MASTERTON.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1201, 8 March 1895, Page 18

MASTERTON.

Masterton, February 28. A young man of Mauriceville, named JL R. Neilson, reported to the police this morning that he had been robbed of nearly ■£loo. He states that he came to Masterton on Wednesday with the proceeds of a contract he had just completed. 'He put up at a local hotel, and retired about halfpast 11 o’clock. He took the precaution when retiring to lock his bedroom door. On awakening this morning he found that his coat and the pocket-book containing his money was gone. The coat, minus the money, was found in a back yard of the hotel. Neilson says that entrance to his room must have been effected through the window. The money consisted of seven <£lo notes, one <£s note and the remainder in single notes. . f Twelve criminal cases have been heard in the Magistrate’s Court during the month of February, including six for drunkenness. / , The Rev A. C. Yorke commenced his instruction in religion of the scholars of the Masterton School on Wednesday afternoon. There was a fairly large class. March 1.. The quarterly sitting of the Masterton Licensing Bench was "held to-day, Mr T. Hutchison, S.M., occupying the chair. Applications for transfers of the licenses of the Star Hotel from Mrs Low to W. Redmond and the Empire Hotel (Pahiatua) from Mrs Beck to Joseph J. Kenny were granted. An informal application for the transfer of the license of the Makakahi Hotel to Matthew Raine was adjourned for a month. The police report on the conduct of the various hotels was, with one exception, favourable. Permission was granted to change the name of the Star Hotel to the Queen’s Hotel. The annual picnic in connection with the Karupuni Wesleyan Sunday School was held in the paddock of Messrs Morris and McKenzie on Thursday afternoon. There was a large attendance of the public, and as the weather was fine a most enjoyable time was spent. Music was provided by the Municipal Fire Brigade Band. At the sitting of the Licensing Bench at Masterton to-day, a letter was read from a stranger 1o the district, complaining that he had been refused a bed and refreshments at a certain hotel. He asked the Bench to cancel the license of the hotelkeeper and fine him heavily. The Bench decided that it could do nothing, as the required notice had not been given to the publican. The man, it was. pointed out, had a remedy in the Magistrate’s Court. The rainfall registered at the Masterton Railway Station last month was 2‘68 inches on eight days. Hugh Campbell, Herbert Welch and Selina Cotter, settlers of the Opaki, were fined in the sums of £ls, «£3 and «£1 respectively, this morning, for failing to. take the necessary steps for the destruction of the rabbits on their properties. The Magistrate’s Court was occupied all Thursday afternoon with the hearing of a. case in which William Blinkhorne sought, to recover possession of a property at Mauriceville, which had been leased to" T. F. Brenchley for seven years. The* lease had now expired, and Brenchley claimed under its provisions the right to* renew. Blinkhorne, however, refused torenew, on the ground that Brenchley had assigned his interest to William Bishop, of Wellington. As Brenchley would not give up possession, the present proceedings were instituted. The case was adjourned till Saturday morning.

Frederick James Donovan, settler, bankrupt, was charged in the Magistrate’s Court to-day with a breach of the ruptcy Act by having on the 19th August last given a promissory note to F. H. Wood, auctioneer, Grey town, for £55 for the purchase of thirteen head of cattle when he had no reasonable or probable grounds of expectation of being able to pay for the same together with all other debts. Mr Bunny appeared for the prosecution and Mr Powell for the accused. The defence was that accused had expectations of receiving advances on his crops and leasehold at the time he gave the promissory note, which would fully cover his liabilities. The Magistrate supported this contention, although stating that the transaction with Wood was a hazardous one. The case, which was dealt with summarily, was dismissed. Two* other charges under the Bankruptcy Act against the accused were adjourned for a, fortnight. March 2. The monthly meeting of the Mastertom Trust Lands Trustees was held on Friday evening, Mr A. W. Renall occupying th& chair. Some discussion took place on the question of the Drill Hall, but the matter, together with a notice of motion regardinga Town Hall, was held over till next meeting. A race meeting is being held at Castle Point to-day. There are about 300 persona present. In the Magistrate’s Court to-day, five young men named Welch, Emmet, Wrigley, Wilton and King were charged with illegally trespassing on the property of a Chinaman named Ah Lop, and with the larceny of the sum of £1 from the Chinaman's till. After considerable evidence had been heard, the Magistrate convicted Welch, Wrigley and Emmet ( of trespass, and fined the former £2 and the two latter <£l each, with costs. The charges of larceny were dismissed, with costs against the* informant. Mastebtoh, March 4. Some excitement has been caused in towi£

