AUSTRALIAN NEWS

North Otago Times, 2 November 1906, Page 4

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

A POTENT PROPRIETARY MEDICINE.

Inlmericarrccently'there has been, a- great social commotion arising out! of what lias ken called the drug I scaural; and systematic action has been; taken to restrict the sale of certain \ proprietary medioineS which were said to contain.largelproportions of>alcohol. At Prahrn court, Victoria, on Oct: 11, ! Geo, Rogestoii. manager tor- John 'Redmond, grocer, 90'-Clinjid-streeet, Windsor, was- chargedMVith" selling' liquor; without a license. The liquor alluded to" was ■ "Peruiui/'a patent "medicine, whiclr according t<> Mr W. P. Wilkinson, Government Analyst contained 21.4 per cent, of alcohol corresponding to 45-8 per cent, proof spirit. y Tho medicino was destroyed-as being of an intoxicating nature. ; Defendant said he was surprised te learn'that he was>a sly grog seller. He was not aware that the medicine contained alcohol.

As the lowest ponaltv-was.£2o, the bench was loth to convict, consequently the case was adjourned for four weeks, to allow Inspector M'Kinuon to consult his principal as to withdrawing the proceedings.

SOCIALISTIC LABOUR PARTY. Tho Socialist Labour party has issued a manifesto to the electors in connection with the forthcoming elections. Tho document states:— "Wo urge the working class to organise with us at the ballot box for the purpose of abolishing tho class ownership of land and socially created instruments of production, and transforming these essentials to modern life into collective property of the whole people, operated and controlled by them for tho'permanent material-well being of every unit, and consequently the social whole. Then., and not till then, will social revolution bo ! completed. Tlion, and not till then, will the emancipation of tho working class from the thraldom of capitalism \m accomplished, Here is tho opportunity to record your protest against capitalism, and to assist in rearing the grand structure of tho coming Socialist co-opera-tive Commonwealth."

NEW VICTORIAN COPPED-FIELD,

What is said to be a valuable discovery of copper ore is reported from tho Heathcote district. The discovery was mado over twolvo months ago, and although a good deal of work has been dono on the lode, the matter has been kept vory quiet. The new field is on private property and that may account for tho fact of the public not boing made acquainted with tho discovery. The locality of the find is tho Mount Camel run, twclvo miles north of Heathcote, owned by Mr. Davics. 'Hie copper occurs in crystalino rook, highly decomposed, and tho indications, according to the Director of Geology, are very favourable to tho probability of the lode being permanent. Samples of the oro submitted to the Mines Department have assayed as high as 15 per cent, of copper. When Mr Dunno visited the district about two months ago, the workings were down about 35 feet, and, as staled, the lode appeared likely to bo permanent. The history of the find is rather peculiar. Over twenty years ago, while sinking a post hole, certain blue and creen coloured stones wore unearthed. 'These were taken out and preserved, but apparently tho owner attached no mineral value to them, but simply kept thorn as, a curiosity. Some were shown to a Mr. Heard, and he submitted them to an expert, who pronounced them carbonate of copper of very rich character, Mr Hoard at onco commenced to prospect tho locality but could not find tho slightest surface indications of tho existence of any copper. On sinking, howover, ho struck the carbonate, and at onco arranged with Mr, Davics, the owner of Mount Camel, to peg out a claim, For the past twelve months ho has been working quietly, sinking on the find. He is now down about 40 or 50 foot, and on good stone. The lodo appears to. bo dipping west. Although the public has been kept in ignoranco of tho existence of the new field, tho nows has been quietly leaking out, and now a great part of Mount Camel has boon pegged out.

ARRESTED FOR MURDER. On October 3 a man nainoci Ahan Wren, about 43 years of age, who has bcon tlrybloiviug round Cue for eigt or nino years, was arrested on a charge-of having murdered Michael Naghtcn on the evening of Sunday, June 10 last, Tho nfonnation against Wren was sworn by Detective-Mann, and the lattor, with Sergeant Simpson and Corporal Blain executed the warrant, arrest, but was soon overpowered, and Wren was dryblowing on tho Caledonian loase when the polico met him. Ho made a handouffed, 'flic usual caution was given liim, and after an interval of hesitation, tho accused "said:—"So far as mo killing Naghton, ho tried to kill me. He said I was an enemy of hia qhurch, and he shot at inc. He would have killed me only J was wean ing an iron breast-plate, because I was afraid of him."

