SOCIAL AND DOMESTIC,

Otago Daily Times, Issue 216, 18 August 1862, Page 5

SOCIAL AND DOMESTIC,

In spito of a degree of depression consequent upon t.ie dullness of the gold fields, and the flatness of trade, .Dunedin has continued to make rapid progress during the past month. -NoW ouiWings continue to spring up in every direction .sweets are opend out whera.no streets were beiore, old shops and stores are renovated or rebuilt and on all sides are evidences of that kind of activity winch can only exist under the stimulus ot hope and confidence. It is agreeable too to observe that as street after street gets paved and finished, the town begins to lose the contracted appearance that formerly distinguished it, and looks not only cleaner and handsomer, but positively larger. The streets in many parts still remain in a sad state of mud, but tho laying of asphalte or stone footpaths has greatly diminished the inconvenience. Perhaps the most noticeable item of progress has been the completion of the electric telegraph from Port Chalmers to Dunedin and the transmission of the first message whi-h took place on Saturday, August 16th. Liie improvement of Dunedin is HMv to be materially promoted by the operation of the Dunedin Improvement Ordinance, a now ordinance which has come into torcc within the last few days—by which the powers of the Town Board to deal with the subjects of water supply, sewerage, and other matters of importance to the city are hr-elv increase;!. ■■■.** J

Socially also a continuous improvement haa been noticeable. There have been more indications ot public spirit. For example it seems now almost certain that a good Fire Brigade will be formed ; the Separation agitation lias been mare generally taken up ; and in other ways a disposition has bjen shown to unite for public objects. We may instance also as an encouraging sympt.mi the establishment of -another Masonic l^dge (;it I ore Chalmers), and the erection by the Odd lellowsofa very handsome hall. It is understood that it is in contemplation to built a Masonic Hall. The Benevolent Asylum is not yet commenced, the committee not having vet obtained a suitable site. Apropos of the' Benevolent Asylum, we should mention that the Garrick Club are to give another performance in aid of the funds of the Institution, on Friday next. Another charitable movement has been th endeavor to raise subscriptions for the Lancashire Relief Fund, and the Hughes Fund. The amount collected has hitherto been small. A benefit for the Lancashire Kelief Fund was giv.-n the other night at the Theatre Royal, but die amount realized to the fund has not yet transpired.

. The even tenor of life in Otago has been considerably disturbed during the past month by a series of events of singular and absorbing interest. Shocking murders, fire, fatal accidents, sudden deaths, have divided the interest in the public mind, with elections, theatres, horse races, billiard matches, and other matters, about which the public mind is wont to excite itself.

In accordance with our usual plan, »v will briefly notice the more important of these events in the order of their occurrence.

On the the 22nd of July, we were enabled to publish particulars of the inquest held on the remains of the unfortunate man, Andrew Wilson, who it will be remembered was missing for some time, not without a suspicion that he had been murdered. The body was found in the Molyneux river, at a spot very near to the hut of "the man Fratson, who was in custody on suspicion, and close to it was found an axe, which Fratsou had borrowed of a neighbor, but never returned. There were aiso found two razors and two long sticks, by means of which,.'apparent,!'/, the body had been carried to the river Hide. The face was beaten to a pulp, and the head cut in several places with some sharp instrument. On the axe were traces of blood and hair. A verdict of wilful murder was returned against Fratson who now stands committed to tnke his trial.

On the following day we had to report a very melancholy case of death from and exjwsure, of a young man named Kerly, very respectably connected in England and in Victoria. Fie died at Tuapeka, where he had been unfortunate in digging.

The Princess Theatre- was on the 22nd, closed for a time to allow of the completion of the alterations and decorations. On the previous night, Mr. Tom Fawcett, the lessee, was publicly presented with an illuminated testimonial and a purse of sovereigns. The work of alteration was rapidly pushed forward, and on the 11th August the house was re-opened. In the interval, the whole had been thoroughly remodelled, and had been niade to assume the style and appearance of a really good theatre. The house is lumdsbme and commodious, and the management seem determined to make the performance worthy of the new house. They have secured the services of Mr. Charles Young, who has at once been installed as a prime favorite. Other additions to the company are shortly expected, among them Miss Joey Gougenhehn.

