TELEGRAPHIC.

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 8471, 21 August 1888, Page 6

TELEGRAPHIC.

(PUB FKE.SS ASSOCIATION.) ISVKRCAKOILL, August 20. la the Supreme Court on Saturday Mr AV, H. Palmer, lately Clerk of the Resident Magistrate’s Court and Licensing Bench at Gore, sought to recover £2OO, damages for libel, from Mr J. G. Fraser, editor of the Southern Standard. The libel consisted in certain comments in connection with a scene in the Gore Courthouse between the Mayor and two other Justices and the statement that a report from the police objecting to the granting of the license was not produced at the proper time. In the first ins'ance the newspaper accused the plaintiff of partisanship, and in the second published an article headed “ Very Suspicions." For defence it was contended that the comments wore fair and honest, and made in the public interest. The jury returned a verdict for the defendant with costa.

The divorce case George Tucker v. Mary Tucker and James Christie (co-respondent) was also heard. This was a petition by the husband for a divorce ou the ground of the wife’s adultery with the co-respondent. The petitioner put in a number of affidavits by way of documentary evidence. The other parties were not represented. G. W. Tucker deposed that ho was married to respondent in 1874, and lived with her up to 1885, when she deserted him. While he was at .Riverton his wife went away with Christie. Ho had them arrested in Wellington on a charge of larceny and brought back. They wore acquitted on the charge of larceny, but the respondent then admitted to witness that she lived with co-respondent. When last he heard of her she was living in Napier with Christie. When she went away she took with her all witness was worth, some £3OO or £4OO. She wrote to witness, and ho simply replied to the effect that he did not want any correspondence with her at a'l. His Honour granted a decree nisi, with costs against the co-respondent, the petitioner abandoning his claim to damages. Thames, August 20, William Davis, a milkman at Mount Pleasant, was murderously assaulted by his wife on Saturday night. It appears that quarrels have been frequent between them for some time past. On Saturday night Davis returned home under the influence of drink, and while undressing he commenced to quarrel with his wife. Subsequently, as she alleges, he took up a large butcher’s knife and threatened to out her throat. At this time Mrs Davis was in bed, and, fearing he would carry out bis threat, she caught up a tomahawk that was on the window sill and struck her husband several times, inflicting no fewer than 17 wounds on his head, j which is terribly mutilated. He now lies!

in the Hospital, and there is little hope of his recovering. Mrs Davis was arrested by the police and brought before the Court today on a charge of attempted murder, but was remanded for eight days, Auckland, August 20.

Captain Wing, late harbourmaster at Onehunga, died yesterday. He came to tne Colony in 1841. . Two married woaien have died auadeniy. Mrs Giles, of Devonport, was lately confined. She waa attended by a neighbour, and had recovered, but on Saturday night ahe auddenly fell down and expired, Mrs Sims, residing at the sugar works, Birkenhead, died suddenly on Sunday morning. She and her husband drank some rum on the previous night, bnt the lat er suffered no bad effects. An inquest is to be held in both cases, Christchurch, August 20.

Yesterday evening the body of a man unknown was found on a part of the hills near the Governor’s Bay-road, Decease 1 was about 35 years of age, sft 9in high, of robust frame, with fair hair and _ beard. Nothing was found on the body to ’deutify it. It was dressed in dark grey tweed, but waa naked from the waist to the knees. From the appearance of the ground, the man had evidently camped under a flaxbush close by. Later.

The body found on the hills has been identified as that of H. Macdonald, who lodged at Bligh’s restaurant, which he left on 26th July. He was considered “ queer ’ while here. The neck appeared to be broken, but there are no other marks of violence.

Dunedin, August 20.

The premises of Mr Drummond, draper, at Greytown South, have been burned down. The insurance is £l5O in the New Zealand office.