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New Zealand Mail, Issue 772, 17 December 1886, Page 16

J. H. Thacker, carpenter, of Wellington, h»B been adjudged a bankrupt.

Proceedings are about to be taken against two local fishermen by the police for having committed a breach of the Fisheries Conservation Act by drawing certain fish under the proscribed length in a net, and not returning them to the water. In the Australasian Times and Anglo-New Zealander of sth November, to hand by the San Francisco mail, the latest price of shares in the New Zealand Shipping Company is quoted on the London Stock Exchange at 50s, having risen from 30s on 28th October to 50s on 3rd November.

A good deal of work has been done at the Heads during the week in connection with the raising of the ss. Tui. Chains have been placed.under her bottom ready for a lift, and the first smooth water day will see the punts alongside ready for the attempt. It is thought - the Tui will be raised without much difficulty.

Mr J. R. Riley, the proprietor of the Post Office Hotel, who has shown a great interest in cricketing matters (in this city, has made a very generous offer to the cricketers of Wellington. Mr Riley has offered, if the cricketers choose to engage a professional coach, to provide him with board and lodging gratis. It is to be hoped that Mr Riley’s very handsome offer will be accepted.

The Stamp Department have just completed a set of stamps of values ranging from a half-penny up to two shillings, for the Samoan Government. The design of the stamp, instead of being the orthodox profile of the reigning monarch, is a characteristic one—a cocoanut tree, one of the chief products of the island. The die was engraved by Mr Cousins, of this city, and the plates from which the stamps were printed were eiectrotyped by Mr Kirk, who superintends that branch at the Government printing office. The workmanship in each case is very good indeed, and the stamps are a credit to the industry of the Colony. A smoke concert given in honor of the visiting delegates to the Foresters’ Conference, which has just been held in Wellington, took place at the Society’s hall last Wednesday evening, when a very enjoyable evening was spent. There was a good attendance, about 150 members being present, and Mr Bovis, secretary to the Wellington branch, was iu the chair. The principal toast of the evening, “The Representatives at the Conference,” was proposed by Bro. Waker in a very happy speech, and was ably responded to by Bro.-Gapes, from Christchurch, the.promoter of the Conference. Addresses were delivered by the delegates from various parts of the colonies. During tho evening songs were given and were well received. • ;

A man named James Brennan was arf-ested by Detective Campbell On Wednesday night on a charge of having committed a violent and indecent assault on a girl named Minnie Searle, aged 13, the daughter of a painter residing in Peters-street, off Ingestre-street. It appears that oh Tuesday afternoon the girl Searle left her home to go up to the accused’s house in North-street, off Tory-street, for the purpose of seeing the accused’s little sister. She saw the accused standing at the corner of the. street a 3 she passed. He, it appears, followed her into the house, arid his young sister happening to go out, he bolted the door and, it is alleged, committed the offence. The circumstances which led to the accused’s arrest were reported to the police last, evening by the girl’s mother. The girl has been seriously injured by the assault, which, from the testimony of the medical man who examined her, appears to have been a very violent one. The accused is a young man of about 21 years of age, and has lately been working in the country. He was brought before the Magistrate next morning to answer the grave charge against him. A report appears elsewhere. The police received information on Wednesday to the effect that two Italian fishermen named Perotti and Gamanosi had arranged to fight a duel at Island Bay. The trouble appears to have arisen over the latter having made proposals for the hand of the former’s daughter. The father was not inclined to look with favor on the offers made by Gamanosi, and his objections led to a quarrel between the two men. Weapons for the struggle were procured in the shape of knives, and the duellists arranged to meet at Island Bay and fight the matter out. The police, however, got wind of the impending encounter, and Mounted Constable May was at once despatched in order to prevent bloodshed. On arriving at the proposed scene of struggle only one of the disputants was present, the other (Perotti) having made himself scarce. It appeared that some hitch had occurred between the combatants, Gamanosi having insisted upon a witness being found. Matters were at this crisis when the constable appeared. Gamanosi is being kept under police surveillance in order to prevent bloodshed when the two men meet again.

