NEWS IN BRIEF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12930, 28 July 1905, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF.

[ Slionr due from London. »' . -'Frisco mail leaves next week. • Tarawera arrived from the South. The Zealandia is due from Sydney on Sunday.

According to Mr. J. C. N. Grigg, of Longbeach, Canterbury, the whole of the animal diseases and agricultural pests in New Zealand, with the exception of the caterpillar, have been introduced since the arrival of the white man.

A railway employee at Sludgee, New South Wales, was working the points at the station when the mail train left. By some means his foot became caught, and lie was thrown on to the line. The front wheel of the engine passed over him, inflicting terrible injuries.

A youth named Alexander Smart, who .was being detained in Melbourne gaol during the Governor's pleasure, on a charge of inflicting grievous bodily harm on a lad named James Lording, at Royal Park, last 'January, committed suicide by hanging himself with strips of blanket-.

As having a bearing on the sobriety of the people under no-license, it may. be mentioned (says the Southern Standard) that there were no convictions for drunkenness at the Wyndham Court for the year ending June 30,1905. There were three convictions at Slataura, two of the offenders being residents of other electorates.

A young mau departed from Eketaliuna some months ago, leaving sundry anxious friends behind him. His footsteps have latterly been guided into the paths of rectitude. He has joined the Salvation Army at Christchurch, and he wrote to his Eketahuna- friends forwarding the amounts due, together with God's blessing.

During the progress of a football match on the Norwood Oval, Brisbane, Charles Curtis, who had been watching the game with interest, suddenly dropped dead. Deceased was 71 years of age, and suffered from heart affection. A lady spectator was so overcome at the tragic occurrence that she fainted, and had to be removed from the ground.

, At a meeting of members of the Ballarat ■ (Victoria) branch of the National Political League, held for the purpose of discussing the action of the Prime Minister during the late crisis, it was resolved: "That, by his alliancc with socialism, Mr. Dcakin has distinctly contradicted his previous utterances, and has forfeited the confidence of this league.'