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New Zealand Herald, Volume XII, Issue 4203, 4 May 1875, Page 2

A charge of larceny of a very grave, and fortunately unusual character in Auckland, was tried before the Resident Magistrate at the Police Court yesterday. A man and a child were charged with stealing about £7 in money and a scarf pin from the person of the informant. This was done by means of drugging a glase of beer with nicotine, and from the effects of this poisonous juice the unfortunate man had suffered ever since he had taken it, which was on the 27th ultimo. The man drank the drugged liquor, and shortly afterwards found it necessary to lie down, as he naturally felt vary ill. He was shortly afterwards roused, and found the child in the act of pilfering his pockets. Some of the missing money was subsequently found in the possession of the male prisoner, and the child, when confronted with lum, stated that he had robbed the informant; and she also told the police that, knowing the prosecutor had money in his possession, the male piisoner had proposed to rob him, and diugged the beer by chewing some tobacco and mixing the juice with it. At the conclusion of the case both prisoners admitted the charge, and were dealt with summarily.

One of those exciting chases by active and intelligent officers of police took place yesterday. A warrant issued against a man for assaulting the wife of his bosom was placed in the hands of Sergeant O'Conner for execution, who immediately proceeded to act upon the same. From information received he proceeded to the Kyber Pass Road, where he obtained a view of the object of his search. The man guessing his mission, darted off and led an exciting chase amongst the scoria boulders skirting the rifle range. Being hard pressed, he then dodged round the walls of Mount Eden Gaol, where he was nearly run to earth. He then took the open road, and was finally captured in the vicinity of the Royal Hotel, Newmarket, after a chase of nearly two hours. The purport of the warrant was explained to him, and he was conveyed to the lock-up to answer to the charge, which will be brought against him this morning at the Police Court.

Referring in a sub-leader in our issue of yesterday to the facilities which are permitted for women to obtain " protection orders" against husbands, and from which so many abuses flow, we used the words " stipendiary magistrates" when we should have said "justices." Speaking of our own Resident Magistrate, we may state that Mr. Beckhaui is always caroful in receiving evidence bearing upon s.uch applications, and that, until he has thoroughly satisfied himself that women have substantial grounds of complaint, these applications are never granted.

An inquest was held yesterday, at the Freeman's Bay Hotel, on the body of Andrew Johnson, who died suddenly in a whare at the Whau on the previous day. The evidence of Dr. Goldsbro', who had made a post mortem examination, revealed the fact that the deceased had died from sanguinous apoplexy. It was also proved that the deceased had been suflering from constipation, and hai) on his return from town on Saturday evening, partaken of a hearty supper, which had taken effect upon his system. A verdict in accordance with the evidence was returned.

A general meeting of the shareholders of tlio Prince Imperial Gold Mining Company was held yesterday afternoon. Mr. G. M. Shera, occupied the chair. After some discussion it was resolved that a call of Gd per share be made to pay off present liabilities, and that shareholders on payment of this call should have the power to transfer or forfeit their shares, if they deemed such a course advisable. The mauager's report, which recommended that the works should be carried on, was read, and it was further agreed, that another call of Gd per chare should be made upon remaining shareholders, for that purpose.

A youth was yesterday given into custody for having assaulted a poor, helpless old woman in West Queen-street. These cases of larrikinism are becoming of constant occurrence, and it is time that magistrates made example!! of young rascals to whom the charges are well sheeted home. It is probable that ot'nurs, taking lessons thereby, may be prevented from carrying out their practical jokes to the extent of their inclinations.

State of Her Majesty's gaol, Auckland, for the week ending Ist May, IS75: — On remand, 3 males, 1 female; awaiting trial, 2 males ; sentencedto penal servitude, 37 males; sentenced to hard abour, 9G males, 35 females ; sentenced to imprisonment, l> males ; default of bail, 12 males; received during the week, 11 males, VI females ; discharged during the week, 12 males, females: total in gaol, 15G males, 36 females.

Two sailors belonging to the ship Fernglen were given into custody yesterday for iarceny of certain articles belonging to a passenger by the vessel, and purported to have been abstracted from the said passenger's trunk while on the voyage. The case will come on for hearing at the Police Court today.

Messrs. Carnithers, Knorpp and Stewart, Government civil engineers, arrived at Haniiltou and proceeded to Ohaupo. Wo ( M'aikato Times) learn that the object of their visit is to cursorily survey the country in order to arrive at some conclusion as to the best route the railway can follow on its way south, after it is extended beyond Ohaupo.

Mr. D'lias'a excellent dramatic company is meeting with success at tho Thames. On Saturday night the house was crowded, the performance being " Macbeth."