A meeting of creditors in the estate of Alfred Curtis, confectioner, was held in the Official Assignee’s, office on Wednesday. The Official Assignee presided, and there, were about twelve creditors present. The bankrupt submitted a statement to the effect that he had been compelled to dispose of his business owing to ill-health, receiving £450 in cash for the estate. During the commercial depression of 1882 and 1883 he incurred losses of between £4OO and £SOO in failures and bad debts. For nearly two years afterward he was confined, more or less, to his room, and his business had to be attended to by his young daughter and nephew, both of whom were too young to undertake the responsibility, and the consequence was that the business fell off and the debtor got into heavy finiancial difficulties, from which he has never been able to extricate himself. With the proceeds of his business he paid what debts he could, and in order to satisfy further pressing demands he borrowed £l5O on his property in May-street. He got employment for a little while after giving up business, but for the last three months had done nothing. He was compelled to file owing to being pressed for the interest on the loan. The creditors considered that the debtor’s position was solely due to misfortune. It was decided that the debtor should be allowed to retain his furniture, and that the creditors should recommend his immediate discharge. It was stated that the estate would realise a good price.

The banquet given by the Volunteer officers to Sir George Whitmore on Wednesday evening was a very successful affair. Pressure on our space prevents a full report being given of Sir George’s speech. ; 1 1 Owing to a misunderstanding between the head master and Committee of the Newtown School, no prizes are to be given to the children attending that school this year. However, it is more than probable that after the holidays the awards will be made. The floating islands of pumice, thrown up by the late stupendous volcanic eruption at Krakatoa, in the Javan seas, are found to have drifted into the Indian Ocean, 676 miles in a direction west by south from the spot where they were a year ago. We have received a very tasteful calendar from the National Insurance Company of New Zealand, of which Mr F. G. Thompson is the local manager. The background represents a New Zealand alpine landscape, in which snowy mountains, rocks, and cataracts are very prominent. The sale of work which took place a short time back in aid of the building fund of the new Congregational Church realised the sum £25. This brings the amount banked to the credit of the'fund up to £225.. The new church is to be built on the vacant section at; the corner of the Terrace arid Bolton-street, opposite the main entrance to Government House. . ■ ; . Another illustration of the time-honored proverb about the staleness of everything' under the sun is supplied by the younger Pliny, who, writing to one of his friends about one of his country-seats, mentions, among other things, that next to the smaller diningroom there is a semi • circular room with windows arranged so as to get the light of the sun all day. He says : “ Out of this is a bedroom which can be warmed with hot air.” He also refers to thebath with its coolingroom and its hot-room.” As Pliny, jun., lived A.D. 62-116, we may assume that hotair furnaces are no new thing. At the Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday morning,-before Mr H. S. Wardell, R.M., James Brennan; a young man about 21 years of age, was charged with having criminally assaulted Minnie Searle, a girl 12 years old. Mr Jellicoe was for the defence. William Searle, father of the child, deposed to the girl’s age, 13 next January. Dr Collins gave evidence to the effect that he had examined the child and found that she had been criminally assaulted. The girl Searle was then called, and deposed that she lived-in Peter-street. On the 14th inst. she met accused in North-street. She had seen him once before that. He asked her who the man was she was with on the previous night, and she replied that it was her father. She went down to Brennan’s mother’s house, and found Mrs Brennan was out. Stayed there about half an hour, and then accused came there, and his little sister, who had been in the house, went out. Brennan locked both the doors. Witness was then in the kitchen. Brennan came in and threw her on the sofa, and committed the offence. She struggled and called out. Brennan then went away, telling witness not to say anything about it. Witness went out, and, seeing the little girl standing on the steps, told her she should tell her mother something about James.. She did not. see Mr Brennan, however. Witness told her mother next morning. Her mother asked her about marks on her clothes, and witness told her about it. She did not tell her mother before, because she knew she would be awfully cross with her for going to Brennan’s. She told her she had been playing with some girls. At the conclusion of the girl’s evidence it was decided to adjourn the further hearing of the case till this morning. Bail was allowed—two sureties of £IOO each.