LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14109, 10 July 1909, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

A middle -aged man with blood dripping from a deep gash in his throat appeared at the police station early yesterday morning. He gave the name of Thomas Robert Dillon, and said he had put a knife in his throat to commit suicide, but had lost his nerve. The knife fortunately missed the juglar vein and the windpipe, but. made a deep cut between them. The man was committed by the magistrate yesterday for a week's medical treatment and observation.

The shooting season will close on the 31st of the present month. The reports generally indicate that a splendid season has been experienced, and confirmation of this fact may be had from the number of birds being carried in the city from day to day. Another indication of the number of birds shot, evidently not by "pot-hunters," comes from a leading taxidermist, who states the number of pheasants sent to him this season for stuffing and mounting greatly exceeds those of past seasons. Two Devonport residents recently visited the Coromandel Peninsula, and certainly deserved their bag, fitter their experiences, which show incidentally what sportsmen are prepared to go through when in search of sport. They left Auckland for Coromandel, where two or three day* were spent, but game was scarce and the weather bad. They then decided to try Mercury Bay, and left Coromandel one wet faorning with their goods on a pack-horse, and tramped the 20 miles across the peninsula. ; The track was bad and'their experiences rough, a whole day being spent in the march across country. They secured a bag of about 50 pheasants, as well as a few pigeons and ducks at Mercury Bay, and then were weatherbound for several, days by the gale which raged at the latter end of last' week. They state that the birds are very plentiful at Mercury Bay, but the bad weather prevented a good bag being obtained. - , ■ ■':-)<■'

The cutter Flora, which sank near the Rail Wharf last week, when a seaman named Clark lost his, life, was raked yesterday .afternoon, and berthed alongside No. 4 Jetty. 'The vessel was found to be slightly damaged ok the starboard .side, and was half full of sand. . • *

The practice of jumping on and off ■, the ferry steamers ' before they are berthed alongside the* wharf '- almost ended in a drowning accident at Devonport yesterday. A fourteen-year-old boy named T. ; Kenny, residing in Auckland, attempted to jump from the ferry steamer Eagle on to Victoria Wharf, but missed his footing and fell into the sea between the steamer and the wharf. The lad was unable to swim;?and would have been drowned but for.the courageous act of a young man named Albert. Bond (a resident of Devonport), who dived overboard fully dressed and rescued Kenny from his perilous position.

In recording a conviction, and ordering the defendant to pay costs only, on a charge of having allowed his horse (which was run over and killed by the excess) to stray on the railway line near , Huntly, Mr. R. McEwan, J.P., stated (writes our correspondent) that he would convict no person who appeared before him in future on a similar charge. He recognised the serious disaster that might ensue if an express were derailed by colliding with horses or, cattle wandering on the line, so that in the interests of the safety of the travelling public it was full time the railway authorities began' to take steps to remove the possibility of such ' a calamity by fencing in the line. ;•„.' The absence of adequate fences was a menace to public safety, and a serious source of loss to settlers and others, who, despite the precautions taken by them, often lost stock in this way. " .

The City Fire Brigade was called out twice yesterday afternoon. The first alarm, given at 3.42 p.m., was from Greystreet. Some curtains in a houee occupied by Mrs- Kane had caught alight, but the flames had been extinguished before the brigade arrived. At, 6.47 p.m. the brigade was notified that its services were required at Mr. Wright's baker's shop in Karangahape Road. On arrival there the brigade found that some shavings next the oven in the bakehouse ' had caught fire. The fire was promptly extinguished, very little damage being done.

The eastern section of the tramways service became disorganised during the "rush" period shortly after five p.m. yesterday, through an Onehunga car g<mg off the rails at the top of Symonds-street. The traffic oil that route was blocked for half-an-hour, and many people waitei >n Queen-street till the service was set running again. Earlier in the day the trolley pole of a Newmarket car was wrenched off at the junction of Queen and VV>l- - Streets. . This, however, did not lead to a block in", the traffic, the first Ponsonby car to reach the spot push? the disabled tram down to the terminus.