The Theatre Royal has been, since its opening, filler] every night with .delighted audiences. A succession of attractions has been presented, and the management have p.id the public the .compliment of supposing th.it they would appreciate, and indeed, prefer pieces of standard excellence to the more flimsy class of dramatic pieces with which the colonial stage is apt to be deluged. Stiakspeare's tragedies and other first-clas3 plays, and others, have been produced, and always- with success. It must be highly gratifying to the management to find their ■ efforts so well appreciated. On the 24th July was published a very interesting report of a reconnaissance survey of the country about the Wanaka and Hawea Lakea in the extreme north of the Province by Mr. M'Kerrow, a Government Surveyor, who had been employed for the purpose of examining the country. The Survey extended over a large area of country, which in the report is divided as follows : Pasturage, %0 square miles ; forest, 40; lake, 1*20; barren, 320; the pasturage ranging from good to interior. The only outlet for. traffic at present is by <ho Lindis puss, but the lakes form a system which is drained by the Clutha River. -The highest mountain surveyed was 9949 feet, and a number af other peaks are mentioned, ranging "downwards to 1500 feet. The elevation of the Hawea IW;e is 1089 feet.

A sud accident occurred at Port Chalmers on the 23rd, a man named M'ilburn, an engineer belonging to the Omeo, being drowned in the harbor. On the following day occurred a serious accident by blasting, a man cm ployed at the Saddle Hill Quarry, narrowly escaping being blinded for life. In our issue of the sth of July, appeared a letter from Dr. Lang, the veteran 'champion of the separation "of "Victoria and-New South Wales, sympathising with the exertions of the Separation League in the Middle Island of New Zealand. The separation agitation, it may be mentioned, has now extended considerably, it has. been enthusiastically taken up on the gold-fields, and has forced itself on the attention of the people of every Province in the. Colony. A monster meeting on the Separation question was held at Wetherstone's on the 26th, and a series of resolutions were adopted, expressing the sympathy ot the miners and ther goldfields residents with the movement

On the 24th July, we published a return showing the quantity of laud applied for from' 17th to 30th June, by which it appeared that applications were ma Je in the course of a fortuighWor about ll,o9o,acres •

On the 24th, the building known as the Ota^o Club, was with the land on which it stood, sold by auction, for £3050. It is situate in Maela<»ganstreet.Thmedin, and the building itself is asomewnat dilapidated wooden structure of no great size and with no pretentious to architectural beauty.

On the 25th, the opening of a new Cafe in the building of the Theatre Royal was celebrated witn a champagne supper. It is yery nicely arranged and is a decided accession to the attractions of the theatre. The harbor of Dunedin is about to be improved by the placing of additional beacons and dolphins and oy the erection of a slip at Carey's Bay Ihe work of clearing the entrance channel, which has lately been fonnd to "be obstructed by a sandbank, has been commenced, but temporarily abandoned for the purpose of obtainim- harrows ot a peculiar make, which are required for ;S tllc.f; t With these it is believed there wil be no difficulty in clearing away the bank, On the 27th a seaman belonging to the Lord Worsley, was brought to Dunedin, and taken to tiie Hospital, suffering from serious injuries caused by the snapping of a rope, when the Lord Worslcv was endeavouri,g to tow oft'the Shawmut, a ship yingstranded at the Bluff Harbor. The "man lias since died.

