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Grey River Argus, Issue 78, 12 July 1866, Page 2

To-day our readers are presented -with the first public telegraphic despatch, by the new line to Greymouth. We may add that we have made arrangements for supplying our' readers with all the important telegraphic news from the various stations in tho Middle Island, The inhabitants of Okarita and its vicinity have been deprived of their usual means orj , communication with Hokitika, owing to the withdrawal of the steamer Bruce to Dunedm ' for repairs. A contract has been made'f or a weekly overland mail, at the rate of £10 per week ; tho contractor : being Mr' Allan, a packer. ■■'.-. . . .:' - ; . ; '.-..;. . ;. ■'■ '■ P^lt will be seen from a report in another column that the inquest on . the body of the late.Mr George Dobson was finished on Tuesdayv and that the jury returned a verdict of wilful murder against some person or persons unknown.; During the proceedings theprisoneiy James Wilson, alias James Murray, who is accused of the murder, was present. At first he did not appear to take much in : terest in the 'evidence given, but towards the end, where the witnesses began to speak positively as to the men they met on the

;rack where Mr Dobson was murdered on she day of the murder, and on the following iay, He became greatly interested, and twice he asked permission to put a question to the witness. The Magistrate refused to allow him, telling him that He was not on His trial then, and that the jury had nothing whatever to do with him, but Had simply to determine how, where, when, and by what means, the deceased came by His death. When the room was cleared for the jury to consider their verdict, it appeared evident the prisoner fully believed- that' he was then on His trial, for He shouted out that "they were swearing away an innocent man's blood, without giving Him an opportunity to speak," and that " if they would allow him He could tell where He slept on the night of the 28th. We understand that the prisoner maintained the utmost coolness and composure until Saturday last, when He Heard in Court for the first time that Sullivan had confessed, and that the body of Mr Dobson had been discovered. On Sunday he sent for Mr Inj spector James, and in a very excited state begged him to put another prisoner in the cell with him, as He feared He was going mad, for "He was continually seeing such dreadful sights." Mr James very properly refused the request, and we believe that since then the prisoner has expressed great fear of Sullivan, and has been in a constant state of excitement, crying and praying at intervals. He was sent to Hokitika by the coach yes terday, Having been remanded thereby the Magistrate on Saturday last. This was done because the attendance of the Magistrate will be required in Hokitika, at. the Supreme Court, probably for the next fortnight, and no business will be transacted at the Court, Blaketown. )(1 The following is a list of the persons committed for trial from Greymouth at the ensuing criminal session of the Supreme Court, at Hokitika :— William. Johns, stealing a watch ; Antonio Thomas, stealing a Watch ; Richard Heinan, assault and robbery ; Archi bald Cameron, assault and robbery ; Thomas Meayer, assault with intent to ravish; Alfred Williams, felony; Samuel Cox, threatening to shoot ; J ohn B. Blain, larceny as a bailee ; John Sullivan, unnatural offence ; James Reynolds, larceny of greenstone ; Thomas Reesby, obtaining money under false pretences; Louisa O'Brien, larceny ; Henry Moon, larceny; John Hunter, stealing a cash. box; James M'Vay, stealing a cash box; Samuel Lee, forging and uttering. We are glad to learn that one rasult of the Superintendent's visit to Greymouth will be the formation of a good road to the postoffice, custom-house, and telegraph ofHce, the Approach to which buildings has for so long been in a disgraceful state. At present it is impossible to reach any of the above mentioned public offices without getting ankle desp in mud. Mr Sale Has; we believe, received the necessary instructions on the subject. - The Criminal Sessions of the Supreme Comb at Eokitika will commence on Monday *nent, before his Honor Mr Justice Gresson. There will be no business transacted at the Resident Magistrate's Court here during the absence of Mr Revell at Hokitika. Hi 3 Honor the Superintendent took His de" parture yesterday for Wellington, by the s.s. Airedale. We are in receipt of Dunedin papers to the gth