AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Mataura Ensign, 23 April 1913, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

I * ! SET AT LIBERTY. i |BT BLECTBId TELEGRAI'II. —COPTEICHT. I I'FTi ITNITRD llt ESS ASSOCIATION. i Received April 23, 9.30 a.in. | .SYDNEY, April 23. Hatton, who was found guilty in October, 1911, of attempting to derail a i train on Messrs Hoskins' railway at ! Lithgow at the time of the strike riots, ! and sentenced to three years' imprisonI ment with hard labor, has been re- ! leased. | A PROSPEROUS STATE. j Received April 23, 9.30 a.m. ! SYDNEY, April 23. j A prominent feature of the past quarter's State banking averages is the re- ! payment of £2,500,000 of advances, j while the cash held in the banks has in(creased by £750,000 and the total de(posits gained by £318,000. THE MATERNITY BONUS. i MELBOURNE, April 22. ! Following the arrest of two women, Dr. Erson has been arrested on a charge of conspiring with these women to defraud the Commonwealth of money payable under the Maternity Allowance Act. From investigations made by the Crown Law Department it is understood that sensational developments in connection with the alleged bonus claim in variou States are probabie. The Government has issued a circular instructing the police to re-examine many claims. ATTACK ON A CONSUL. Received April 23, 9.30 a.m. MELBOURNE, April 23. The sequel to the recent shooting of [the Chinese Consul-Gcneral, .Mr Yung , Liang Hwang, is that T. J. Cliia, forj merely of the Chinese Concular staff, pleaded not guilty to the charge of wounding with intent to murder but guilty to wounding with intent to do I grievous bodily harm. The prosecution accepted the plea and aacused was remanded. The evidence at the previous hearing showed that Chia had been discharged from the Consulate employ by the Chinese Government. Ho intimated his intention of returning to China, and sought to obtain from Mr Yung Liang ,Hwang introductions to Ministers. He was annoyed at not obtaining these, and when he was asked to leave the office he commenced shooting. After his arrest Chia declared that he intended to kill Hwang because he had abused him, and he would then kill himself.