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Lyttelton Times, Volume XXV, Issue 1665, 18 April 1866, Page 3

Great Trial at Mbluourne.—The trial at bar of Bruce and others v. the Queen was finished, so far as concerns the jury, on Thursday evening, at about ten o'clock, the thirty-eighth day of the trial. The jury found a verdict in favour of the petitioners >on all the great issues of the case. They found that most of the work charged for had been ordered by the agents of the Crown, and had been done by the petitioners. The prices given were, however, generally those named as fair by the Crown witnesses rather than those claimed by the petitioners. The verdict was for the petitioners; damages on all the twenty-nine items of claim put together, £166,000, with interest at nine per cent, from the Ist July last, making £177,000 odd in all. On the cro<s claim of the Crown for injury to the plant lent to the petitioners, there was a verdict for the Crown: damages, £IOOO. On the cross claim of the Crown for penalties for delay, by non-com-pletion of the line on the contract day, the jury assessed the amount of those penalties at £120,0(10. A special finding was added, that the whole of the delay in the completion of the line was due to hindrances caused by the agents of the Crown. A formal verdict was entered for 40s, subject to be moulded as the court shall, on the law and facts, and on the contract between the parties, determine to be proper. The questions still to be determined by the Court affect the validity of the claim of the Crown for the penalties under the special finding of the jury as to whose acts caused those penalties to be incurred, and as to a large proportion of the items of damages given by the verdict to the petitioners. The Court intimated that there was not the least probability that these questions could be argued and determined this term.— Argus, March 31. Man Drowned in the Waitaki.—The Timaru Herald of April 13, states:—On Mouday evening last another addition was made to the long list of lives lost in crossing our dangerous rivers. In this case, however, the occurrence was as unaccountable, and unexpected by the witnesses, as it was distressing. Mr. Monteith, who in company with another man named James was proceeding to the neighbourhood of the Ashburton for the purpose of taking some sheep from thence to Otago, arrived at the south side of the Waitaki Ferry (Brown's') on Monday evening about duek. He and James were on horseback, and James was also leading a packhorse. On reaching the river, which is at the present time unprecedentedly low, Mr, Monteith rode into the water and made two or three attempts to ford, but as the spot was not favourable desisted ; and the men in charge of the ferry-boat then recommended him and his companion to cross in the boat, and allow them (the boatmen) to take the horses across, This course was preferred by James, who got into the boat and was conveyed safely over the river. One of the boatmen had mounted James's horse, and leading the packhorse, entered the river, followed by the unfortunate Mr. Monteith, who insisted upon riding through the river. They had gone but a few yards, the boatman leading the way, when Monteith cried out that they were going wrong, and were going down the stream. The boatman at once perceived that Mr. Monteith was dazzled by the running of the water, and told him to bring his horse alongside of him. In attempting to do as recommended, Mr. Monteith pulled his horse's head round so suddenly as to throw the animal off his feet, at the same time losing bis seat himself and falling into the water; which, however, was only about three feet deep. The boatman who saw the aecident with surprise, was not apprehensive, up to this time, of any worse result to Mr. Monteith than a wetting, and told him to come and take hold of his stirrup; but the unfortunate young man, who appears to have completely losthis presence of mind, (though scarcely waist deep in the water) instead of taking the few steps necessary to place himself in safety, made a wild rush up against the stream, lost his footing, and was floated down the river. The boatman who was riding the horse belonging to James in the meantime jumped off the horse into the stream, and waded after Monteith, and actually succeeded in getting hold of him ; but by this time they had got down the stream into deeper water, and the current was too strong for the boatman to retain his hold. The floating form then went away down the stream and was watched until it was carried into a branch of the river, where the ripple prevented further observation. Up to two o'clock yesterday afternoon all the efforts made to recover the body were unsuccessful, although Mr. Brown (Ferry Hotel,) with a' party of Maoris, and Ryan, the constable stationed at the Waitaki, had made every possible search. A volunteer party from Oamaru also went out to endeavour to find the body The boatmen have several times lately forded the Waitaki on foot in the very place in which the sad accident occurred ; and there appears little reason to doubt that it was caused by the imprudence of the unfortunate deceased. Mr. Monteith, says the Oamaru Times, was known to many in this district, and was generally esteemed as a man of most obliging disposition, and possessed of many other estimable qualities. He had been some time in the employment of Messrs. Douglas, Alderson and Uo., as manager of one of their stations, also at Cave Valley, in the employment of Mr. Hassell, and more recently on Messrs. Webster and Aitken's station, Kakanui. In every place, and by all with whom he came in contact, he was very much respected, and he leaves a large circle of acquaintances to mourn his untimely end. He was, we understand, a native of Dollar, Scotland, where his mother and sister still reside. A reward of £5 has been offered for the deceased's body,