AUSTRALIAN.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1200, 1 March 1895, Page 34

AUSTRALIAN.

Sydney, February 20. Mrs Gray has been sentenced to six months' imprisonment for killing the girl Turner by throwing a table-knife at her. . Sydney, February 20. In the divorce suit brought by his wife against the Rev Clarke on the ground of cruelty, it was alleged that the husband hypnotised the plaintiff and brutally assaulted her on several occasions. Her body was cut and scarred ; he tore off her clothes, and drove her outside in a nude condition; Under cross-examination, Mrs Clarke admitted having supernatural visitations, and said she saw spirits at various times. Sydney, February 21. A grave military scandal is creating- a sensation. Andrews, an alleged Anarchist leader, has been sentenced to five months' imprisonment for seditious libel. During the recent shearing troubles he published a pamphlet which was calculated to bring the administration of justice into contempt. A plague of caterpillars and crickets is devastating the crops in the Glen Innes district. The pest is also invading houses, destroying clothing and eating paper off the walls.

In consequence of Mr Carruthers, Minister for Lands, deciding that single men must be taken off the roll of membership, the Board of Control of the Pitt Town Labour Settlement has resigned in a body. The Itailway Commissioners have revised the freights, made further considerable reductions in the rates for the carriage of produce and coal, and removed a number of anomalies as to the carriage of general produce. A court-martial will be held on Monday on a captain in the permanent force, charged with seduction and suggesting an illegal operation, and endeavouring to induce a doctor to perform it. Sydney, February 22.

In the divorce case brought by his wife against the Rev Clarke, a decree nisi was granted. The Judge said : "It has been my lot to try many cases of cruelty to women; but I have never had a case in which cruelty more unjustifiable or horrible has been shown than in the present case. Language fails to express my sense of the barbarity of the respondent/' Sydney, February 23. The jury found Captain Peterson, of the Awhina, which collided with the steamer Princess, not guilty of manslaughter. The accident was caused by an error of judgment on Peterson's part, but in their opinion it did not amount to culpable negligence. /Frank J. Smith, George J. Finlayson and Augustus S. Miller, who were sentenced as directors of the Australian Mercantile Loan and Guarantee Company to seven years' penal servitude, have been released after serving three years. The Pastoralists' Union having informed the Australian Workers' Union Conference that a definite statement as to the arrangement for the settlement of shearing difficulties in the future cannot be made till next meeting of the Pastoralists' Council, the Conference has decided to maintain the 1891 or verbal agreement under the Conference terms during the coming season, unless the pastoralists agree to a conference to mutually arrange terms. Mr Spence, President of the Shearers' Union, says that unless a conference is granted there will be a revival of hostilities for a considerable time. The Rev Mr Clark, against whom a tlecree nisi of divorce has been granted for cruelty, has baen arrested on a charge of insanity.' '

Sydney, February 25. White, one of the party who returned in the barque Bolivia from New Australia, said, in the course of an interview, that the scheme was the grossest and most cruel case of deliberately misleading people ever exposed. Utterly unfounded charges of drunkenness, he said, were made by the leader, Lane, against four of the men, who seemed to give offence to him by studying the language of the country. White was ordered by Lane to search for these men and assist in expelling them from, the settlement. He alleges that on his refusing to do so Lane drew a revolver and threatened to shoot him. Quarrels were of every-day occurrence, because of the airs assumed by Lane, Casey, Mooney, and a few others who supported them. On being told that Casey was still

