WELLINGTON ITEMS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCIII, Issue 10597, 5 March 1895, Page 6

WELLINGTON ITEMS.

[Per Press Association.] WELLINGTON. March 4. On Saturday last, at Masterton, a lady had her handbag snatched from hor by a man who decamped. The police made inquiries into the affair,' and a constable came upon the man, who drew a knife and attempted to stab him. The constable avoided the blow, but the man managed to escape into the bush, and is still at large. At a meeting of the Wairaxapa Relief Committee this afternoon the cases of Mrs M’Milian, of Waikouaiti, Miss Cole, of Greytown North, and Mrs Simpson, Caithness, were dealt with! A number of other claims will be considered to-morrow. fFEOM OVa SPECIAL COEEESPONDEI-TT,] The Times this morning says that, according to advice by the mail, Colonel NortMhe Nitrate King, and party took up the shares in the Silverfcon mine, Waihx, and secured the offer for a fixed period, at a considerable premium, of the ten thousand reserved shares. Referring to the habit of business people of accepting cheques without question, the Chief Justice this morning said those persons who took cheques from any parson who came along really assisted others in committing crime. There were many who would hesitate to commit offences were there fewer facilities in the way of passing cheques and obtaining blank ones. The Judges had spoken frequently on the matter, but tradesmen seemed unaffected by these warnings. It sometimes seemed a question whether the Court ought not to refuse to allow prosecutors’ expenses in such cases. The result would then be that this class of criminals would not be prosecuted at the expense of the country. In the ease before him the person who cashed the cheque would lose £5 X and the prosecution would cost the country £SO, quite irrespective of the prisoner’s keep.