Shortly alter Naglitcn's murder Wren, who was suspected by the local polico was closely interrogated, but he persisted in donyiii!! that he had spoken to Naghtcn, or had been near his camp for a long time. Wren was then, and had been for some time, wearing under under his shirt a breast-plate hammered out of slicct-iron. He gave as his reason for waring this breast-plate that ho had a mortal enemy, who had once shot at him, and had threatened to "do" for him. Wren had boon regarded- locally as a somewhat eccentric character. Little is known of his lifo or habits, as, like mast of his class, he is a "hatter." The links loading to tho charge made against Wren were only discovered after a patient and diligent search by the detectives. A few days before ho was murdered Naghtcn received from a local storekeeper £B, that had been held in trust for him, together with some alluvial gold. He paid accounts amounting to £O, and took two £1 notes back to his camp. It ia alleged that Wren has since changed one of those notes. The murdered man usually wore a gold ring of uncommon design, and this was missing when his dead body was discovered. Recently Wren sold locally some alluvial gold, including fragments that looked like portions of a ring. Detectivo Mann got possession of these fragments, and an export jeweller placed them together to form about two-thirds of a ring which is of similar design and size to the ono known to have been owned by Naghtcn, _ When has been under surveillance since the date of tho crime, and it is expected that some interesting evidonco will bo given by tho detectives and polico when the charge is heard,

ADELAIDE CUSTOMS- FRAUD.

lii opening the case against Charles luckor, M.H.A., who was charged at the. Adelaide Police Court on October 8 with conspiring wifJi others to defraud tJio Customs, SI? John Downer, who wiicliiclcd tho prosecution, said that Wallpco Tnekor (now deceased) in 1890 obtained from a rubber-stamp maker a Customs-house sea], representing himself as a Customo officer. Subsequently ho attempted to obtain qhother from the same source, but tho maker, becoming suspicious, declined to supply it. From Juno 8, 1896 to March 6, 1897, Martin and Co. paid to their agent £6291, of which £3124 reached tho Customs, and tho balance had not been accounted for. On Janwary 6, 1902, it. VmS alleged Tucker went to Melbourne, and stayed at Menzies 1 Hotel. A rubber stamp maker- named Swift inado a Customs seal for him, Tucker having stated ''■ hat ho wanted Jt for a friend, who was a Customs officer and had had tho misfortune to loso Lis ■ seal. Accused foaoliod Adelaide on January 11, and on tho following day the seal was most :ree"y lisetl.. Very, considerable frauds n-ore practised-directly, afterwards, 1 the shortage in leu years being £31,000.'

'MAIL-NOTICE. -*—o Monday, 29th October. Foe Wellington, per ltotoniahana, at 11 a.m, Tuesday, 30 lh October. For Wellington, • r , e r Maratoa. at 11 a.m. • • > Wednesday,.- 31st- October; •- ■ For Wellington, per Rolomahana. at If a.m. j Thursday, Ist November. i For Wellington, per Mararoa, at 111 a.nn I Friday, 2nd November. | For Wellington, per Ro.tomahana, at 11 am.

For Wellington • and Australian StaUs(except Tasmania), due in Sydney, No-j vcmber firth',' pcr Warrimoo, at 11 a.m. i ■ Saturday, 3rd November. i For Wellington, per Mararoa. at li a.m. ' ! For .Wellington, per Talunc, at 4.15 p.m. ; For Australian States (due in Mel-'. bourne; November 10th), South' Africa,; Mauritius, Ceylon (due in Colombo, -November 29th), India, China, Straits-Set-! Dements, 'Meditcranean' ports, United' Kingdom, and Europe (due in London,' December 15th), per Wimmcra, at 5 p.m. (via the Bluff). i Correspondence Icr the United KMom; must bo specially addressed. The lonic will' leave Wellington on' Thursday. Bth Novoraber "for London, (fljic 1 December 28th), via Monto Video and' Tcneriffe. Mails will close at Oamaru on Wednesday, 7th Novombcr, at 10.30 a.m. Correspondence for the United Kingdom mdst bo' specially addressed. From Melbourne, for Durban and Capetown, per Miltiades, 13th November, via Fremantlc, per Nacrung', 22nd November, via Adelaide. W. W. BESWICK. Chief Postmaster,