LAKE COUNTY. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Otago Witness, Volume 26, Issue 1705, 26 July 1884, Page 12

LAKE COUNTY. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

JulyW. Incbxdurt Fire.— A man who gave ills name 19 John Henry Clifford, alia* Christy, and agalnßt whom there is a long string of conviction!, was committed in trial at the next sitting of the Supremo Court, Invcrcargill, for wilfully setting fire to an unoacupied dwollicg house at the junction of Soho Creek v itb the Arrow Kiver. Althotlyh the evidence against the ac.cuFed was only circumstantial, it was so strong that 16 does nod leave a doubt of the prisoner's guilt. About 14 witnesses were examined, and the ease against the' accused was got up with great care,* and conducted with perspicuity by Sergeant prown, who prosecuted for Jthe Crown. '■ ' Another Fire by, which a large quantity, of 8»e. wo r .d, props, .and rails were destroyed, took place Wt the head of Lake Wakatinu. 'Mr Peter MKipnon, an old bushmau in that locality, had staked ready for transport a large quantity m>t timber, of tt<*. »bovo description, which, aurcjr his absence last week, waj discovered to be on fire. Willing hands at once. pat to work to makoa break in the long pijto, and tb'ereby prevented a I'obs of property wbjich would rcp'r£ient| large aqjLOunfin jjaoney value/ As it-is/ l£r BrKJnn'op

BU3tains a loss of upwards of £30, and Messrs Roberts6n and 00. a somewhai less amount. The.-o can be no doubt but that the fl.-e was caused by an incendiao', »nd it is to be hoped that it may be shed h >mo to him. With men capable of such acts a* the above in thli district, a feeling of insecurity steal j over every one* Bhqot Accident. — Tho Rev. Father O'Neil, of Queenntown, had a most miraculous escape from an acaident which might easily have proved v^ry serious, U not faUl.' While coming down what is ltuo>vn as the Shotover Hll a sidling nearly half a mile iong, arfd at the highest point about 200 ft high,— his horse bolted, and, meeting Borne horsemen, ran over the bank, which dips at a much greiter nn^le than 4S degrees, at a point moro thau 60ft above the level ground below. In spite of this descent, the buggy aid not cap^ue until near the bottom, tho occupant es«aping with a fsw trifl Dff s^ratchei and a shaking, and 90 great injury being done to the horse or the conveyance. Death.— Mr John Martin, a resident for many years at Macatown, died list week Irom a genoial brackingup of tho >ystom, the deceased being 70 years of age. Mr, Martin resided with his son at Macetown, and leaves a »ife and fcwwn-up tamlly. The remains woro interred at the Arrow ieme;ery on Tuesday last, and were followed to the grave by a goodly numbe. of his friend*. Rev. D. O. Hampton, Episcopalian minister, read the burial service in a very impressive manner.