An, inquest will be conducted by the Coroner (Mr; T. Gresham) this afternoon, into the circumstances attending the death of the child - of Thomas and Bessie Kerin. : It : appears that Mr. and Mrs. Kerin left for Sydney, on June 14, leaving their; child, which was four months' old, in the care of Mrs. Masefield, of "The Bungalow," Symonds-street. On the sth 'inst., i Mrs. Masefield noticed that the chfra was not in its usual health, and summoned Dr. Moir, who found it suffering from convulsions. Dr., Moir prescribed for the child, ' and it got better " and worse by turns, and ; finally [■ expired on Thursday. Dr. Moir signified that he was prepared to give a certificate as to the cause of death, but the Coroner has deemed it necessary to hold an inquiry.

In the literary Supplement ■"feiiKg to-day's Herald, Tohunga' luufSjlß: subject, "No Discussing Cokmt." - §m Fox gives some impressions of New 01m and James Drummond, ; js|S|B his "Nature Notes," makes special r*fS ence to the kingfisher. "DeW '$ Patriotism" is contributed' by "Civic Religion" by J. Giles, and "g*'lf dra Nath Banjeri" by Frank ; M '^5'9 Continuations of the serials, J?*at Charlton," "The Girl from theffi*i and "The Haven" are given, whiler '*8 Gossip, London fashion ■ notes, cW — E draughts, and literary and theatrical-11 tings are also included. - AS;jpl£i| • The brigantine Defiance, which was U adrift while being' towed from the to Auckland by the s.s. Awaroa, a fierce gale, reached Auckland 'u n <j J $ at 10.30 a.m. yesterday. On being se»?S a Herald representative soon after atrit'll Captain W. Nicholson stated that th«j ft fiance left the Kaipara in tow, of th»""T Awaroa on July 1 and met the gaknili morning. The gale gradually vj! at 9.30 the master. of the Awaroa•slipTwSH hawsers and cast the.- brigantine adiis! Captain Nicholson,, who had received a •J| nal from the master of the Awaroa'of tfifl was going to happen, then hoisted the fell sail and stood off the land. The wejiu moderated on Monday,: and the Befiajj rounded Cape Maria Van Diemen oa'-llfrfffl nosday afternoon. Light winds weieju with till reaching Cape Brett, theno*2&H north-east winds till arrival at AttckQ The Defiance sustained no damage. Shsrti be converted into a coal hulk for theberoj.! port Ferry Co. /^i;M : >m ■ ■.••'•' -^gi'i A young woman named Clara who was admitted to the " hospital tM June 30, suffering from a state bffge||| 1 weakness, , died at the institution at 1 o'clock yesterday afternoon. The'resident si

staff not being prepared' to grant a certi. ficate as to the cause of death, ■ the Goto, ner (Mr. T. Gresham) ordered a poaj. mortem examination to be perf orme-3, jjj fixed an inquest, to be commenced it ]] o'clock this morning. The present is the slackest time of'flu year in the flax industry, and the y t weather that has prevailed has • restricts! the output, to a considerable extent.-.'.l* month the Government grader (Mr. Jala.!

ston) received: 655 bale's of hemp ;(120 ioS) and 162 bales of tow (18 tons). The m -. put for the ■ same month of last p a exceeded this. The death occurred, at the hospital jg. , terday, of Samuel Gee, the elderly'ma who was knocked down by a tramcat.g Queen-street on Wednesday evening, Aj stated in Thursday's Heiuld. Mr. was crossing the tram line in the ncisn bourhood ;of Shortland-street, ' when-In was struck by a down car, and fell on tin back of his head, being rendered unconscious. "After being medically exaiaii. Ed at a chemist's, he was removed to' tit hospital, and progressed iavourably it first, but on Thursday evening he t&j a turn for the worse, and' died as state) An inquest will be commenced at the hospital at 10 o'clock this morning/ A number of boys, ; whose ages rangel from about 16 to 18 years, appeared at fla Police Court yesterday to answer charge

