Accidents and Offences.

Otago Witness, Issue 1506, 25 September 1880, Page 22

Accidents and Offences.

Henry J. Guildford, late clerk of the Portobello Road Board, was brought before Mr Watt, E.M., at the Police Oourt on the 16th, on two remanded charges of embezzling the Bums of L 3 8s 9d and 10s 6d respectively, the property; of the Boad Board. The prisoner pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to six calendar months' imprisonment, with hard labour. We are informed (says the Mount Ida Chronicle) that Mr Grayson, of Mount Sol?.^*'S 01 ?.^*' h S? a TOT narrow escape from losing, his life on Friday, 10th inst. It seems that Mr Grayson, with a wage smau, wa« engaged laying pipes in a tunnel, which it in rather aoft ground, and which is part of bis head-race. Mr Grayson was the farthest in the tunnel, and suddenly, while working, ha felt the sides and roof pressing upon him. The ground was of a gravelly nature. He endeavoured to resist the pressure, but he was unable to do so, and was thrown down and completely . buried. About three feet of the surface was held together by grass and roots, and being frozen hard did not fall, though it was very shaky. The wagesman noticed the accident, and immediately hastened to Mr Grayson'a assistance. He scraped the gravel off Mr Grayson's head;so as to allow him to breathe, and then ran for help. A number of miners quickly congregated, and' while some held ud the frozen surface with their shovels,- others ' dug^ Mr Grayson out, not, however, without considerable risk to themselves. Fortunately, he was none the worse for his temporary incarceration. He had not been many minutes liberated when the frozen portion mentioned fell in. Had this occurred while he was in the tunnel he would have been killed to a certainty, or had there not been someone at hand to scrape away the gravel from his face, he would have been smothered before he was found. We have heard of many instances of miraculous escapes of miners, but this is one of the most marvellous in our remembrance. Another addition to the long list of accidents which have happened at Bound Hill took place on Wednesday morning (says the Western Star). The victim on this occasion was a Chinaman named Ho Ling King. Whilst working in his claim, which has a deep face, he was caught by a fall of earth. It was not at first thought that he had sustained fatal injuries, but he died in the Hospital (whither he had been carried by his mates) the following evening from rupture of the bowels. A fire occurred in the North-East Valley at about 430 o'clock on .Saturday morning, by which portion of- Messrs Xuhtze and Woofcton's brewery was destroyed. The brewery was in two separate portions— one containing the plant &c, the other being the cellar and bottling-house. The fire was confined to the latter, in which was stored a quantity of beer in bulk and somewhere about 150 dozen of bottled beer. The building and contents were totally destroyed. The insurances were in the Northern office— the building for L2OO, and the stock for L 350. The loss in stock is estimated by the proprietors at Ll5O over the amount insured. The origin of the fire is a mystery. Mr Wootton was unable to attend to business through illness. Mr Kuhtze was ! alone about the premises up till 11 ' o'clock on Friday night, when he went round with a candle, seeing that all was safe and locking the doors. He lives about 500 yards away. The flames were first observed by a couple of woolsortere, who live two or three chains distant. They went and roused Mr Kuhtze from his bed. The flames, however, had obtained a good hold and could not be stayed. It was apparent that they had originated amongst a lot of straw kept in the bottlinghouse for packing purposes. A peculiar accident befel a woman named Helen Malcolmson, residing near Canongate on Monday. She was engaged hanging up clothes to dry at the edge of an embankment, when the clothes-line unexpectedly broke, and she was Drecipitated down the incline. Amone other injuries, she sustained a fracture of the leg. On the limb being act, ahe was sent to the Hospital. A ruffian named John Sullivan was brought n ?*£ n A ch £ S i? °* bemg drunk and disorderly atthe City PohceC jurton Monday. He pleaded guilty, but Inspector Mallard asked to be allowed to call evidence. It appeared that early on Sunday morning a re6ident of Rattray Btre^t— William C. Kerr— was disturbed by the prisoner making a noise at his front door On his going out Sullivan demanded admittance, saying if it was not granted to him he would break all the windows of the house. He then used sbsceuo language, and wanted to fi*ht Mr I Kerr. Fortunately a constable happened to pass a short time afterwards and took him in

charge. On his way to the watchhouse he was very violent, and the 'policeman had a great deal of trouble with him. In inflicting a-' fine of 20 j, with an alternative of three days' imprisonment, the Bench remarked that the defendant should be thankful "that a more serious charge had not been preferred against him. Sullivan has just finished six years' in; carceration for garotting, and had evidently got drunk with the money given to him on his departure from the Gaol. "*

Yesterday morning (says the Southland Timea), about half-past 9 o'clock, the nice cottage villa built by and so long occupied by tne late Mr James M'piurewas destroyed by tre, nothbg being left standing except the brick chimneys. So far, the origin of the fire isa complete mystery. The house had been unoccupied for some time. In preparation for a, tenant, however, it had been undergoing, a cleamng-out at the hands of Mrs Stevenson, a neighbouring bush settler, andfon Friday.Thl f^ 6 ha^ heen Ut m ono o£ the wo"".«™fn?f "^'.T 8 are Moimka, had been ' , ?f«™ 7 Dlgh > ab(mt 9 °' clocfc . Mr and Mrs I hoped the present owner, Dr<M'olure, £-.£- villa .wiU [be 1 much missed as a pleasant feature' m the landscape when pass&gSogffi line ofjraUway. In connection .with thil fire may be stated (writes a correspondent) that - information reached town about a fortnight ago of a mysterious shooting affair in an outhouse ' on the same farm but of so vague a character " that it waa not placed before the public. A man named; Whelan, who was clearing bush in the vicinity, had taken possession of a small cowshed there, using it for sleeping purpose? Having no fireplace, he got his cooking done at Stevenson's place, and generally sat by their fire in the evenings. •< One night'he left them to go to his own hut to sleep, and as he opened the doer to enter he asserted a shot was, fired from a small firearm through a crevice in the opposite, wall. He returned to Stevenson's house, and he accompanied him with bis does to the hut They searched the bush round the hut without meeting With anyone. Whelan, who persisted in his statement that the shot was fired, left the locality about lo days ago. Althongh. it seema ludiorous.to ; menfaon such a thing,' there are not'wantin* : Jithe locality those who think the place wal r».? lted : P «>» the ghost would be effectually laid yesterday morning. -_ At .the City Police Oourt on Tuesday: a' ooMge;: of. ,vajgrancy was heard <t against ' P«>f7 . ftfAUri, whom J Mr t Dennis. . - , ■ ton defended. The three detectives gave cvi. dence. m suppoft of the charge, to rebut which , one Robert Mahon (a redden* of thai Half- ' stated that the- accused- was also a shearer, .and ; was r willing, . to - : work .whan" he^cbuld get it. It feansrfredV ho%w«.i«»t Mahoni had, hunself^Skeri to' :r J Detective Henderson' about the aecusedptoaa wasjepneerned with. witness^in f>* Quarrel ovS ca « te V Al ter a hearing of about three! quarters of an hour s duration (Mr Dennfifou defending . the. accused with much warmth), the Bench (Messrs Logan and Fish) announced that they had decided to adjourn the case forfa week, to give the defendant an -opportunity,of- leaving the town. Upon this Mr Denniston said. "U he takes my advice, he'll do j nothing,-©! the . "°*t jJ and accused .added, "And X "Won't:" : The pßench took no notice- of .} the 1 defiant attitude thus assumed by accused and his counsel. ' ' ' • . :: -■ f f