Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1884.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIX, Issue 231, 8 October 1884, Page 2

Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1884.

A MAX named George Adams, who lias for some time been resident at Takaka. was arrested by Constable Knapp at Brightwater yesterday afternoon rvnd brought into town in the evening on a charge of passing valueless cheque e. On Saturday he was at the Bellgrove Inn and gave Mr Ribat, the laudloni. a cheque for £3, in exchange for which he received £2 10s in cosh, the balance going to pay his bill. Mr liibefc was not satisfied with the cheque on examining it and followed the man to the railway station, where he got him to sign another in the presc-nce of the station master. The cheque was on the Colonial Bank, Takaka, but shortly afterwards Mr Ribet, beginning to feel uneasy about his money, telegraphed to the manager of that Bank in Nelson and ascertained that it had no branch at Takaka. On Monday he successfully played the same trick on Mr Alfred Mills of the 'Railway Hotel, TUcbrnond, this time the cheque being only for £1. Here too the fraud was speedily discovered and the police were pub on the man's track. Constable Knapp followed him to Appleby and thence to the Bridge Hotel, where he arrested him, a similar game in the meantime having been unsuccessfully tried with the landlord of that hostelry. The prisoner was brought before Mr Curtis this morning charged with the two offences. Mr Harley appeared on his behalf, and pleaded guilty. The prisoner then said that he wrote and issued the cheques, but without any intent to defraud, which was tantamount to a plea of not guilty. Thereupon Mr Harley declined to have any more to do with the case, and the evidence, the substance of which is given above, was proceeded with. For issuing the £1 cheque the accused was sentenced to one month's, and for the other to two months' imprisonment, the sentences to be concurrent. The prisoner may certainly congratulate himself upon having received very lenienfc treatment. The Rev Dr Taylor delivered tis promised lecture descriptive of his travels through Ireland, Madeira, Switzerland and Greece, at the Provincial Hall last night, when, considering the state of the weather, there was a very fair attendance. The lecture was listened to with interest which was almost heightened into excitement by its dramatic conclusion. Tho final portion was that which related to Greece, and the Doctor, as an appropriate finish, read Lord Byron's magnificent ode on the aspirations of that country after liberty, commencing- with, the well known lines, " The Isles of Greece, the isles of Greece ! Where burning Sappho loved and sung." On arriving at the last line. " Dash down yon cup of Samiau wine," he suited the action, in so far as he was able to do so, to the words, and dashed the glas? he had in his hand (less the Samian wine) to the floor and with such force ns to splinter it into fragments. Evidently he entered into the spirit of the words and his enthusiasm extended itself to the audience, who greeted him with loud anii continued applause. The intervals between the parts were very pleasantly filled up with solos and parb songs. A review of " The Problem of liif e ' ' by the late Puev Samuel Edger, 8.A., has been forwarded to us by an esteemed correspondent and will ba found in another column. The other day two young ladies were crossing, on horseback, the Motueka river near its junction with the Motupiko, wheu one of them experienced a narrow escape. The iivcr was much swollen, and she was washed from her horse in mid-stream, but she coutinued to retain her hold of. the reins and the horse drew her safely to shore. Hub for the fortunate circumstance of holding on to the bridle the consequences might havo been more serious, as her companion would have been powerless to render help in such a place. Vve do hope before long to see this dangerous river bridged — an ugly torrent which, crossing as it does the main trunk road to the West Coast, cannot be avo'ded by pa sengers and traveller?, of whom there are hundreds to and fro every month, Theke was a good attendance of members last night at the second auniversary meeting of tho Loyal Wakatu Juvenile Lodge of Oddfellows. The balauce-sheet showed that the capital hud increased during the quarter by £9, and now stood at £43, and that the members' roll had gone up from 48 to 59. Tho following officers were elected : — G.M., G. Hogg ; N.G., J. Lucre ; V.G.. 11. Prebble; E S., C. B. Harley ; Guardian, H. Nuttall ; Warden, A. Betts. A challenge from the Court Little John to a cricket match to be played on the 10th November was accepted, and a representative team elected with \V. Puddicombe as captain, and H. Wimsetb umpire. Votes of thanks were passed to the ladies and all who had assisted ao the anniversary tea and entertainment At the It.M. Court to-day, Alexander Wragg. a very old settler resident at Wakapuaka, was charged with lunacy, and, on the testimony of Drs Leggafcb and Locking, was committed to the Asylum. We should be glad if "Protestant" would cull at our office. Tiik Battalion Band will perform selections in tho town this evening, commencing at 7-30. Messrs James & Co. report during the past week the auctkm sale of the extensive stock-in-trade in the entate of J. A. Packer. There was a largo attendance, the sale being entirely an unreserved one and very satisfactpry prices were realised. Analysis has demonstrated the spirituous element of Wooli-'e's Schnapps to be absolutely pure, and the highest medical authority sanctions its use in preference to any other preparation where a stimulant is rcbuired.