WANGANUI.

Otago Witness, Issue 664, 20 August 1864, Page 18

WANGANUI.

Melancholy Evbst. -- The Wanganui Chronicle of the 23rd inst., say9:— "Quite a gloom hsß been cast over our town this morning by the melancholy death of Mr ThoraaOTyrrell Garner. The deceased, who was a remarkably fine young man and a serjeant in the Victoria Company of fiifle Volunteers, competed for the General Government prizes on the 14th ult., and when ramming down the bullet at one of the last rounds, punctured the palm of his hand with the end of the ramrod. The injury appeared so trivial that some of his friends regarded the fomentations and poultices applied as quite unnecessary ; but the inflammation speedily became so great as to confine him to the house for some days. During the early part of last week, however, be appeared far better and was walking about the town with hia arm in a sling. On returning from a friend's funeral on Wednesday, he complained of increased pain in the hand, shivenngs, and convu'sive twitchings in the neck. These symptoms lasted till Friday, when signs of lockjaw appeared and increased during the next two days. Everything that the combined medical skill of the place could suggest to cure and alleviate the disease were tried in vain, and after lingering in dreadful agony till late last evening, he expired. The deceased was the eldest son of one of the earliest settlers in this Province, and as his business brought him in contact with nearly every one in this and the neighbouring districts, and he was most deservedly respected by all who knew him, his untimely end will be widely and deeply feJt. He leave 3 a widow and four young children to mourn his loss.

A Trio op Ruffians.— The Wanganui Chronicle of the 80th ult. says : — On Monday evening, about nine o'clock, three soldiers, half drunk, went into a house in "Victoria Avenue, situate in the Industrial School ground, and occupied by a widow and her young family, and endeavored to outrage a girl of thirteen years of age, the eldest of the children in the house. The mother was lying ill and helpless on a bed in the room in which this atrocious attempt took place ; but her screams and thoso of the girl were so loud and incessant as to attract the attention of some of the neighbors, who hastened to the douse and found that the scoundrels, afraid that the noise would bring as istance, had made off. They ate not known to the inmates of the house, but it is to be hoped that they will be discovered and punished. The fact of their coming late into the barracks in a half intoxicated state should lead to their identification. Besides, men of this character are so rare in the 57th that they must be known to thfir comrades.

A Narkow EsoiPE.— The other day a little boy, two years of age, belonging to a family up the river where a detachment of the 57th is at present placed, took a bottle of strychnine down from nn unlocked recess, in which it usually lay, strewed some of it on the floor and swallowed a portion of it. He was almost immediately obEtrved, and a messenger despatched for a doctor. An emetic was also made ready, but betore it could be administered the stomach rejected the strychnine, and the boy's life was saved. We are told that had the boy swallowed less he would most like'y have died, but that when a large dose of strychnine is taken it acts a? an emetic. There must have been great thoughtlessness in laying this virulent poison where it could be reached by any one not acquainted with its dangerous properties.

A Rowland and an Oliver. — Neatest Thing Out. —Should Rowland Hill have a Statue 1 Certainly, if Oliver Cromwell should. For one is celebrated for cutting off the head of a bad King, and the other for sticking on the head of a good Queen.

A Good Reason. — " Wh*t is the Tea3on that men never kiss each other, while the ladies waste a world of kisses on feminine faces 1" said the captain to Gnssie, the other day. Gussie cogitated a minute, and then answered, " Because the men have somethwig better to kiss, and the women haven't." The captain, " saw it" immediately.