TELEGRAPHIC.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1314, 6 May 1897, Page 38

TELEGRAPHIC.

® Wanganui, April 28. Tom Long, the hangman, was fined £3 and sentenced to 14 days’ hard labour on three charges of drunkenness, resisting the police and using obscene language. Westport, April 28. Sergeant-Major Moore, transferred from Gisborne to Westport about two months ago, died to-night at 8.30 after a short illness. The deceased was an old police officer. He came from Victoria in 1862, and served under Inspector Brannigan in Dunedin. During his short residence here he made many friends, and great sympathy is felt for the family. Westport, Mayl. The coal export for the week ended today was 7029 tons, of which the Westport Coal Company shipped 5160 tons, and the Cardiff Company 1860 tons. Dunedin, April 28. At an inquest at Mornington on an ille-

gitimate child named Broadfoot, a month old, the medical evidence showed that the child had wasted away through getting improper food. a wx Christchurch, Apnl 28. r*The adjourned inquest on George Ward, who was found dead a few days ago, was held to-night. A result of an analysis of the stomach showed no trace of poison, and a verdict of death from asphyxia was returned. Timaru, April 28. The Timaru Gas Company have declined the Borough Council’s offer of £22,000 for their works, stating that their shares will sell for more in tho open market. Invercargill, April 29. Tho report which gavo riso to tho appearance of paragraphs in the various newspapers throughout tho colony that a tender of 6s 6d in the £ was accepted by the official liquidator of the Walter Guthrio Company, Limited, of Invercargill, was incorrect. The successful tenderer’s offer was 8s in the £ cash. Tho purchase money on this basis has been paid, and tho stock is now boing realised on by Messrs Thomson, Bridger and Co. x Almeeting convened by the Mayor at the request of business men was held to-night to discuss tho question of starting woollen mills in tho vieinity of Invercargill. The project was favourably received and a committee was appointed to collect information bearing on the subject. Mr Kelly, M.H.R., suggested that tho order of reference might be widened to permit of tho committee making enquiries in reference to a linen factory. He was not quite sure that there was an opening for a woollen factory, so many having boon established. ■r. New Plymouth, April 29. - ■^Obituary— J. T. Upjohn, aged 89, a very old settlor of Taranaki. Ho was formerly a member of the Provincial Council. At the Police Court this morning William Malcolmson and Edgar Dell were committed for trial at tbe District Court on the 16th. of June, the former for tho alleged conversion of money of Wood Bros., Christchurch, and Dell on a charge of obtaining money by false pretences. Bail was allowed to both. Christchurch, April 29. At a meeting to-night, attended by about 150 persons j a motion favouring tho abolition

of capital punishment was carried with but five dissentients.: Invercargill, April 28. The first communication at Invercargill of the Grand Lodge of New Zealand took place here to-day and excited great interest among the Masonic bodies. About 100 representatives were present. The visiting officers' say that/ it was the most successful and numerously-attended function since the inauguration of the Grand Lodge. Bro. Barron was installed as M. W.G.M. for the second term, and the following appointments were made : —Deputy G.M., Bro. W.* Beilby, also G.S. of Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne; Senior G.W., Bro. Thos. W. Allen; Junior G.W., Bro, W. Gif kins ; Grand Superintendents, Bros. H. J.Williams (Wellington), Hamilton (Christchurch), Bartlett (Auckland), M.K.Bree (Southland), H. L. Michel (Nelson and West Coast). The financial position was shown to be eminently satisfactory. The benevolent fund had a credit of .<£ll9l, and the widows and orphans’ fund <£3B2. The installation of the W.M. of Lodge St. John in the evening was largely attended and was followed by a. banquet. Dunedin, April 30. The Union Steam Ship Company has just ordered a new steamer to be built by Denny Bros, for the Wellington-Manukau trade. She will be somewhat of the dimensions of the Takapuna, but of lighter draught, with accommodation for 150 passengers, She will steam 12 knots an hour, and besides other improvements she will have a refrigerator. Her name will be Rotoiti. The Company’s latest addition the Liddesdale —is to be re-named the Wanaka. Dunedin, April 30. According to the Cromwell correspondent of the Star, the men who have been sluicing a claim above the Roaring Meg Creek found a bag containing lOOoz of gold, supposed to be one of the two missing bags robbed from the police escort at Clyde in 1871. Dunedin, May 1. Only nine associations having agreed to send delegates to the Agricultural Society Conference, the committee recommend that the Conference proposed for June be postponed indefinitely. May 3. A man named Nicholas Edwards was arrested to-night for a serious assault on R. McKinley, cabman. McKinley was found lying on the street with a broken leg. Several small bones of his hand were broken, and he had a wound on the back of his head. Christchurch, April 30, The tide at Lyttelton on Thursday afternoon behaved in an eccentric fashion. The almanac gave 2.9 p.m. as the time for high water.' Just before 2 o’clock the tide had risen about 4 feet 5 or 6 inches. Then it suddenly fell back in an unaccountable manner, leaving “ its mark ” 2ft or 2ft Gin below the usual level. It was hoped that this unusual occurrence would lead to no serious inconvenience, and the authorities waited till the expected high tides. The time arrived, but the anticipated rise did not come, and the harbourmaster had to inform the agents of the Ruahine of the risk they would run if the steamer attempted to leave the wharf. Then it was that the departure was postponed. For fully an hour afterwards it was seen that the tide was “ coming back ” at a rapid rate, and even up till 4 o’clock there was ample water to float the steamer out safely. This fact was put before the ship’s representatives, but they decided not to make the attempt as by that time many of the passengers had gone ashore, and besides no one could with certainty know that the tide would remain sufficiently long to successfully .float the steamer out. No one could account for the unusual phenomenon in the least. This morning at 2 o’clock, or half-an-hour before the due time, the tide was sufficiently high to allow the steamer to proceed without hitch. Gisborne, April 30. A large and representative meeting of town and country settlers was held this afternoon to consider Mr Carroll’s memorandum to the Premier on the question of connecting this district with Auckland by means of a light railway. There was a very strong feeling that the matter should be pressed forward with all vigour. It was pointed out that this district-has long remained in an isolated and backward state, receiving no fair return of the moneys paid into the public treasury ; that, aB a matter of urgency, the settlers shouldjhave an outlet to a market for their stock ; that the construction of Ibn one to Rotorua should be a matter ot no gieat difficulty, a light railway being cheaper than a road, and the estimated cost would not be more than <£looo a mile ; that such a railway would open vast areas of fine country, which must remain in a state of nature until some means of access are given to it, and of which the Crown already holds the title to close on 200,000 acres; that the line would draw a large tourist traffic to the magnificent scenery of Waikaremoana Lake ; that as the kauri forests in the North are being worked out, this line would open up a huge area of fine timber country, and, generally, that it would be greatly to the advancement and welfare of the North Island. Jt was unanimously resolved to form a railway league, and a strong committee was appointed to gather information and promote the object in view. Auckland, May 2. The Hon W. McCullough has consented to stand for the Mayoralty. Auckland, May 3. Mr P. Dignan was to-day nominated for the Mayoralty. Tho question of providing a residence in Auckland for the Admiral of the Australasian squadron is to be considered at a conference on Wednesday between representatives of the City Council and the Harbour Board.

v _ Greymouth, May 2. • The coal exported for last week was 1543 tons. Napier, May 3. JiTShortly after 9 o’clock to-night Leopold Lessong, surveyor, was found dead in his office. He was very old, and had been in feeble health. There is no reason to suspect foul play. ■ ■-