AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 2256, 29 April 1869, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

A very sudden death occurred on th» night of the Mth April, at half-past nine, int a chemist's shop in Bmrke street, Melbourne. A paiuter named Matthews, who had lived in Russell street, went into tho ahop of Me Martin, chemist, and remarking that ho had "eaten somo botfstaak, which he thought had not agreed with him." said ho would «ife down there for a moment. Scarcely had ha taken a Boat on a chair than ho died. Th<j man was about 50 years of ago.—Ago. On the 11th instant, a 'Mo/, nuagtt wait found in now ground in German Gully, Dunnolly, Victoria.

Tho Privy Council have upheld the decision of tho Supremo Court Judged in the case of I/C'wifl v, M "Mullen (msjH-ctor o£ tha Union Bank). It will bo remembered that this Into Mr i/owis lodged with tho bunk LlO 000 worth of Government debentures, whi h wore abstracted by ouo of tho banic odicialu. Mr Lewiu brought an aotiou to recover tho amount from the bank, but tha Supreme Court held that the bank was not rcflponaible, and tho Privy Council have apparently taken the snmo view.- ArgUß. A very singular death occurred at Sandhurst on the 14th inst., causing a great Eenaation. On Monday evening Mr Torenca. O'Brien, of tho Hibernia Hotel, Goldenuqiiaro, was in Sandhurst, in company with his tion-in-law, Mr Michael Meagher. Jn tha early part of tho evening Mr O'Brien had attended a meeting of the O'Lnu&hliu Committee. Between twelve and one o'clock in the morning ho went out of town with Mr Meaghcr. When they got as far as Eadio and M'lntyre'H corner, Mr O'Brien told Mr Meagherto go back to .Sandhurst, as he was quite able to go homo to Golden -square alone, Mr Meagber left, and watched his father-in-law as he proceeded up High Btreot until ha turned tho corner. Nothing moro was seoa of the deceased until he wan found in the. morning, dead, in » pnrtially fillcd-up excavation at the intersection of High street an A .Shamrock Htrect. Thin hole was unprotected. The deceased')* face waa buried in the sludgu and water, and bin foot were on tho bank. The body was removed to tho Hibornia Hotel, and an inquest held. The jury returned a verdict to the effect that tho deceased was accidentally drowned; and added the following rider: —" We are unanimously of opinion, that the Sandhurst Borough CounciL are highly censurable for allowing such a dangoroua excavation to remain unprotected on a public road."—Argua. An enqniry waa begun on the 14th instant before the Marine Board into tho circuinnUncos connected with the death of the lain Mr Lawflon, a saloon passenger by the Great Britain, who throw himself overboard on th« 3rd inut. Seven or eight witnesses wore examined, including tin third officer, wha denied that he over directed a boat to be lowered. There waa considerable conflict of evidence as to tho action of the deceased afterho was in the water, some affirming that ha attempted to swim or float on his back, and others that he lay as if paralysed, -with him hands convulsively twitching on his breast The third officer said that had ho been in command of tho ship lie would not, under tho circumstances, have lowered a boat; bate if the man overboard had kept himself afloat any length of time he would have done so. Tho enquiry was to bo resumed, next morn-. ing.—Argus.