by the conduct of a stranger who has been living in a tent on the bants of the Waijioua River. On Saturday night as Mrs Reynolds, with a child, was returning hometb Liansdowne, the man, it is stated, grabbed a handbag containing a few shillings in silver from her, and made off. The occurrence was reported to the police. On Sunday evening Constable May spoke to the man near his tent, but the fellow made a dash at the constable with a knife, and then cleared for the bush. He was followed by the constable and a friend, but was not captured. On the tent being searched the handbag was found, but minus the silver. The police have been out this morning in search of the man, but so far have been unable to find him. A warrant has been issued for his arrest. No less than 31,136 sheep were despatched from the Masterton Railway Station during the four weeks ending to-day. This is the largest number ol sheep that has been sent away from any railway station in the Colony during the same period. , Mr Commissioner Baker passed through here ..to-day for Eketahuna, where he holds a sale of land. ~ , _ , , The report presented to the Masterton Agricultural and Pastoral Association at the annual meeting held on Saturday last read as follows -.—Your committee have pleasure in submitting to you the annual balance-sheet of the Masterton Agricultural and Pastoral Association, 31st December, 1894. It is pleasing to lay before you a balance-sheet which again shows a markedincrease in profit, the assets showing a surplus of .£553 14s 9d, being an increase of .£lB2 7s 5d over last years figures. Pine weather, as is usual with us, favoured our annual show, and, consequently, the attendance of the general public was fully equal to previous occasions. Horses were exhibited in increased numbers, sheep and cattle showed a slight diminution. The farmers’ class of sheep did not bring forth the competition looked for.-. Financially the past year has been successful, and the Association s position is sound. We regret that the amount of outstanding subscriptions is so. large, showing so prominently as an asset. ° March 5.

A large number of residents, including the members of the Municipal Fire Brigade went out on Monday night in search of the man who had robbed Mrs ' Reynolds of her handbag and attempted to stab Constable May. The man had. been seen in the neighbourhood of Adams’ bush in the afternoon, but the search, which was productive of many amusing incidents, was fruitless. A number of residents in the vicinity of the bush are alarmed; otherwise the'equanimity of the people does not appear to be much disturbed. The police are still after the man, who is described to be youn" and fair. His description is said to correspond with that of the young man McKenzie, who recently escaped from the prison gang at Point Halswell. . A. resident complains that a thiet visited his residence on Monday night and stole a hive of bees. • . - The weekly meeting of the North Wairarapa Liberal Association was held on ’ Monday evening, when a discussion took place on the question of the introduction of religious instruction into State schools. A resolution was passed condemning the action of the Masterton School Committee in, permitting the Rev A. C. Yorke to give religious instruction in the local school. March 6. The police officers and a number of civilians have been out to-day searching ior the man who recently snatched a handbag from a lady, and who «sxew a knife upon a constable and escaped ■ fcefore the latter could arrest him. About -4 o’clock in the afternoon the man was sden to cross the road at Matahiwi and jnake for the bush. A hue and cry was a-aised, and a desperate chase . took place. •One police officer and several civilians were -within a few yards of the man, who was '.bare-headed and bare-footed. They followed him for over a mile through bush, *oyec logs, and across streams. They called (upon to surrender, and fired shots at him, ibut all of no a vail. He was too smart for all, - ;and was eventually lost in the bush. "There is now no doubt in the minds of the TpoEce that the man is young McKenzie, who escaped from, Point Halswell.