The Presbyterian Church A'eura fo# this month is a capital number, the contents being set forth as follows :—" The Census," "Special Services," "Sermon by Dr. Wallis," " Suggestions by Conference Committee," " The Revival," "Music," "Church News," "Extract Readings," "Poetry," " Treasurer's Account." Under the heading " Suggestions by the Conference Committee," we find the followingparagraph : — " The committee of the Presbytery of Auckland empowered at the Conference of the Presbytery held in St. Andrew's Church on the evening of Wednesday, the 7th of last month, to carry out any of the suggestions that were then made, or that might be made, for promoting spiritual religion in our midst, has met and recommended :—l. That a city missionary should be employe-1 to labour in the City of Auckland, provided a suitable agent can be obtained ; and that the subject should be brought under the consideration of the city congregations and their office-bearers. 2. That the different congregations of our Church should subscribe I for, and circulate among their members, a certain number of some leading publication which deals chiefly with the present great awakening in the British Isles. These congregations to be communicated with by the convenor of the committee. 3. That a small fund should be raised for the purchase of religious tracts for gratuitous circulation. 4. That meetings should be held in Auckland and its vicinity for promoting God's work. 5. That our people should be invited to devote a short time on Saturday evenings between the hours of 0 and 10 o'clock ti> prayer for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit; for a blessing on the Sabbath services of the following day; and on the means used to revive God's work. The success of all these measures depends on faith, prayer, and effort, and to a large extent on the sympathy and co-operation of the laity. This work oust not be left to the ministers." The annexed compilation we also extract from the same journal :—" It will be noted from the Census that the distribution of the Presbyterians throughout the provinces is considerably varied. The Province of Auckland, with a population of 07,451, contains 11.523 Presbyterians ; Taranaki, with a population of 5405, contains but 471 Presbyterians; Wellington, with a population of 29,790, contains 4S743Presbyterians ; Hawke's Bay has a population of 9225, of whom 1G47 are Presbyterians; Marlborough has a population of G145, of whom SSG are Presbyterians ; Xelson has a population of 22,5:58, of whom 2545 are Presbyterians ; Westlrjid has a population of 14.5G0, of whom 295 are Presbyterians ; Canterbury has a population of 58,775, of whom 10,403 are Presbyterians ; while Otago has a population of 55,113, of whom 37,4<5S belong to the Presbyterian Church.''

Spelling tournaments are jnst now the rage in all parts of the country (says a Californian contemporary). Even San Francisco is thinking of reviving this reminiscence of the days when the city was a village, and i the schoolmaster its most distinguished per- ' sonage. Eggleston, in his sketch ef the Hoosier life of that remote antiquity when Indiana lay "out in the backwoods," gives a somewhat thrilUng account of a country "spelling," making it, in fact, the incident upon which the plot of his narrative turne. The victory of the youthful but heroic ambassador of popular education over the rural speller, whose knowledge of literature went no further than the finis of his bluebacked Webster, yet v.ho was, par excellence, the champion bruiser of the literary " ring" of his benighted neighbourhood, accomplished more for the prestige of advanced education than would have been brought about had the cornfields sprouted a harvest of newlyrevised text-books. Ergo, let us who have put away childish things not underrate the effect of this literary pastime upon the civilisation of the land we lire in. There is fun in it, but the sport hr.s no pernicious sequence. Should the attendant brain-racking, however, result in :i morning j headache, it would arise from an intellectual j dissipation that, we may be sure, is not ! morally unheal thful. At any rate. Dr. Talmage could hardly reckon it among " The Sports that Kill." The professional literary people have not, in these contests, come off with any great degree of glory. In some instances the simplest words have brought the highflyers of the Press tumbling ignominiously to the ground. It is one thing to be able to write correct orthography, but quite another to give it " trippingly on the tongue." The phonetic quality of the English language has received such little attention iii the making up of its orthography that if the present agitation of the matter j should effect a simplification in the {spelling I of some of the words that threaten to bankrupt the newspapers whenever "composition' is high, civilisation would move another march forward in the scale of progress.

Another appeal was made in the City Council yesterda3-, on behalf of the residents of Parnell, that some steps might be taken to put the crossing at Stanley-street in a fit condition for foot-passengers. It was stated that ladies, in order to cross it, had to go ankle-deep in mud, and that it was a matter which concerned so many persons that it was deserving of the most prompt attention and immediate action on the part of the Council. The question was referred to the Streets Committee, to be reported upon at some future meeting. There is so much traffic on the Stanley-street creasing that the Council should, if it has the funds, not hesitate to make a thoroughly good and permanent job of it. But here's the nib : The Council has no funds to spare, and in the absence of funds—well, the matter will be carefully reported upon. The Parnell people have much reason for thankfulness for the kind consideration shewn them in respect' to this matter.

