AUSTRALIAN ITEMS,

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14224, 22 November 1909, Page 6

AUSTRALIAN ITEMS,

I DOUBLE SURF FATALITY.

j j TWO BROTHERS DROWNED. ,' A double drowning fatality occurred at Cronulla Beach, near Sydney, Jast week. Two brothers, Sydney and Hubert James Bass, recent arrivals from Buckinghamshire, England,, proceeded'*,for a bathe from the shore at* The Oaks Point. ~ .Hubert, the younger, aged 25 years,. had swum out some distance, and was apparently in difficulties. The, elder brother, Sydney, aged 30 years, noticing his brother's plight, and being a strong swimmer, went to his ] assistance. The occurrence so often happening in such cases was the result in this. The rescuer was grasped by the drowning man and both sank. A alarm was at once raised by the few persons about this spot, and two members of the Cronulla Surf Club, whose central quarters are fully a mile away— the beach where mosE of ; the surf-bathing takes place—hastened in 'a boat to the spot,'and the position of the ' bodies having been located Prank Giddings dived in, and after some difficulty succeeded in releasing one of the bodies and. brought it to i the surface. All efforts at resuscitation proved futile. . AN EXCITING FIGHT. Joe Grimm and J. Kelly met at the Stadium (Brisbane) on Saturday week for a purse of £80. Mr. W. Flanagan acted as referee. Kelly appeared somewhat nervous.. Grimm's blows appeared to'•'' Have; plenty of force, and some lively exchanges were witnessed. ■'•'■ In ; the second round, as Grimm endeavoured to deliver some close half-arm blows to the body, Kelly, hung ~on to him. The referee broke them apart, and apparently said something to Grimm, for the latter turned suddenly from t his opponent and shaped up to the referee. Changing his mind, however, he ceased this hostile demonstration, and returned to Kelly, whom he attacked viciously. Kelly was driven to the ropes, where he clinched. Kelly's seconds shouted " Foul as Grimm continued to strike Kelly, who slipped, to the ground. The referee ordering the men to their corner?, said, "I disqualify Grimm for fouling, arid declare Kelly the winner." There was a good deal of sHouting at,this stage, which increased to, an uproar, as Grimm turned, suddenly, upon the referee and struck him several times; Kelly at once began to belabour Grimm, and their seconds joined in the melee. » For a brief space of time matters were lively,; until the police separated, and quietened the excited individuals. , ''

FATHER AND SON KILLED. k ; Information from „ Bendemeer, near Tarn-, worth (N.S.W.), ; states that on Sunday week Mr. T. 0. Smith and his nine-year-old son lost ' their lives, y. It, appears that both ..went, to look at a well, ,* and Smith lowered his son down, but the latter on nearirig the bottom fell out of the bucket. His father then went down the well. Both succumbed, the supposed cause of death being foul gas.. \ ,> : : ; * i «■! L-, p ---'v w*'

INSPECTOR'S TRAGIC DEATH. . Mr. D. J. Cooper, principal senior '; inspector 'of the -Department of Public Instruction of New South Wales, died suddenly ' while iin the \ act \ of ' addressing the boys of Fort-etreet school. Mr. Cooper was apparently in the best of health. As he entered the boys gave him a rousing welcome, mand,'clamoured . for "a; speech. He i prophesied success for i;, the * boys It at their examination., "I would say to you. in the words of a great educationalist," he went : on, but - the words' remained * unsaid. He stopped, breathed heavily for a moment, and , fell back. into the arms of ' ex-Senior-Inspector Lobban, and Inspector S. H. Smith/'; Dr.'; Storie Dixson, who was present, -'hurried forward, butnothing could be j done, and in a few roc* ments Mr. Cooper.was i dead. The boys, filer] out noiselessly, and immediately can* celled * the annual dinner, which was ■to have been' held : that night. It" is a: remarkable t coincidence that exactly .12 months ago, after ( delivering an i address at ' Fort-street, Mr. Cooper, had a "seizure and' for some weeks ;"' in a critical state. •-:; . ■-

A DESTRUCTIVE HAILSTORM. : One of the most destructive hailstorms that have visited south-eastern Queensland for many years passed over a large . area of , country ;on , Sunday ':_ week. .':,. ±\ It came from the south, an unusual quarter, and ; apparently travelled * over a fairly wide <■ skip of ~ country, extending from Harrisyille and Ipswich , : to the ,western suburbs of Brisbane, and circling out to sea. In many places * hailstones which' were as big . as 1 hens' eggs fell thickly and continuously for half an hour. f Iron roofs were pierced, and thousands of windowpanes were broken, ; and standing crop, orchards, arid gardens were "'destroyed.' The damage at Brisbane . alone probably amounts to some thousands of pounds.

A CONSTABLE ' FIRED AT. i Constable Rapkiris .narrowly . escaped being shot while making his round - of;' in- 1 spection • of business ■ premises at Echuca Victoria) during the early hours- last Monday morning.•> At the ; corner, of ; High and Parkenham Streets he surprised ,a burglar at the '-■ Federal -Grocery f Stores. The man sped -off < but, after going about 50yds, turned suddenly and fired -at the constable. He ran , across « the ?. street towards the' Masonic , Hall, fired* a second shot, and disappeared in a rightof-way. Fortunately none of the shots took effect. Constable Rapkiris;subsequently *: arrested a man on suspicion.