inst., per the Airedale, three days later tlian our previous files.. Mr B. C. Haggitt, Provincial Solicitor, has been appointed Deputy-Superintendent during the absence of Mr Dick at the General Assembly. A third information against Mr Barton, for perjury, had been laid by Captain Russell, and was to be heard on the sth inst. Mr John Hyde Harris ia a candidate for tlie Mayoralty of Dunediu for the next year. We have been requested by the police to intimate to the public that they will gladly receive any information of any persons who have been missing in the Grey district. We may add that any information that can be given relative to Mr Tapperell will be received,with thanks. The next mail for Panama will be dispatched from Wellington on the 24th July, by the Ruahine ; the following one by the Rakaia, on the Bth of August ; after which time that date of each. month will be the of departure. This is, at least, the present 'arrangement. „ Mr Warden Price estimates the population of the Okarita gold field to be 3000, as follows :— Town of Okarita, 500; Canvass Town and Lake, 30 ; Saltwater Creek «to Wanganui, 150 ; Five Mile Beach, 1500 : ; Three Mile Beach, 100 ; at the forks of the Waiho River, ten miles from thesea leach, 30; Gillespie's Beach, ; 650; from Cook's River to Bruce Bayv 130. We have received information that another case of stickiug-up took place on the Arnold track, a short distance above the coal pits, on Saturday last. A man was proceeding up tho track to the Twelve-Mile, when, at the place mentioned, He was overtaken by another man, who walked up the track with him' for a short distance, and when at a lonely spot he drew a larg3 knife and demanded money from his' fellow-traveller. Theman thus stuck-up handed out all the money He had, only a few shillings, which the robber; took, and departed without searching his victim. The police are making inquiry into the matter./ w The DaUy. Times of the 3rd inst. gives the fplloM!ing r additibLVsl particula-s of the lives of the wretches now in gaol at Nelson -—At the time Burgess afo'a? Hill, Kelly alias Hannon, and Sullivan, were arrested in this Province, they lived in a small tent on the ranges overlooking the Waipori road.; "and it I was afterwards ascertained that they were a Mr Yates, at tnat time and now an agent of the Bank of New South Wales , who was in the Habit of canning 'large parcels of gold between Waipori and Tuapeka. It was also ascertained that their intention was to rob and shoot Mr Yates, and to bury His body ; but their career was then fortunately checked. Kelly is known in Victoria as Kelly, alias Hannoh ; but He is better knowii; as Thomas Noon. THe.laiter is supr ■ posed to be his proper name, asunder that ■

he and his brother "Bill" Noon, witH*' "Teddy" Gore, and "Sandy" FrazerV were] tried for highway robbery and murder on; the OveSs Road, in 1853. ' The| whole!- foii* were penal prisoners at -the time. /JVazers-. turned approver. "Bill" Nckai'was executed' and the others were remanded to serve out their sentences. Burgess, alias Hill, was, at the time of the above murder; : ; serving-a senrtence of ten years in the hulks, having received that sentence in February, 1852 } for highway robbery under arms ; so that at the time he appeared on the Otago gold fields his ticket of leave had nearly expired. Sulli-. van is a well-known convict in Sydney ; and Phil Levy has been known as a famous "putter up" (or planner) of crime, during the last 15 years, in Victoria and in. this Colony. Information .as/to the; antecedent B of Burgess and Kelly, together with a minut 6 description of their persons and the marks they bore, were furnished to the police of the neighboring provinces, when those men were discharged from gaol here on the 11th September last. Those in Otago who best know the characters of the four villains predicted* as soon as the, news of, their arrest had been received, that if Sullivan had been concerned in any way 1 with either of the then suspected murders he .would be tempted by a > promise of pardon to confess. When Levy ■*■ was known to be in custody; it was believed that he would be the first to turn approver, cause of .his/ known habit of " putting up ' robberies, and keeping himself out of any participation in violence; It seems, however, that Sutiivan has'been the means of giving to the world a history, of the almost unparalled villany which has recently been perpetrated on the West Coast gold 'fields.