A singular error (says the Thames AJver-tU-:r) has occurred in reference to the test crushing of 170 lbs. of stuff from the new reef opened by Comes, Climo and party, on the Tairua track. The result from the crushing is only 5 grs. of gold, or at the rate of 2 dwts. 17 grs. to the ton, instead of 2 ozs. 17 dwts. from the parce. , .. The statement, as originally reported, was made by Mr. Cornes, one of the party, in good faith, for lie was at the time under the impression that the return was as originally reported. It was not until after the report appeared in the Advertiser that he learnt his error, and found that the trial, instead of promising a payable yield from the large reef which had been discovered by his party, the result was so poor as to be worthless. In fact, the gold may not have been in t'ue stone at all. It is quite possible that those few grains may have come from the stamper-box and berdan in which the stuff was treated.

Return of sick treated at the Provincial Hospital for the week ending Saturday, May 1, 1575 : —Remained last return, S4 ; admitted since, "17; discharged, 9; died, 2 ; remaining, 90 ; males 70, females 15. Arrangement of cases :—Zymotic, 26; constitutional, G; locM, 3t>; developmental, 4 ; violent, IS. Two deaths occurred during the week, viz., Ist, T.W., iaale, aged 30 years, on 25th ultimo, of phthisis pulmonalis; 2nd, G. McC, male, aged 34 years, on 29th ult., from concussion. X.B.—Old linen much needed.

A highly interesting entertainment will be given this evening, in the hall of the Young Men's Christian Association. The lime light will exhibit some of the most beautiful views of English and Scottish scenery comprised in the old abbeys, castles, and palaces, and with selections of choice music a most enjoyable evening's amusement will be provided. The praiseworthy object being to add new bcok* to ihc library, and coupled with the low chaige <.f Is for admission, no doubt a crowded aitentl•uce will be the result.

The City Council have awakened to the fact that the approach to Jcrmyn-streetfroui Emily Place had become impassable. Yesterday a few loads of scoria, laid down 1 y order"of the Council, has placed the pathway in such a state that persons will be able to use the thoroughfare again.

liour will extinguish the flaices of bnrninj kerosene promptly. It readily absorbs the fluid, deadens the flame, and can be readily gathered up and thrown out of doors.

Several of the ladies of SL Kilda, follotrin the example set them by the ladies of Lr> don, and more recently in Sydney by Lad Robinson, the wife of the Governor of Sonth Wales, having decided npon openf n !T creche or day nursery for children, recentlv engaged a email four-roomed cottage i Somerset-street, off High-street St Kill as a suitable place for the purpose, especially as there was a. large piece of ground that would answer weU for a pUvaroundL It was announced says the A t t£ place would be open yesterday, bat several reasons a delay in the formal opecirvr has been considered desirable, although ehif dren will be received at once. The- "idea the ladies is to provide a home for the 'hif dren of women whose avocations call them away from their houses daring the dav There are many women who could earr "a fair day's wage were they not encumbered wi:h young children, and, in consequence have to remain at home to look after tleuT or engage some person, at a comparative!? suoi, to supervise them duria- th' : - absence. This creche, or nurstry, = ; s tended to do away with this state of thin-4* Mothers can leave their children, from <T E 7 month to seven years of age, in the c".n/,jf the matron of the crtc/.e, with the certain"* that every attention will be siren to ti'cm Of course the premises at present eir'a-ed are not large, but if the experiment is luaaii to answer, it is proposed to establish small establishments of the sam* t-iiar-.-t* ia various parts of the suburb of >t KilJa The proposed charges r.re little enough anj this cannot, therefore, prove a draw? li the success of the institution. p ur a n X child (kl. per day is to be ehar-td and ?, jr more than one the charge will b? at the ra*e ot 4d. per day per child. When it is understood that three me J* pd- day „ zJI l, e eiven the children, and as, t is consider*! that a large proportion or them tviU be very voumf the charge must be look.J upon as merely nominal Tn e lai,* who have taken this matter in hand purpose to give the voung children each one pint and a half of pure milk per diem, together with other food.