of playing a game of chance in a put! place. The particular means' adopted h the young gamesters to make money cis culate was- the game known as " pitch m toss," which , Sub-Inspector Hendrey > formed the -Court consists in throw pennies at a mark to- determine order c priority in tossing, and then throwing ttt coins J into .'- the air and rretmining -all.ik come down -heads.. The boys gathered oc the Railway Wharf to play the game, ri made a good deal of noise, and a consito able amount of bad language was ; wd by some of them. They were all in poo circumstances, and -to fine .them .won!! penalise : their parents, % the :sub-topttto said. The magistrate (Mr. E. C. Cutis, admonished the lads and.discharged &«■ i In reply -to a ■■; question - regarding position of affairs'in' respect to' the SoA em Flourmillers' Association, ' an ■ Amiland member of the trade stated yesteiidi; that the local bakers were not m any *sj affected in the matter. It did not cci eem them, he said, whether the report* to dissension between the flourmillers" atsociation and the bakers in the South'ml correct or otherwise. "We are apj lately free agents here," he added, have nothing whatever to do with m combine." , , j v ' I In adjourning several civil cases a*. j» Magistrate's Court yesterday, owingjw one long [defended case occupying M whole afternoon, Mr. C. C. Kettle.S.M. suggested that in future it might',be if* sible to take petty defended cases septately from long defended cases. The bosness of the Court was increasing at «**; a rate as to justify some suchlafiwft ment. i A very successful meeting of the Au:»' land Benevolent Society was held yesterday afternoon/: about 36 ladies being pS" sent. The question of having a street* lection in aid of the society's funds «> brought -. up for consideration, m&0 s a discussion it was decided to have* street collection on Saturday, 24th .Wl providing the weather is favourable Jthe event of unfavourable weather,. «*j collection will be postponed until M Saturday following. It has been arraf 1 ed that in the city the ladies will to"! different . corners to attend to, and in »§ suburbs they will form their own comsi*| tees, which, in each case, .will be hea<i*| by a member of the society, and uw*| of a street collection, there will ■b? : house-to-house collection. All those « lecting ,will wear a distinctive badge. P% Ewington;: hon. secretary of the socio-;1 acknowledges, with thanks, a contributor of £10 from Mrs. Seymour iV*! George. - • -h

The Rev. W. E. Rice, organising «*■ tary of Dr. Barnardo'g Homes, wilip*| in the Pitt-street ■ Methodist Chnri-fl morrow evening. , ~1 A popular lecture on "Democracy " 1 be delivered by the Rev. A. ,^sff| Caldwell on Friday next, at th» « Institute, Ponsonby, in connection *»' the winter course at that institution. In the course of an address to the_Q&jfM church Prohibition League, Mr. T. & . <Jjj lor, M.P., referred briefly to the gg§ of the four wholesale licenses to i» the Taumarunui licensing distxif^wOi tlons which were alleged to be n 4!swgl| were declared by a magistrate to be --1$ lands. Mr. Taylor said that the,isfß General had stated that he had &*yM structions to the Crown law offi into the matter, and if 'they,were||lg that the granting of these licenses £§£■ strictly within'-the- powers of ****:$■ tee, the matter would be tested' Jfa Supreme Court. If it was found.' i ggM .laws of the country allowed. to be granted without limit, it * Jl one of the first duties of *Mfi£SjSj resuming in October, to' pass resc£>-| that would put down this evil. ;(pMf This was a matter of urgency, *?&■ he was not sure that the day hw rived when the Maori should be equal footing with the white man »» jjgjj on the licensing question, the : 3w 'OjM at least be given as much : P.W??" bis white'brother, . - ,'j