TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4248, 31 October 1874, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

[Pkess Telegraph Agency.] Auckland, Friday. Dyer was executed at eight o’clock this morning. He made the following confession to Bishop Cowie an hour before he was executed :—“ On the 9th July, when excited by drink, but not in a state of intoxication, but of exasperation by statements made by Eliza Battersea, he poured kerosene oil over her with the intention of frightening her into the confession of certain matters. He had no thought of causing her death. That ho set fire to Eliza Battersea’s hah- supposing he could put it out again before serious harm was done, and that to screen him the woman did say before her death that she had accidentally upset the kerosene feeder upon her clothes.” John Kennesley (or Kemsley), and Charles Woodward were charged at the Police Court to-day with maliciously setting lire to certain buildings in Wakefield street. The case was adjourned till Friday next. The Court consented to accept bail, the defendants themselves in £SOO each, and two sureties in £3OO each. Intelligence has been received here confirming the news via Sydney, of the total destruction of the cutter Lapwing and the massacre of her crew at Santa Cruz, and the attack by the natives on H.M. schooner Sandfly. It is added that the natives sustained great loss through their attack on the Sandfly. Dunedin, Friday. Papapa is being backed heavily for the Melbourne Cup. A bush fire at Blueskin has destroyed stacked firewood to the value of £IOOO, Martin and Co. losing £SOO worth. They were insured in the South British office for £165. In banco, His Honor Judge Chapman has given an important decision in re G. M. Bell and Wentworth, who in Juno lodged applicacations with the Southland Land Board for laud at 20s. per acre, the day before the proclamation increasing the price of land to £3 per acre was gazetted. The Judge holds that they

are entitled to the land, but leave to appeal against the judgment has been granted. If the decision is upheld it means a loss of £20,000 to the province. Trash butter (best quality) is quoted at Is. 6d. to Is. Bd. ; second quality, Is. 6d. ; fresh butter in lumps, Is. Id. to Is. Gd. ; prime salt (new season), in kegs, Is. sd. ; cheese, of best quality, scarce at lOd. to Is. ; side,and rolled bacon, also scarce, at'ls. ; colonial ham, Is. 2d. to Is. 3d.; English, Is. sd. to Is. Gd,; beef hams, 9d.; eggs, Is. Gd. per dozen. In the test case brought against B. B. Martin, by one of those who came from Christchurch to proceed to the Palmer diggings, His Worship held that the defendant was not liable. Admitting the hardship to the men, he nonsuited the plaintiff, who asked for a warrant to arrest Maclntyre [Macilroy ?] for obtaining money by false pretences. That person had intended to send a vessel with passengers direct from Lyttelton to the nearest port for the Palmer goldfields, but the vessel being condemned, he received the passagemoney from the men, promising that they should be forwarded from this port, he having made arrangements to that effect. The agents of the Comet denied that there had been any communication with them on the subject. Mr. Bathgate said he could not interfere. Poet Chalmers, Friday. The U.S.A.S. Swatara arrived here from the Chatham Islands last night, having located the party for observation there. She reports the received longitude of the islands as very correct. The trip back occupied sixty hours. She reports that the Magellan Cloud left Waitangi for Auckland on the 21th September.