RUMOURED ASSASSINATION OF THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 12, Issue 929, 28 March 1868, Page 2

RUMOURED ASSASSINATION OF THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH.

-f T „- - (From an ExtraoP%e Wellington Evening Post.) / ' \ March 21. Wsj have* been favored by the Government witlithe'latest telegram received relating to the report of the firing at or assassination of the Duke o£ Edinburgh. The account is confirmatory of those previously received : but it must be borne in mind that the Pilot's statement is as yet the only foundation for supposing that the blackest of all crimes has been perpetrated on the person of a harmless and unoffending young gentleman, the son of our beloved Queen.

The following is the telegram : — Nelson, 4.20 p.m

By the courtesy of Mr. Luckie, the editor of the Colonist, who has just returned from a special visit to the John Perm, at Waimea, I am enabled to supply the following particulars in addition to those already supplied : —

The John Perm left Melbourne on Thursday evening, March 12th, for Williamstown ; there was a report in town to the effect that Prince Alfred had been shot by a Fenian at Sydney, but the atrocity of the deed was so great that it was deemed a canard. However next morning when the pilot came off he brought the news, stating that the Sydney telegrams were posted up at both the Age and Argus offices, and that there was great consternation and intense indignation in Melbourne.

It is said there were two or three shots, and that the first shot which, like the second, was fired at the Prince's back, took effect, and in the second or third (or if there were only one or two) one of the slugs or bullets had penetrated the lungs. On the second shot taking effect the Prince threw up his arms and the assassin was seized.

The shots were fired by a supposed Fenian, who was almost torn to pieces by the people, and with difficulty rescued by the police.

The Caeandini Family, after two or three successful concerts in Auckland, had left for Taranaki — intending, however, shortly to return.

Newspaper for the Thames. — It is announced that an evening newspaper, to be named The Thames Advertiser and Miners' Neios, -will shortly be published at Shortland

Town.

Export op Gold.— 'The amount of gold exported from Auckland for the week ending March 21, was 2,9960z. sdwt. — 2,8990z. 18dwt. ot which was forwarded to London, and 960z. 7dwt. to Sydney.

In Adelaide, the weather continues terribly hot. A late telegram says that the thermometer was 106 degrees in the shade. A man named Alfred Mitchell received a sunstroke in Itundle-street, and died after one hour's illness.

His Excellency the Governor arrived in Auckland on Wednesday, March 25. The day before had been observed as a holiday in honour of his expected arrival. "The town," says the Southe>'n Cross, " was gay with flags, and the Otahuhu and Howick cavalry came in booted and spurred, and the people stopped work and turned out in great numbers : but there was no appearance of the Governor. What could have kept him no one could surmise." His Excellency it apjDears, was later in leaving Wellington than he expected, having delayed his departure in hopes of hearing some moi'e definite intelligence as to the rumoured attempt at assassination of the Duke of Edinburgh. No further news, had, however, reached the capital, so that it is yet uncertain to some extent whether this horrible crime has really been committed. His Excellency landed at 2 p.m., and his reception was good.

Alleged Smuggling. — In the Supreme Court, Auckland, on the 16th inst., several suits were conducted on the part of the Commissioner of Customs for alleged fraudulent evasion of customs duties. In the first case, Capfc. Read of Poverty Bay was defendant. Certain goods were shipped for the Fiji Islands in June last, and which it is alleged were transshipped after the vessel had cleared and sailed, and were landed at Poverty Bay, for the defendant. The amount sought to be recovered by the Customs authorities was £40,860. The defendant denied all the material allegations in the declaration. There were no fewer than eleven issues sent to the jury to try. The case, whioh is one of importance, occupied several hours, during which time the Court was crowded. The jury, after a lengthened deliberation, returned to Court at half-past ten o'clock with a verdict for the plaintiff on all the issues, and found that the treble value of the goods was £550. In the next action, in which Macfarlane and McKelvie were defendants, the jury could not agree, and, after being locked up all night, were discharged.

Dubing the Crimean war a lady was distributing tracts to the occupants of the ward of a hospital, and was excessively shocked to hear one poor fellow laugh at her. She stopped to reprove the wretched patient. " Why, ma'am," says he, "you have given me a tract on the sin of dancing, when I have got both legs shot off !" Mb^/ Preserving. — The Melbourne correspondent of the Geelong Advertiser says : — " The subject of meat preserving, with a view to its exportation to sparsely supplied markets, is occupying very general attention, amongst others Messrs. Johnson, the Government Analytical chemist, Mr. G. Poord, and Mr. J. G. Knight have been carrying out a series of experiments, which have succeeded admirably as far as the tests made use of at the present time go, but I believe that some more severe tests will be applied so as to make assurance doubly sure."

Astonished Red Man.— An American paper tells of a band of Indians who made a sudden attack on a detachment of soldiers in the mountains. The soldiers had a mountain howitzer mounted on a mule. Not having time to take it off and put it in position, they backed up the mule and fired at the Indians. The recoil was so great that mule and all went tumbling down the hill towards the savages, who, not understanding that kind of warfare, fled like deer. Afterwards one, of them was captured, and when asked why he ran so, replied, " Me big Injin, not afraid of little guns or big guns, but when white men load up and fire a whole mule at Injin, me don't know what to do."