AUSTRALIAN NEWS SUMMARY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10561, 7 January 1896, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN NEWS SUMMARY.

Special—By Telegraph—Copyright. THE NEW YEAR HOLIDAYS. Sydney, January <r. The new year came in with all the hideous noises that the juvenile poetkm of the com* munity could devise, and the streets became* perfect pandemoniam. Owing to the terrific crash the arcades were closed to prevent danger from the exubsrant protnenaders. New Year's Day was beautifully fine. The chief attraction in the city was the' Highland Society's gather* ing. For daya previously the press were careful to emphasise that the Governor would be present. This may seem insignificant, bat the fate of Dations sometimes hangs on less. Lord Hampdeu's ancestor hae-tened a civil war, and risked his head over a matter of 20a. No doubt his descendant, taking this fact into consideration in conjunction with the faot iof Sir Robert Duff's handling by the irate j Highlanders with threats of a petition for his recall far neglecting his duty by not attending a •- previous gathering, was impelled to attendance. Speaking at the buiqaat, he said he regretted that he was not a Scotchman, though he had a high .opinion of their lavourite beverage. The braw tScotch who went on the warpaAh after ■Sir R. Dull' sought tv make Lord Hampden Scotch by seeing a counection with Sir Walter Scott's story of Alice Brand and the Governor's family. , : ' THE WEEK'S DEATH ROLL. The holiday rejoicings nave the accompany" ing inevitable sad vote. The death roll for the week has besn Jarga. No less than four persons died of starvation iv various parts of Australia, and one from thirst. These lamentable occurrences, with the exception of the victim from thirst, happened in outlying districts, hut close to tee large centres of population. AH the victims were men. The fatality list is also a lengthy one. Oue man was decapitated by a traia ; a woman and a lad met their deaths by burning ; and a farm hand lflßt his lite by being dragged into a threshing machine. The suicide iist was augmented by seveD, one being a buy of 18. Tfto peculiar deaths occurred in Victoria and Western Australia. An old:lady wis phot dead by a gaest who was spending tuo holiday with.her. He saw what he look to be a bird moving in the bush, but was horrified to find that he had shot the woman. An t-xictly pimilar accident happened at Perth, where n boy who was sleeping under a bush made n movement which a lean took to be that of a soakc, and shot him dead. GRUESOME STATISTICS. The first week of the new year brings in its train a wonderful assortment of statistics on every conceivable subject. One of the most gruesome of those presented is the eoronor'o annual return. This functionary had 541 deaths brought under bis notice, only half of which necessitated inquiry. The most striking fact was the great increase of suioidsl tendencies, to the number of 43 in tho rnebropolis. A wide range of tastu was displayed in shuffling ofl this mortal coil. The greatest number took tie ." happy despatch " with the aid of a revolver, next iv favour being drowning. In the poisoning cases arrenic was the favourite ingredient; lastly come the razor and ropo. THB COAL TRADE. Althongh difficulties in the coal trade have been simmering for a long time in tbe Newcastle district, it is gratifying to learn that the new year opened free of trouble or with prospects of it. The difficulty with ths Lsmbton miners hiss been amicably arranged. Some poverty exists, but the txudus to the West Australian goldfields has minimised destitution; iv fact, so many men have left the district that, were a strike to arise, it would be difficult to-, fill their pieces. It is conceded that tbe state of tho foreign ronrkeis will nofc p«rmit of raising ttie price of coal, but it is also generally admitted that at 7« Gtl soms trade is done. Coal is, however, telling at 7s and oven 6a. That; causes the harm. MR CRICK ON THE WARPATH. Mr B Barton, Q.C., having denied his part of the Heydon-Itofe-B icfcbouse incident, cr of having auy recollectioo of a converEation with ' Mr Crick, the latter, through the medium of the presn, veiniuds biro that he (Crick) asked him to submit to the judge that & fine of £500 or £1000 would meet ihe csse; the amount of the fine to be handed to Mrs Butler; JUSTICE V.'INDEYBR. * Tho ltcal papers eulogife Sir Willism WmdVyer. Tie Teltfmiph says that he did his duty vrith emphnsis which sometimes was laietr.ken for auimus stud stirred up the community to resenimi'nf. Never, however, did bi'i character show to better advantage thau with the dignified impassivaoess with which he sustained the gusts of popular feeling excited, as he ltnsw, by imperfect knowledge of the I'.-.ctif. While maintaining that Judge Windeyer did the right tbing in the wrong way in tha Dean caw, the Telegraph says that he bore the brunt of the ssverest criticism ever levelled against a colonial judge without a word, and trusted to events to vindicate his action. If they did not quite justify bis action they showed him to be tight., GENERAL ITEMS. The heavy weather along the coast has moderated. A small steamer lost her propeller during the gale and waa piled upon the beach at Woo)goo!o|a. v Tha crew were rescued safely., A prettf spectacle was afforded by the departure of the fleet of warships. The Haorolo'a passengers bad an interesting eight of the vessels at sea, 20 miles c.B the coast. The manoeuvres will include a naval engagement, fpnr ships a-side. •. Eight team conductors hs.vo been dismissed from tha service for negjecfe of the regulations iv re<pec6 to the destruction of tickets, which it wes alleged might lead to fraud. Sore feeling prevails at the tnronury nature of this ecsEon.

