AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Evening Star, Issue 11609, 20 June 1902, Page 8

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

A distressing accident, which resulted fatally, occurred on Monday, June 8, at Lima (Victoria), to a son of Mr Henry Mallet, farmer. Two sons—Henry and Cecil Herbert—left their home to examine their rabbit traps, taking a Lee-Metford rifle with the intention of shooting wombats. Scarcely an hour had elapsed when Henry, who was carrying the rifle, ran home and excitedly informed his parents that the rifle had accidentaDr gone off and shot his brother Cecil. Mr Mallet hurried to the spot, seventy yards from the house, and found his son lying on the ground, with a bullet wound in the right temple. He at once took the boy to Benalla, a distance of fourteen miles, but ten m nutea after arrival the lad expired. Henry states that the rifle was slung over his shoulder, his brother Cecil walking alongside him, going home, when the accident occurred. Deceased was thirteen years, and his brother, who is a member of the Swanpool Rifle Club, sixteen years of age. A sensational attempt to murder took place at Bobinawarrah, eighteen miles from Wangaratta, a fortnight ago. Alice Oliver, thirty years of age, who resides with her parents, an old couple, on a farm at Bobinawarrah, attracted the attention of a young man named James Baker, who went from Melbourne to work on an adjoining farm some months ago; but his addresses were not regarded with favor. Baker made some advances, which were rejected, and he thereupon seems to have determined upon revenge. Mr Oliver and his wife and daughter were at tea when a knock came to the door, and Miss Oliver opened it. Baker stood on the threshold, and fired a shot at Mr Oliver, and a second at Miss Oliver. He was aiming at Mrs Oliver when her husband seized the young man’s wrist, and, with the assistance of his daughter, pushed him out of the room. It transpired that the bullet penetrated Mr Oliver’s npper lip, but simply bruised the upper gums and did no further injury; while Miss Oliver was struck on the left temple, the bullet rebound'ng off the skull. Neither the father nor daughter is much injured. When the assailant had gone Mr Oliver ran through the hack door and fired a shot from a gun at Baker, who was standing near the doorway, and it was subsequently found that three pellets had struck him on the chin, the remainder of the charge being embedded in the fence that stood between the men. Baker ru hed away to the house where he lodged, and fired two shots at himself, one of which missed him, while the other struck the brim of his hat and merely grazed his bead. He was secured by persons living in the house, and was banded over to the police. Letters found in his possession plainly indicated his intention to shoot Miss Oliver and himself.

A couple of cleterarned suicides were reported to the Sydney police on Sunday, .Tune 8. A married man named Wm. John King, living in the city, quarrelled with his wife, and during the disagreement suddenly pulled a rarer from his pocket and cut his throat, severing the windpipe. He died before medical aid arrived. The second case was that of a married woman named Li lian Carpenter, living at Alexandria. Her husband entered the front room in the evening, and found her hanging by a dog chain from a gas bracket. No cause has been assigned for the deed. The action against the Australian Joint Stock Bank for £I,OOO damages was concluded in the Supreme Court, Sydney, on June 9. The plaintiff was Albert Richard I)e Plevitz, of Forbes, Government draughtsman, who sought to recover compensation for the wrongful dishonor of a' cheque. He also claimed 225, the amount of the dishonored cheque. The plaintiff complained that the dishonoring of his cheque was the cause of his being charged with obtaining money by false pretences, and his being imprisoned for a short time. The defendants paid £25 into court as sufficient to satisfy the claim, in addition to the 225. The jury returned a verdict for £75 over the amount paid into court in respect of the arrest and imprisonment of the plaint, ff.