NEW ZEALAND TELEGRAMS.

Hastings Standard, Issue 20, 19 May 1896, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND TELEGRAMS.

Auckland, May 18. An inquiry held into the death of the man Frank O'Neil, found in the Martha mine, resulted in a verdict of "Accidental death." The verdict was contrary to the summing up of the coroner, and against his ruling. The coroner considered the evidence was of a very suspicious nature, and precluded all possibility of accidental death. Chbistchcrch, May 18. The Rangiora Dairy Factory, worked by Newman and "Anderson, was destroyed by fire at 2 o'clock this morning. The plant, which was valued at £SOO, was insured for £375 in the Royal office ; of this amount £l2O was on the engine, which was in a separate building and not injured. The building, the property of John Manning, of Balcairn, was insured for t'l."io in the Commercial Union. DrxF.r.rs', May 18. At Milton to-day William Moir was fined £BO or four months for sly-grog selling at Balclutha. The defendant had been thrice previously convicted. Mr. Hawkins, the Magistrate, severely lectured the witnesses for the defence, saying that he disbelieved their testimony. Notice of appeal was given. A three-year-old boy, named Green, was ran over by a .grocer's cart while playing on Saturday afternoon. lie was removed to the hospital, where he died shortly afterwards. Later. About 5 o'clock this afternoon a large house owned and occupied by Mrs Amelia Norris at Anderson's Bay, was totally destroyed by fire. The insurances are not known. At the inquest on the body of James Green, the child run over by a grocer's cart, a verdict of ''Accidental death " was returned, no blame being attached to the driver.

In convicting William Moir for sly grog-selling a# Balclutha, Mr Hawkins said he would take on himself the responsibility of discrediting a great deal of the evidence, which was that defendant shouted, and that the liquor consumed was hop beer. Judging from the manifest falsehoods told by some of the witnesses he concluded that whisky was sold by the defendant and consumed on his premises. He considered there had been little else than j a sort of conspiracy on the part of the i fitnesses to tell falsehoods, I