SPORTING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XII, Issue 4259, 8 July 1875, Page 2

SPORTING.

From a private letter received by Mr. Fowler from one of the Victorian promoters, of the Inter-Colonial Cricket Match, it seems that the expenses, &c., are estimated at €1000. amount, however, it is generally considered, ■will admit of|reduction, and that the chance of au Australian eleven visiting Xew Zealand is very probable. It has been decided by the inhabitants of Hamilton to form a boating club, and matches betweeu Hamilton and Xgaruawahia will be the result. A four-oared gig is to be obtained for the latter club.

. Ihe action of the Auckland Jockey* Club, in disqualifying the jockey and trainer of Maori \\ eed, has been eudorsed by the Canterbury Jockey Club.

FIRE? . „„.he 16tn Of June, at A fire broke out oD th ; prem . sca q[ about thrtc <• c street, a few Schmidt, ai . AU) o ffi C e. An alarm doors Mn KobcrtGal _ was quu. * g o j 10 were near a t Uglier .11' ' called iuto the house. They . 1 the tire was in the first floor f wit roeiu, it a recess behind the fireplace in tbe fn'ut l>wt of the house. The flames at the time of their appearance on the scene tin » good hold oa the premises, and had extended troai near the floor to the ceiling. Thev h.th exerted themselves in extinguishing; the lire, in effecting which tliey procured buckets of vater from the tank iu the yard and threw the same over the burning parts. In this w.irk they soon received assistauee, the lire-bell having ere this given the alarm. All danger of spread of the tire was by jirompt exertion averted. The Fire "Brigade arrived iu due time, but happily their services Were scarcely required. Mr. Sehmidt and his wife were from home at the time of

the outbreak. The lire is stated to have , through a child playing with matches, the wall-paper accidentally catching tire by the ignition of one of the matches. Shortly before nine o'eloek, p.m., 111 (Ith July, the house of James Conlev, in Official Bay, was discovered to be on lire. Mr. Fernandez, the proprietor of the ltailway Terminus Motel, was one of the first to observe the lire, and immediately dispatcliod a messenger to give the alarm, while he, assisted by some of his customers who were fortunately in the house, endeavoured with buckets of water to extinguish the flames. In this the party were successful. At the time of discovery of she i're the only occupant of the house was a little girl who was staying with the family, the rest being away in various parts of the town. Inspector Broham, who was p-oniptly on the spot, made an examination of the premises, which convinced him that tie cause of the fire was not accident. Iu questioning the little girl, it appears th:\t contradicting statements were made, —the child at one time stating that a bushinan had entered the house and set lire to it. Other facts transpiring, Inspector Broham deemed it his duty to cause the arrest of Mrs. Susan Conley, her son James Conley, and the little girl ia question, upon the grave charge of having set fire to the house with intent to defraud the New Zealand Insurance Courjany, in which office the premises are insured. The house belongs to James Conley, the v.-atermau, who has had the misfortune to have lately undergone an incarceration at Mount Kdeufor six months, for having some tobacco found in his house, proved to have been smuggled from H.M.S. llosario. During his absence, one of bis boats, through want of attention, broke adrift, ami was washed ashore at Kohimarama. His remaning boat was also broke np in the gale on Saturday night last, and he yesterday proceeded to Kohimarama, in search of the first boat, which he was informed was still ly ing on the beach there. He had not returned home at a late hour at night The charge against those in custody were brought up next morning, at the Police Court, wht-a a remand was applied for by the police. A correspondent writes :—An old couple, settlers, of Tuhim.-.ta. were, on lltli June, rendered homeless by tire. They lost their dwelling-house and dairy, with all their contents, consisting oi clothing, bedding, furniture, cooking utensils, winter's stock of pro"risions, dairy utensils, ic. Nothing was saved. They are now living on the kindness of neighbours.