| Burgess is described as a man who never allowedhimself to drink to' excess or to be enticed into the company ; of 10w. , : women— -;two great' sources of danger; to a criminal. While cautious in those respects^ he was known "to be one who would, hesitate at nothing that could tend to hide a crime he had committedFortunately, as it would seem, he could not "work" without the aid of less secretive villains than himself. . ' * *jfr ... During the month of JuneB9 money orders* were issued at the Post Office, Greymouth, representing the sum of £555 19s Gd. During the same period 12 orders, amounting to £74 8s were paid, p: ■ The recent disclosures of the murder of "missing " persons should suggest the neceS-' sity in every case of human bodies being discovered, of the coronors taking medical evidence. It has been the custom in the generality of cases, especially in those of bodies found washed up on the- beach, to dispense with any medical testimony aa to the probable cause of death. The plea of expense ought not to be considered in such important matters, and we trust the coronors will in future insist on the; evidence being as com_£i3te as; possible. s< I We learn from the West Coast Times ol Tuesday that a severe accident befel a mihejr at Jones's Creek a few days ago. It appears that the unfortunate man was stooping, in the act of shovelling some clay in an excavation at the base of a terrace ia which.he was, at Jones's Greek; on Thursday hist,; when a land-slip took, place, striking him on the right side of the face and- head, and completely burying him inthe debris, throwing him on his left side. He was^promptly extricated from his perilous position ; the persons who rescued him finding him completely doubled lip, We understand that the patient is progressing, favorably, • and that Dr Ryley hopes to be able to save both life and limb. ' r^ A meeting took place last evening, at which members were nominated to fill up the vacancies at present existing in- the ; Improvement Cornmitjiee. •. The result of the nomination was as follows :— For the Maori Township—Messrs Amos,. Bailey, and Soniner i and for ithe Government Townships— Messrs Ashton, Pelling, and Moore. The polling takes place this day, at the Royal Hotel/ be12and6p;m. : (i f ■■■'■:, A i general , meeting of , the directors . and shareholders of the Brunner Lake Grand Trunk Race Company ! '(Registered) will be held at Kilgour's Union Hotel, at -8 o'clock this evening, j Business of importance. / We, notice. that another "suspect, "named John Aldridge, has been brought up atHokitika, ; pharged with being implicated in the revolver robbery at the police canip, Hokilika,' some time ago, and' in which Burgess : was concerned^ . ' ■ -1 • • • r ; An elaborate and interesting, report -from Dr Hector on the petroleum at Tai'anaki appears in the Oovernrnent ;, Gazette. : He; throws great doubts on its being, found in any large in New Zealand. ' The beds of; coal capable;of producing bituminous oils yet discovered, the doctor states to.be insignificant .in extent, s, and; cannot have' yielded a large quantity of oil in their con-; version to their present state; -v ' >'■•-.■ ; ' William De Lacy, one of the persons supposed to be implicated, ■with Burgess and Kelly's -gang, was on Saturday last brought up. before the Resident Magistrate at Hbki-: tikaV on remand from Okarita.-charged .with conpiracy to murder. He waa again remanded, until the >16thirist.- ::.:;, :±A/ : .- ■'.'-. The West Coast Tjmes of yesterday reports the arr!vaVx>f Mr Barton, the' barrister, from. Duned.'i?, to . attend the .! present sittings of ■the Supreme Court. . v . . . / .According to the West Coast (Times Messrs Cobb and Co:, determined', if possible, to prer vent any delay to p^Mengerson'^ie" road between EokiiJlra and c Greyznputh, ; have put ori au eztra coach beWesn the Arthaura, and tbe .Terauiaiwd^so';^ag^wlien. the former river is flooded p^sseDgera <?ap be boated, the horses swam across, and at pace ; tran'sierred to the spare- coachi^i'i:;; The election bt twbinembers for the'representationof the Wfstland. District has xesulted^ ia thiO; rfetiurnVof Me3?rs BarfF and Hoos, the numbers on: the • poll^being as f oilows;;-^Barffji 168 ; Hoos, 81 ; Cassius, 15. Considerable surprise is expressed at thp non-return of Mr Gassius, who is. well known to the diggers) and one of the earliest pioneerjs of the West Coast/ The West Coast -Times ascribes it to the fact that Mr Cassius has not manifested the slightest interest in the matter since his ; nomination; ;.'