The Australian pabUo will soon have an opportunity of seeing a dramatised version of "Trilby," Messrs Williamson and Musgrovo having purchased the Australian rights of that work.' ■ The Seunen'i Union hold their aonaal intercolonial congress here this month. The local executive have received reports of n satisfactory nature from the various centres, showiDg that trade is improving. A MYSTERY CLEARED UP. -1' ' ' Melhourne, January 5. A mystery, of the sea bas been oleared np by (ho finding of a bottle containing a. lank message from the crew of the cuttar Spray, which was missing after the eevero gales in July ln«t. She w»e mannrd by tiro men named Lewis and M'Gee. The mftss»ge says th»t the cuttar foundered off FHndors Island. A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE. The arrest of an old man named Kerwin at Bairnsdale, for ronlioiovisly shooting a neightour, recalls the mysterious dioftppoarance of his brother John 10 years ago. Toe'two men frequently quarrelled, and Michael served a sentenc« for shootiog at his brother. After his rele&se both men worked together at raining. Then John disappeared, and, coriously, the claim, which wan a paying one, w*s shut up and never again worked. The police are now investigating the matter. AN OLD-TIME PRIHA DONNA. '■ News has been received of the death of Madame Lucy Eecotfc at'Patis at the age of 63. To the younger generation her death conveys nothing, but playgoerß of the early sixties will remember her as the prirsa donna of the firat Lyster Opera Company. Her most memorable triumph was Azucena in " H Trovatore." MISCELLANEOUS. Though St. Patrick's Cathedral will not be ready for opening till November next, arrangements are already being made for an imposing ceremonial. All the prelates of tbe various colonies »re to be invited. A Coburg fish hawker disputed with his wife as to how the Christmas goose should be plucked. The row ended in the man drawing a knife across the woman's throat, without serious injury, A lenient magistrata fined him £3. New Year's Eve passed off more quietly than Usual, but the holidays showed no falling ofi in the numbers of holiday makers. The Governor and suits have gone to Tasmania in the yacht Sunbeam. They disembark at Lauvjoeston and ' cycle across tho island, rejoining their yacht at Eobarb. . : Adelaide, Jancnry 5. THE CANADIAN-ATLANTIC SERVICE. The Register's London, correspondent, commenting on an .interview of the St. James's Budget with Mr Huddart regarding his faßt Canadian-Atlantic service, queries whether it will pay. The general feeling in shipping circles is emphatically that it will not pay. ' ;' Perth, January 5. , A TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE. A terrible experience befell a man who stowed away at Melbourne bj creoping into a steam boiler which was placed at the bottom of a vessel's hold. He took with him three bottles of water and some bread under the assumption that the passage would only last four days. Some 500 tons of cargo were stowed over this boiler. The man npetit 12 days in the diirkness without a knowledge of how time had progressed. His only companions were the rats. When rescued he was only able to gasp for water, but ultimately recovered. * Hobabt, January 5. • TATTERSALL'B SWEEPS. The church people are up in arms against the establishment of Tuttersali's consultations hers, and urge the Government to legislate for their extinction.