A warrant was issued on the 27th, for the apprenension ot one Henry Combe, the person bouth Wales, to the extent of £200. llienominata for the election of one member of the House ot Representatives, for the county on tho ''>«r ' ? 'I™ atr?, le Co««Iou8e f Danedin, ?Wn p A y' i ,i heiU were Captain Ba dvv.n and Mr. E. B. Cargill, the latter of whom had the show of hands? Captain Baldwin demanded a poll, which took place on the joth, resulting m the election of Mr Car-ill SnUsa n, fer;"» -*- gone ashore at Oamaro, but that it was expected she would be got off without serious damage A frightful accident occurred at Saddle "ilill" about niuo miles from Duuedin, on the Ist of August. A [.assenser wug S on, known as Hardy's Express was precipitated over'the edge of a roul cut in tlie steep hill side, and the wa«r,r On am horses went rolling <lown the bank. Two*woin*n who were passengers by the conveyance,' were killed almost instantaneously, but the <..river and a child escaped unhurt. It was stated that the driver was intoxicated at the time and he was taken into custody on the charge of manslaughter, but remanded until after the inquest. The inquest occupied three days, and resulted in a verdict of accidental death, thus frccinthe driver. The evidence was rather eouHietiu" an to whether the driver was drunk or not. ° On the 4th instant an account reached town of the perpetration of a ■ dreadful 'murder in the Mataiira district, and of the subsequent death of the murderer at the hand of his own brother A Captain Tibbms, a'scttler m that district, had sold a .station to Mr. Switzer, ami taken .away some horses which subsequently strayed back to their old pasture, lie went to "fetch them away and finding one injured accused Switzer's people of ill-treating it. lie tlu-u returned to his own place and having shot the injured horse, expressed his determination to go the next day, and shoot every one at Swilzer.s' except a woman and child. His brother sent to warn tliem. and himself went for police assistance. Meanwhile Captain Tibbets went to the station, but everyone kept out of his way, and stayed out in the bush. ' In the morning, having found nobody, he was returnin" home, and had got some distance from the house when the dog barked at the cook, who seeing the coast clear, was about to enter. Captain Tibbetts turned, saw him, went after him and killed him with two revolver balls. Captain Tibbetts' brother—Mr. Charles Tibbetts, having obtained a warrant and the assistance of Sergeant Morton, tf the Southland police, returned to the station, and arriving at the hut before the murderer, barricaded the door and bored holes). Captain Tibbetts approached, and was called upon to lav down his arms, but instead of doing this, he fired into the. hut with the pistol. When he was in tlu: act of taking his gun oft' his shoulder Mr. Charles Tibbetts tired, and h.; fell dead. The brother then, shocked at what he had doae attempted to shoot himself, but was prevented by Sergeant Morton and was taken into custody. Inquests have since been held upon the two bodies', the result of which has been in the case of I'eter Green, the cook, a verdict of wilful murder against Captain Tibbetts ; and in the case ot Captain Tibbetts a verdict that he was shot by ins brother in self-defence. It is only right t<» mention that thu deceased. Captain Tibbetts, lias long been notorious for eccentricity, and has frequently before threatened to .shoot people who he fancied had injured him.

The great Billiard Match, for LSOO a side, took place at the Primx-ss Theatre, on the evening of the 4th instant, between Mr. Townsend a Dunedin amateur, and Mr. Lamb of Victorian celebrity. Great interest was taken in the match and a large number of spectators assembled in the theatre to witness it, notwithstanding the high prices.of admission, two guineas for the best places. The game lasted from half past S o'clock in the evening .until 5 o'clock next morning, and resulted in the victory of Mr. Lamb, who scored 1000 to Mr. Townsend's 915. On the Bth a match was run between Mr. Townsend's horse Falcon and Mr. .luliu.s' Knari Gum, for £<W0 a side. The distance was three miles. After an exciting race the match was won by Kauri Gtun. A (ire broke out in George-street, Dunedin, about midnight of August 8. Three houses were totally destroyed, but, by great exertions, the flames were prevented from spreading to other (buildings. An inn nest was held on'the "fire by the Coroner, but an open verdict was returned by thejmy. The Tokomau-iro ploughing match took place' on the Gth. There was a good attendance, and the ploughing was creditable. The proceedings were wound up by a dinner, at which eightyeight persons sat down. The ship Nelson, from Greenock, arrived on the 1 lth, with 22ii statute adult immigrants. Some anxiety is felt about the steamer Comet,, long over-due from Melbourne, and a proposal has been made to send in .search of her, under the • supposition that she may have been driven ashore ! on the West Coast. The steamship Victory still | keeps her position on the beach of Wickliffc Bay ; but the preparations for getting her off nr« every week more forward. The usual unninl soiree was held in the Knox Church, on the evening of the 12th. The large building was crowded; and the proceedings- were protracted until about 11 o'clock at night. A movement is on loot for getting up a, bazaar in aid of the building funds of the m-.w Church of England, a haudsome stone structure which is gradually rising in .Moray Place. The Koman Catholic body have lately opened a handsome brick chapel. Efforts have been lately made to provide' for the support of a Church of England clergyman at Tokomairiro, and the first instalment towards the passage money is to be paid at once..

An important movement was initiated on the 14th, when a public meeting was held for the purpose of organizing a Fire Brigade. Fortynine volunteers put down'their names.* Information was received on the 16th, of the death by drowning of a man named William Will, at at the Waipori, by falling overboard at night from a large boat laden with straw, which he was navigating with another man.