At a conversation recently held in Edic burgh (says a London paper, Professor Archer drew attention to a new and verv iinii.,rtant invention, the Chandor light, which' really threatens the lucifer trade with extinction The apparatus is, in outward appvarance a little tube, three or four inches lun-j, having at ono end a revolving button whiel? turns a screw, and at the other a minute angular point of metal, which also revolves, over a little orifice in the closed heal of the tube. A continuous fuse, formed of a ilelicate strip of solidified collodion, with a riige of hardened phosphorus on one of us si'ies is slipped into the tulxs, and, once in position) can be moved upwards with the .=eic»'. By the same action which presses the upper end of the fuse against the opening at the top the metal point is turned against the phosphorus, and a small portion of the collo lioa is thereupon ignited. When the apparatus is fixed to a gas-burner, only a very transient flash is needed for the purpose of tion, and not more than a 70th part of "the collodion fuse is in that operation eonsumei Where, however, the wick of a lamp has to be lit by the same means, a larger proportion of the fuse, the 32nd part, in fact, i= turned. The apparatus is either portable or adapted to the uses indicated, li a lamp out, it can be instantly re-lighted by the turn of a screw, instead of by opening the ease, re-mov-ing the chimney, and striking a lucifer match where, perhaps, largo quautities of straw are lying abont. The collodion fuse is so little liable to be affected by damp that it will ignite after having been immersed in water, and its actijn has never been knowu to fail. Being encased in a close-iittin chamber within the tube, it cannot burn beyond the requisite point where its duty discharged, and the eption-wick or invisible spirit of gas "starts into light, and makes the lighter start."

Some merriment was created at a recent meeting of the Eaglehawk Borough Council (Victoria), on the Town Clerk reading a letter from an old man who has been resident in the borough for many years past, occnpying the post of lamplighter, and who professes to have a distinct recollection of every incident connected with the battle of Waterloo. The letter ran as follows :—"To the Worshipful the Mayor and Borough Council of Eaglehawk.—Sir,—As col J and wet weather is coming on, I hope you will vote me a large cottou umbrella, as I can't afford to buy one out of my salary. My wife is afraid I shall catch cold, and she doesn't want to lose nie yet.—James Allen, Borough Lamplighter." Roars of laughter followed the reading of the letter, and when the Councillors had sufficiently recovered themselves, it was decided to grant the request.

A curious instance of the enforcement of a fine upon a superior officer is related in the military intelligence of the Western Morning Ifeica. A Major-General in command of one of the military districts has just been called upon to pay for an oversight. Recently, a private was tried by court-martial, and convicted of stealing articles from the regimental store ; but the Court forgot to make it part of the sentence that the prisoner should be placed under stoppages until the value of the stolen property was repaid. The sentence came before the General commanding the district for confirmation, and he passed it without noticing the omission; consequently, a loss of i2s was entailed, and the Major-Genoral has been requested to pay this amount, so that the public purse may not lose through his omission to detect the error. No similar occurrence (the Western Morning Neicz says) is on record.

A letter from Brussels states that a marvellous exhibition is takiDg place at present at the Cercle Artistiquc etlitteraire in that city. Some mouths ago Frederick Van de Herkhove, the son of a corn merchant at Bruges, died at the age of ten-and-a-half years. He had always been sickly, and was therefore not sent to school, but allowed to roam about. His chief amusement was to paint with such rough painting materials as he could procure. The paintings left by him, of which about ICO are now exhibited at the Cerele, were discovered since his death to be productions which tiie best Landscape painters of the age would not disown. Large sums have already been offered for the collection, but refused.

The pocket-book, with the theft of which "Walter Williamson was charged at the Police Court on Saturday, was discovered by Mr. Loveday on Saturday afternoon, in the Warwick Arms Hotel, where it had dropped behind a barrel (says the Thames AdvzrtUtr). It was handed to the police.

The first payment to be made on behalf o: the contract for the waterworks was ordered by the Council yesterday, upon the recommendation of Mr. Carrutliers, their engineer. The sum of £fOOO will be paid, without prejudice, on account of the contract.

Mr. Dennes will exhibit a number oi beantiful lime-light views of the old abbeys and castles of England and Scotland, in the rooms of the Y.M.C. Association, this evening, at a quarter to S, the proceeds of which will be ;n aid of the library. The times and places at which Courts ior the revision of the various electoral rolls are to be held will be found in our advertising columns.

Miss Christian notifies, in our advertising column?, that her stay in Auckland being prolonged for a month, she will resume giving lessons in singing on Thursday neit. Mr. Posseniiiskie, luerchai't t;ii!->r, in another column draws attention (.> tiic tact that he has not "gone where ths wuodbme twineth." , . Messrs. J. Cossjrave aril C>. n-tiry that their retail premises will 3.-J ila-eil this day, ar.d the two following clays, :\>" mnung down the stock. , , Thß monthly meeting of the >">"■ Zealand Agricultural Society will V h-U in the Criterion Hotel, Otahuhn, at ioO tins a::eiaoon. A dividend wiU be payable on the /Ui iast. in the City of London. GcU -J>n">s Company. . . , ,-., A resident honse Mirgmn is retired lor the Christchurch Hospital. . Mr. Wrigley calls for ter.ders tor paints, and papering Iu"-ise3 iu AiU.ii stj-tt-r.