The Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. FRIDAY, MARCH 28, 1879.

Grey River Argus, Volume XXII, Issue XXII, 28 March 1879, Page 2

The Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. FRIDAY, MARCH 28, 1879.

A distressing case occurred yesterday afternoon, Mr Walter L. Miller, one of the officers of the Bank of New South Wales, having been found quite dead, shot through the head in one of the outbuildings of the Bank. Deceased had been in bad health for some time, and had not been in the active performance of his duties for some weeks : and he had been despondent owing to his wife and family having been away from Greymouth on a visit to their friends in Auckland. He was last seen alive at 3.25 p.m speaking to Mr Valentine Moss and Mr Petrie at the Bank of New South Wales, whom he left as if to retire to the back premises. After some lapse of time it was ascertained that the unfortuuate gentleman was dead in the closet. When found tbe body was lying on the floor, with the feet behind the closet door, and the shoulders aed h°ad a little on one side, leaning himself against the outside j wall and the front of the seat ; it was cold but not riuid. There was a quantity of blood and some of the brain protruding from a small bullet wound on the forehead ; bat otherwise the clothes were perfectly regular, and deceased had evidently died instantaneously. A small five-chambered br ech-laading revolver was lying on the floor by the right hand, greatly bespattered with blood ; two of the chambers had been discharged, the others were loaded. There is no reason to doubt that the deceased shot himself during a fit of temporary insanity. Deceased was 29 years of age and married. He had resided in Greymouth between seven and eight years, and' was well liked and respected. An inquest on the body will be held at Kilgour's Hotel at half-past 9 this morning. A coroner's inquiry into the circumstances of the recent fire at the Union Bank will be held at 2 o'clock this afternoon at the Court House. We are glad to learn that our late townsman, Mr Frank Guinness, Warden and K.M. at Collinfirwood, will be transferred to Ashburton to take the position of Resident Magistrate in that town. , Messrs Girdwood, Lahman, and Co. will to-day continue the sale of Messrs C. Holder and Co.'s extensive stock of ironmongery, building materials, &c, on the premises, Mackay street. and Co. will sell by auction, thife day, on board the Murray, pigs and apples. >*<- W. B. Moss will sell at the mart, Tainui street, shares in the Napoleon ±iil) ' Gold-mining Company. c

Notice of intention to grant mining licenses as under are published in the Gazette :— To Patterson's Lease Company, 16 acres 2 roods, Langdon's Creek ; Evening Star Gold Mining Company, 16 acres 2 roods, Devil's Creek, Inangahua; Souvenir Quartz Mining Com' pany, 16 acres 2 roods, Rainy Creek. The receipts of the Greymouth and Brunnerton Railway for the four weeks ended Bth .February last, amounts to L5Bl 03 9d: For the corresponding period in 1878 the amount waa L 784 l()s Sd. Mr R. C. Reid, proprietor of the West Coast Times, has become the purchaser of the flew Zealander newspaper. Wellington, and takes possession immediately Mr Reid has been connected with journalism on the West Coasl; for many years, fle was part proprietor of the Okarito Times, subsequently started and carried on for some time the Westport Star, afterwards conducted the Greymouth Evening Star, and for several years since has owned the West Coast Times. We wish Mr Keid every success in his new venture. The petition which has been got up by the farmers, carriers, and others residing on the Grey Valley road against the alteration of the Bite of the Nelson Creek Bridge has rereceived over 300 signatures, and will be forwarded to the Minister of Public Works at the fitst opportunity. The petitioners set forth that the site fixed by the engineer is the best and safest, and pray that no altera • tion may be made. We must again draw the attention of personß sending in claims to vote to the necessity of having their signatures properly witnessed. A number have reached us for delivery to the Registration Officer without this essential being attached, and are consequently invalid. As the period for securing claims does not, however, expire till the end of the month, there is time to remedy the mistake by sending in fresh claims. Mr Giaborne addressed a crowded meeting of hi 3 constituents at Ross on Tuesday night. He said he would support any Government which would bring forward measures for the readjustment of taxation, the improvement of local self Government, and the extension of the franchise. He would like to see more duty taken off the necessaries of life, and land taxed heavier. lie objected to the way in which the land tax was levied. It was too costly. He thought if the agreement between the Ross Borough Couucil and the Government was completed with regard to the Mikonui race, Parliament would remove the technical difficulty now apparent. If the Wesb Coast members made a firm stand in Parliament next session, he thought they would convince them that the West Coast had not had is fair share of public money. He quoted figures to show that over nine millions had been expended in the Colony, and of this the West Coast had only between seven and eight hundred thousand pounds. He was in favor of the power of County Councils being extended. A unanimous vote of confidence passed. A nugget weighing 5^ ozs of gold was picked up in the Waimcmgaroa Creek last week. The Wellington Chronicle says :— -•* Mr Reeves, M.H.R., has told us a story in connection with the murder of the man Costello, near Reefton in 1872, which borders on the supernatural. Years ago, Mr Reeves and Mr Warden Broad were in the habit of riding over a culvert at Boatman's Creek, hard by the scene of the murder. Every time (subsequently to the date of the murder) that they approached this culvert their horses began to shy, though there was no apparent cause for alarm. The riders had invariably to dismount and lead the terrified animals across the mysterious culvert. Mr Broad remarked to his companion that if Costello's body were discovered, it would be under this culvert. StraDge to relate, now that Sibree's wife has • peached ' upon him, she says that Costello's body was buried under this very culvert. This sounds like one of the tales related to gaping children by the winter firesides, but it is perfectly true nevertheless. This is the tale as narrated at the first tidings of the enquiry, an i was narrated to us by Mr Warden Broad, but in more piquant and startling style than the above." It will be remembered that prior to the close of last session of Parliament, a re?olu» tion was passed to the effect that it was desirable the next session of the General Assembly should be held at Christchurch. As however no appropriation was made to defray the cost of transferring the departments to Christchurch, the Government are not likely to give effect to tbe resolution. The Mayor of Christchurch, however, is determined not to allow the matter to rest if he can help it, as the following telegram to the Mayor of Greymouth will show : — " Will be glad of your co-operation with Chrietchurch City Council in urging the Government to have next sitting of Parliament at Christchurch, in obedience to a resolution of the House of Representatives last session. The extra expense will be small, and every facility will be given by the people of Christchurch.— C T. Ick, Mayor."