka who attempted to murder the mate of a sailing vessel at Thursday Island was shot dead. Rutter, Mayor of Rockhampton, has been sentenced to seven years* penal servitude oh the first charge of false pretences. It is said that mining and land speculations were the cause of his fall. Owing to frequent pilfering, the Chinese gardeners in Brisbane arc taking steps to protect their property, and last night, when several larVikins broke into one of the gardens, they were wounded with a shotgun. For some time past there has been a movement on foot with a view to get the Victorian police to form a volunteer rifle corps, but they have refused. Steps are now being taken to form an agricultural society in New South Wales. Three Freetrade candidates are in the field for the Newtown seat against one whose sympathy Is with the Protectionists.