TELEGRAPHIC.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 6778, 9 February 1884, Page 3

TELEGRAPHIC.

[PER UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Auckland, Friday. A cablegram was received from London to-day intimating that the English underwriters have definitely refused to pay the risks held on the Bteamship Triumph. The policies on the hull amount to £40,000, and on the home freight (the insurance being effected on the round voyage) £10,000, making £50,000. At the Police Court to-day Henry Wood, described as a vagrant, was committed for trial on the charge of setting fire Lto Mr M'Dell's house at Mount Eden-road. As several Pressmen and others had expressed strong doubts concerning the genuineness of Professor Payne's reputed fancy shots, Manager Eawlins arranged for a private exhibition on the Btage of the Opera Houß6 at noon to-day. At the time stated Mr W. S. Pulford, manager of the Intercolonial News Agency, Mr H. N. Abbott, Mr W. W. .Robinson, and Beveral other gentlemen met the professor and his^ brother upon the stage, and preparations were immediately made for testing his skill. These tests conclusively proved the genuineness of the shooting. At the close of the experiments a semi-tragic incident occurred. A man named Geo. Havord, who is employed about the Opera House, offered to allow an apple to be shot upon his head, and being taken at bis word, an apple was placed in position and cleanly hit without injuring a hair of his head. At this juncture Mr Barry O'Neill, who happened to be present, remarked jocosely to Mr Pulford that he was not game enough to undergo.the test, and the latter gentleman, remarking that if. was not the first time he had been under fire, at once accepted the challenge. The apple was consequently placed upon his head, and with the utmost coolness he stood firmly up to await the Bhot, but jußt as the professor was taking aim Mr Pulford involuntarily stiffened his figure a little, the result being that the bullet while striking the apple also grazed Mr Pulford's scalp. The wound, however, was not serious, and Dr Tennent at once bound it up. It could not in any way be chargeable to the shootist, for it was obvious to all that the bracing up of Mr Pulford's frame at a critical moment was the sole cause of the accident. There was no wincing, however, for Mr Pulford exhibited remarkable composure and steadiness throughout a trial which would tend to unsettle the nerves of most men. Considerable interest is being taken in the approaching city licensing elections. The Good Templar ticket is — public houses to closed at 10 o'colck p.m., abolition of upstairs bars, and suppression of the barmaid system. Judgment has been delivered by Chief Judge Macdonald in the Native Land Court as to the ownership of Little Barrier Island. He reverses the decision of previous Judges, and awards the island to Te Kawarau. The case has been six times before the Court and four times decided. The natives are in treaty to sell this land to the Government, who wish to possess it, as it may be used at some time or other for defence purposes. Gisborne, Friday. There was a sharp shock of earthquake at 12.20 and a very severe one at 2.20 this morning. The latter shock caused much alarm, ringing the fire-bell and hotel-bells, stopping clocks, and inducing a feeling of nausea like sea-sickness, the direction being apparently rotary. The shock lasted half a minute. Wellington, Friday. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company have received the following telegram, dated London, the sth inst. : — "The market for frozen meat is quiet. Mutton weighing per carcase 701 b to 751 bis worth 6|d per pound." His Excellency the Governor is expected to return here from the West Coast Sounds to-morrow afternoon. The Hon. Mr Bryce left this morning on a visit to the Wairarapa district. The Hon. Mr Kolleston will, it is understood, leave shortly on a visit North. Bro. Walter Bishop, P.D.P., U.A.0.D., left en route for Melbourne this afternoon, for the purpose of representing the New Zealand lodges at the approaching meeting of the Grand Lodge of Druids. A cable message has been received stating that the Williamson, Garner and Musgrove Opera Company left Sydney for Auckland by the Ringarooma to-day. Mr George Musgrove comes with the company. A little girl named Annie Fitzgerald, aged two years, while playing on the road at JohnHonville, was run over by a coach and killed instantaneously. No blame is attached to the driver. The immigration and emigration returns for the last month are :—lmmigration : Wellington, 515 ; Napier, 3 ; Greymouth, 17; Hokitika, 3; Lyttelton, 373; Dunedin, 440; Invercargill, 664; total, 2628. Emigration : Auckland, 298 ; Wellington, 109 ; Napier, 17 ; Greymouth, 10 ; Lyttelton, 81 ; Dunedin, 5 ; Invercargill, 340 ; total, 860. The above returns do not include Timaru and Westport, which are not yet to hand. The number of Chinese who arrived in the colony last month was 3, while those who left the colony was 21. Cheistchubch, Friday. At Mr Buchanan's city foundry this afternoon John Campbell, a trimmer, was finishing a rough casting by grinding it on an emery stone revolving at a high rate of. speed, when a loud report was heard and he was seen to stagger and fall flat on. his. back. The stone had broken into three or four pieces, two of which struck him.' The others travelled in the same line but in the opposite direction, and cut a large hole in the wall of the shed. The' man died instantaneously. Mr Buchanan had oiled part of the machine two minutes before, and believed that the accident was caused by the casting which was being ground jamming between the wheel and the bar. The wheel was a composition of stone 16 inches in diameter, and weighed about 501 b. Deceased leaves a wife and six children. At the Magistrate's Court to-day Chas. Parker was committed for trial on the charge of bigamy. The evidence for the prosecution was "that the accused was married to Mary Foley in 1875, separated from her. in 1876, and married Susan Dpcherty in 1883. The first wife was seen by the second wife after the second marriage. The defence was reserved. Mr John M'Lachlan and Mr Edward Wakefield were nominated to-day at Leeston to represent Selwyn. About 150 persons were present, and the proceedings were rather lively. The show of hands was as follows : — Wakefield, 65 ; M'Lachlan, 39. It is likely to be a hard fight. In consequence of practice being almost impossible this season at Dunedin the annual four-oared contest between the Otago and Canterbury Clubs will not take place this year. The Selwyn eleotion is to be on the 15th instant. Ashbtjrton, Friday. The harvest prospects are encouraging. Many farmers are cutting. Throughout the county the weather is glorious, and the prospect of an enormous return is daily improving. Timaetj, Friday. Mr 0. W. Bailey, rabbit inspector, died very suddenly this morning, it is believed from heart disease. He leaves a wife and one child. He was about 40 years of age, and a native of Tasmania. The Theatre Royal was crowded to excess to-night to witness the entertaiment of the Kennedy family, who proceed north to-morrow.-A speoialreporter of the Timaru Herald, who has just concluded a tour of South Canterbury, Btates that the crops generally are looking well, and if fine weather continues the harvest, both of wheat and oats, will be exceptionally heavy.