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Mataura Ensign, Issue 19, 13 August 1895, Page 2

We hear that a Fancy Dress Ball is to be held at Mataura shortly. Yesterday is the first time for gome months that a drunk has been before the local Court. Mr J. R. Duncan, representative of the firm of P. and D. Duncan of Christchurcb, after a four months' stay in these parts left by -yesterday's train for his home. The copies of the Local Bodies Consolidation Bill not coming to hand in time, the special meeting of the Borough Council called for the purpose of discussing the measure was not held last night. A hiphly successful ball was given by the bachelors of Clinton on Friday night. Over eighty couples, including several from Gore, were present, and one and all had a most enjoyable time. It is stated that the hangman, who operated ' upon Mrs Dean yesterday, offered the deceased woman's boots for sale in the express from Invercargill to Dunedin, but, so far as we are able to ascertain, nobody purchased the gruesome relics. We are pleased to note that the levers attached to the points on the Gorton street railway siding have at last been removed. These have at all times proved perpetual menaces to public safety, and it is a matter for surprise that someone has not been seriously injured before this. Yam Gete, a well-known Chinese resident of Waikaia, was taken to the Invercargill Hospital yesterday. Yam is Buffering from congestion of the lungs, and is not a favorite with his brother Celestials, who did not see their way to care for him, and so the doctor ordered his removal to the Hospital, whither he proceeded in charge of Constable Herlihy. A debate, " Which is the More Preferable, Town or Country Lifa 2" is to be held at the Chsrlton Debating Society's meeting on Tuesday evening next. Some of the members of the Debating Society connected with the Gore Temperance Society are to be present to uphold the advantages of city life. The guarantee list of the Southland Frozen Meat Company now stands at Li 24,000, exclusive of the amounts obtained in the Win; ton district, which returns have yet to come in. A meeting of guarantors is called for Invercargill on Saturday morning. The Otago Hounds meet at Mr J. Mackenzie's, Tapanui, to-day. About 20 horsemen are expected to take part, and as the country to be traversed is liberally intersected by gorsa and other fences, a successful meet may be expected. The scaffold used at lavercargill yesterday has been stored in the Dunedin gaol for many years, it haviog originally been constructed for the execution of Captain Jarvay a, quarter of a century ago. The hangman brought his own rope with him from th 9 north, the same rope that was used to hang Scott in Auckland some two years ago. On Kawarau Station, in five years, the average number of rabbiters employed wag no less than 59, who were paid L17.345 18s sdfor 2,295,102 skins. These were sold for L 11.654 73 lOd, thus causing a loss to the station of L5.6G1 10s 7d. Adding to this Llllß 12a for carriage, etc., the total loss reached the surprising total of L 6780 2s 7d, or L 1358 Oj 6d per annum. On the Northern Station the number of men employed was 12, and the total loss on five years' skins was L 938 5a 6d, or LlB7 13s Id per annum. Work at the new bridge is making satisfactory progress. Yesterday morning, a start was made at the foundation for the pier on the town side of the river, and a portion of the stream has been hemmed in by sand bags, the water from which will be pumped out as soon as the foundations for the second pier are ready to be laid. About a dozen men are so far beiDg employed upon the work. At the Gore Wesleyan Church on Sunday night, the Rev. W. Tinsley preached a sermon to jounc men, taktag his text from Acts 27—29. He referred to the rocks of worldliness, formalism, and infidelity agaiost which they had to guard. A goodly number of young men, he was pleased to say, were total abstainers, and these he urged to stand fast. Their only safeguard was the Bible, and none were safe from the terrible rocks of drunkenness and degradation unless they held firmly to the principles of total abstinence. An accident occurred at Invercargill yesterday morniDg which it waa at first feared would prove fatal. Among the crowd of men and lads who clambered upon the roof of Mr W/H. Mathieson's workshop, in tho hope of gratifying their morbid curiosity by getting a view of what was enacted within the gaol walls at eight o'clock, was a youth, who, although subject to epileptic fits, ventured to socure a position on the projecting signboard. Here he was seized with a fit, as he might have expected, and fell to the ground,, some thirty feet. Falling upon rough metal, his injuries at first appeared very severe, but on examination when taken to the hospital, they turned out-to be chiefly superficial,

The Right Key. Dr. Nevill, Bishop of Dunedin, visited Wyndham on Wednesday last, preaching at St. Mary's Church in the evening. During his stay the bishop was the guest of Mr I, W. Raymond. A m&n named Tho». Long, better known as the " New Zealand Hangman," acted in that capacity at the execution of Mrs Dean yesterday. He proceeded north by the midday train as soon as his horrible task was completed. MrH. Weston, bootmaker, of Gore, has designed a new pattern of shoe, it having only one side seam instead of two as in the ordinary pattern. When made up, Mr Weston intends to send one of these shoes to the forthcoming Ohristchurch Industrial Exhibition. In the report of the recent Temperance Convention at Gore it was said that the Mataura Good Templars' Lodge could not afford to pay a subscription of LI due. We are informed that this is not correct. The Lodge in question is in a good financial position, but had not been notified of their subscription being due. Miss Calder presided at the organ upon the occasion of the Temperance Soiree held last Wednesday evening. At the County Council Conference in Wellington on Saturday, Mr McNab moved — " That with .a view to afford local bodies immediate relief, the Government be asked to amend the Counties Act to enable local bodies to borrow money to pay off their overdrafts ; also that as soon as local bodies shall have paid off overdrafts it shall not be laarful to incur new liabilities, as overdraft, which shall at any time exceed the amount of the anticipated revenue at that particular, rafe." As all the members had not arrived, the debate was adjourned until to^ay*. The trial of Somerville for the murder of Herbert, at Master ton, was concluded at the Wellington Supreme Court on Saturday night. Several medical men gave evidenca to the effect that they considered accused was not of sound mind at the time of the occurrence, and Mr Jellicoe, counsel for the defence, urged that the prisoner was laboring under a delusion that his employers and mates were treating him unfairly, and was, in consequence of his infirmity, unable to resist the dictates of an insane impulse, Mr Gully, Crown Prosecutor, contended that the plea of insanity was erroneous, and after reviewing the evidence, Chief Justice Prendergast referred to the fact that the crime was committed in view of a number of spectators, and that the prisoner apparently did not recognise the enormity of the offence as he must have known immediately he waa taken into custody. If the man was merely in a violent passion the question of insanity fell to the ground, but if the jury believed him incapable of realising what he was doing, they must acquit him on the ground of insanity. The jury retired at 11 p.m., and after an hour and a half's deliberation returned with a verdict of " not guilty on the ground of insanity." The Chief Justice ordered the prisoner to be kept in strict confiuement in the Terrace Gaol during the pleasure of the Colonial Sscretary. The Court was crowded, and notwithstanding the j lateness of the hour, some 20 young women waited until the verdict was given.