organising fresh batches of emigrants, White was astounded. He said, " I think it is a great shame for the Government to allow the thing to go on. Casey knows the true state of affairs over there as well as I do." News from Noumea states that the Go ! vernor has received a cable message from France stating that no more convicts will be sent out. The news is hailed with satisfaction. It is also understood that another cable message has been received ordering 2000 good-conduct men to be sent to Madagascar, to make roads for the French troops who are to operate against the Hovas. The military scandal was enquired into by court-martial to-day. Miss Cummins, of Woolongong, is the accuser, and Captain Close, the defendant. The lady in her evidence stated that she was drugged by the defendant, who then committed the offence upon her. Evidence of a shocking character was disclosed. The court-martial has not concluded. Sydney, February 26. H.M.S. Pylades, which recently arrived from England to take the place of H.M.S. Curagoa on the Australian station, has been ordered to New Zealand to join the squadron, and leaves for Auckland on Saturday. A sad domestic tragedy is reported from Goulburn. Ct appears that the wife of Thomas Cross, licensee of the Robert Burns Hotel, had arranged to give a party to a number of friends, but the husband, forbade the festivities to take place, the result being a quarrel between the two. Later on the wife was singing with a young man, a lodger in the hotel, when Cross entered the room and objected, and, after further quarrelling, the wife went out and locked herself up in her own room. Cross threatened to break down the door if she did not come out, and said he had a good mind to put a bullet into her. She then came out of the room and told him to do so, whereupon he drew a revolver and fired, the shot taking effect behind the ear. On seeing what he had done, Cross placed the revolver to his own head and shot himself dead. The wife died within an hour. Cross had been drinking heavily, but it is believed that jealousy is at the bottom of the affair. Melbourne, February 20. At a meeting of the Cabinet the Premier brought under notice the protest made by the Board of Viticulture against the reciprocity treaty. It was decided to communicate with the Premiers of South Australia and New Zealand asking them not to take steps to ratify the treaty, on the ground that it would prove a hindrance to Federation, and requesting them to hold the arrangement in abeyance for a few months, till it could be seen if it was possible to put the Federation scheme adopted at the Premiers* Conference into operation. f Melbourne, February 21. The Cabinet strongly condemns the action of the British Postal authorities in renewing the mail contracts securing the concessions asked for, "and the Acting-Postmaster-General has been requested to report with the view of determining whether it would not pay Victoria to withdraw from the contract, in the interests of her export trade.

The Supreme Court refused an application by the liquidator of the Caledonian Land Bank to have the name of Mr Goodwin placed on the list of contributories. The respondent opposed the application on the ground that he had been induced to take his shares by means of fraudulent misrepresentation contained in the prospectus. The Chief Justice said the formation of the company was really a scheme to enable David Munro to sell his own property to the company at a very large price, and throw the burden on a number of simple-minded working men. The case was a test one, and will decide a large number of others. The Minister of Railways intends to recommend that .£430,000 of the .£1,000,000 of loan money available for railway construction and improving the polling stock be expended in re-grading the present lines.

The new military Commandant is not entirely satisfied with the position he finds himself in. He considers the Government was not sufficiently candid in informing him beforehand of the extensive nature of the retrenchment intended to be carried out. Melbourne, February 22. The Royal Humane Society of Australasia has presented silver medals to Mr Dunlop, engineer, and Mr Kendall,steward, for their heroic conduct at the wreck of the Wairarapa. In connection with the policy of retrenchment in the Civil Service, a circular has been sent to the heads of the various departments asking them to enquire if any employees are willing to retire on pensions computed upon length of service, or, in the case of those who are not entitled to pensions, on six months' full pay. It is believed a large number will avail themselves of the offer. Melbourne, February 23.

Mrs Kilpatrick obtained a verdict for ,£6OO damages, against -Huddart, Parker and Co. for the loss of her husband, who was drowned, in the foundering of the steamer Alert, on which he was second engineer. . The claim was based on the contention that the steamer was unseaworthy. The damages claimed were £3OOO. Melbourne, February 26. A passenger train to-day from Melbourne to Sale was derailed at Jefferson siding. The driver noticed the points half open, and tried to stop the train, but was too late.

The fireman and several passengers were injured, but not seriously. Considerable damage was dene to the rolling stock. The accident is a mystery, as the points were previously properly locked. A hairdresser named Cronin has invented a bullet-proof coat, which he claims to be superior to anything yet discovered. A bullet from a Martini-Henry rifle failed to penetrate it, or even break the surface at 200yds. The cuirass is said to be as light as an ordinary military jacket. -, Adelaide, Febuary 20. At a meeting of farmers in the southeastern districts a resolution was passed protesting againt the proposed reciprocal treaty with New Zealand, on the grounds that it would benefit the fruitgrowers in other districts at the expense of the farmers, and would also retard Federation. , Newcastle, February 24. The barque Bolivia brought 10 returned colonists from New Australia. They state that they suffered much hardship before reaching Buenos Ayros. Hobart, February 23. An important gold find has been made near TTlverstone, 191 miles from Hobart. The reef outcrop is 10ft wide, and yields rich free gold. . Brisbane, February 25. During a raid on a Chinese gambling den at Croydon 23 were arrested. Many of the men showed signs of illusage, and some were in a dangerous condition. The dying depositions of two have been taken.