PROVINCIAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 1418, 25 January 1879, Page 9

PROVINCIAL.

Invercargill, January 17th. A very sudden death is reported from Oreti. A man named Atkinson, employed on the railway, fell down suddenly as if in a fit. When lifted up, slight signs of life were visible, but he very shortly afterwards expired. ' At the Police Court this morning, William Robertson was committed for trial on two charges oi forgery and uttering^ An inquest was held at Otaiti today on the body ol a man named Hayes, who had been killed by a dray passing over him. A verdict of Accidental Death was returned. Oamaru, January 16th. 'A little child named Bissett died suddenly this morning: It had got up early in the morning and drank hall a bottle of brandy. This was not discovered till too late to apply remedies. ' ■ ' John Johnston, of the Kaitaki Bridge Hotel, wasfined L 5 atthe Magistrate's Courtto-day, for selling liquor in unlicensed premises— namely, a refreshment-room he had erected near the railway station at Kaitaki, and some distance from his hotel. ■ -- ■ At the Resident Magistrate's Court to-day, John Johnston; of Waitaki Bridge Hotel,' was fined L 5 for selling' liquors in an unlicensed house; The facts were these: — Johnston's hotel is some distanoe from the railway Btation, at Waitaki, and as the train only stops a few minutes there,, he had erected a small refreshment room contiguous' to the station, fox the convenience of passengers, and sold liquor there in addition to other refreshments. Oahabu, January 20th. A sad case of drowning, occurred in the Kakanui River, near Teschemaker's, to-day. A young man named O'Connell, in company with three others, was in the act of bathing in a deep pool, when he was suddenly seized* with cramp and -sank; One of his companions made an unsuccessful effort to save him^ and then gave information' to the police. The river was dragged, and the body recovered. Deceased was unmarried,' and has no relatives in the Colony, but had only a short time ago nominated two of his brothers as immigrants. The driver of Messrs' Spence and Bee's baker's cart; and a boy accompanying him,' had a narrow escape to-day. They 'were driving over the railway crossing at the town boundary, when the express train came along, and patch* ing the back portion of the cart smashed 1 it into pieces, and threw the driver and boy heavily to the ground, but fortunately out of reach of the wheels of the engine.