TUAPEKA NEWS.

Evening Star, Issue 12927, 25 September 1906, Page 6

TUAPEKA NEWS.

[Special to the Srata.] ' LAWRENCE, September 24. At a sitting of the Stipendiary Magistrate's Court to-day a number of owners were sued for allowing their cattle to wander on the streets of the borough. The magistrate, where a conviction was recorded, imposed a fine of Is per head, without costs. On one or two previous occasions Hjb Worship, in dealing with similar cases, convicted the owners and inflicted costs, which amounted to 13b in each case. This gave great satisfaction to certain members of the Borough Couneil, who are death on tbe wandering-cattle nuisance. What these members will now say against the magistrate for imposing nominal fines, without costs, has yet to be made public. Instructions were issued to the ranger some time ago that all informations for cattle wandering in the borough were to be brought before the magistrate, because the local justices did not inflict sufficiently heavy penalties. It will not surprise me to hear before long that some of the borongh councillors are in favor of the magistrate's removal on account of his leniency to ownears of wandering cattle. At the same court sitting informations laid by the police were heard against Jas. M'Enneny and George Morrison for being on the Masonic Hotel premises after the closing hour on the .night of the 16th insk Evidence was led on M'Enneny's behalf to show that "he had gone to the hotel to meet a gentleman who was attending a mining company meeting, from whom he expected employment in a sluicing claim. Tbe hotelkeeper corroborated defendant's evidence on this point. Sergeant Higgins, who prosecuted, asked the hotelkeeper if he had a clear recollection of all that took place in his hotel that evening. The Hotelkeeper: "Oh, yes." The Sergeant: "Do you remember expressing surprise to the police that defendant and another person were on your premises after closing time?' The Hotelkeeper: "Oh, no!" The Sergeant: "Do you remember saying "Who's there? Who's there?" as if you were surprised at anyone being on the premises?" Tie Hotelkeeper : " It's true that a man came in unknown to me. Just as you might slip in yourself, sergeant, without me knowing it." —(Laughter.) The Sergeant: "But ,1 didn't come in for a drink."—{More laughter.) His Worship, without comment, dismissed the information. Morrison, who was represented by counsel, pleaded guilty, and was fined IDs, with costs (7s). The Roxburgh people-are in deadly earnest in their detennination to have the Lawrence railway line extended to their township. A public meeting was held there test Friday night, at which a series of resolutions were unanimously carried, urging upon the Government to place £50,000 on the Estimates this session for carrying on the line, and deprecating the slow rate of progress now being made with the work and urging greater speed. If the line were constructed as far as tbe Beaumont, and opened up for traffic, it would unquestionably be a great benefit, and an convenience to tbe settlers there and onward as far as Coal ■Creek. The members of the LawrenceLeague are very apathetic <in the: matter. It is to be hoped they will soon waken from their._slumbers and stretoh forth a hand to belp their Roxburgh friends, who realise that the present is a most opportune time to be up and doing. Mr Bennet's hands would, also be materially strengthened if conjoint action were at once taken in the clrrection indicated by the Roxburgh people. Two strangers who arrieed here an evening or two ago caused a bit of a stir among those engaged in the liquor traffic. Word went round like wildfire that the strangers were policemen in disguise, bent upon entrapping the unwary hotelkeeper or the whisky-and-soda-loving citizen who might, perchance, overlook the closing hour of the pubs. But the strangers were on a different mission. It turned out eventually that tiies, were: officios from the Acdimatisattoa!

Society on the look-out for TrnEceneed anglers and others of that ilk who "Me nets .and .dynamite in capturing jarotrt.in certain streams not far.from Lawrence. A reward is offered for evidence leading..to. the conviction of these gentry, who, from all *c« counts, are neither few in number nor very senrpuious in their methods of taking txput from our streams.

An accident of an -unusual kind happened one. day last week to a young jmsn-named John Henry, in the employ of the Tafla-> burn Sluicing Company at Horseshoe Bend. He was carrying a heavy gold-saving ripple on his back; and when going over some old workings by some mischance he let tie ripple slip from hie grasp. In falling itetrnck the back of hia left leg, severely lacerating the main ligament of the foot. He was at once removed to the Tuapeka Hospital for, surgical treatment. Some time will elapse, before Henry will be fit to resume active 1 work. I A girl about fifteen years of age, named j Martha Forbes, whose parents reside in' Lawrence, came to her death very suddenly on Sunday evening from tie effects of blood-poisoning. .It seems die had a broken chilblain at the back of her foot, into which ■the dye from her stocking must have penetrated, and through neglect blood-poisoning supervened. The unfortunate girl was ill for only a few days, and towards the last suffered very great pain.