INTERPROVINCIAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 1756, 18 July 1885, Page 14

INTERPROVINCIAL.

Auckland, July 15. - The jury gave a verdict for £800 against the Tramway Company for -the accident by which Mr North lost his foot.

At the civil session of the Supreme Court, Dr Caldwell, of Kawakawa, recovered £50 damages against George Brewer, blacksmith, for slandering his professional ability in the setting of the leg of Brewer's son.

In the case of George Elliott, of Deniliquin, New (SoUth Wales, and Thomas Hancock, brewer, alleged libel published in the " Recolleclections of the life of Thomas Hancock," the judge summed up strongly for the defendant. A verdict of damages of £200 was given. The Rev. F. W. Dunn has decided to resign his charge of the district of Pukekohe at the end of the year, in consequence of the recent action of the Presbytery relative to his lecturing tour in the South.

Napier, Julylij. A most distressing case of death from exposure is reported from Norsewood. A Mrs Jacobfaon, wife of a small settler residing in a lonely cottage, left on Monday morning to got a cow out of the bush. Her husband was absent working on a distant contract, but her three children were left at homo with strict injunctions not to leave the house until she returned. She did not come back that night, and next day, when by chance a visitor to the cottage found the children wild with excitement, search parties were organised and the bush was • scoured, but it was not until this morning that Mrs Jacobson was discovered, about seven chains from her home. She had then been dead some hours.

Wellington, July 15. The 21 sailors who refused to go to Gua,m in the Coptic have instructed Mr Shaw to take proceedings against the master and. owners of the vessel for unlawful, prosecution. i> ' ■> ■

Frederick Stock was arrested this morning on a charge of stealing an overcoat and valuable papers amounting to £700 from a chief named Wieri Turoa at Foxton.

At the inquest on Robert Sellars, who poisoned himself with " rough on rats" yesterday, a verdict was returned that deceased died from that poison administered by himself while suffering from the effects of drink. The jury added a rider to the effect that more stringent regulations should be enforced re the sale of " rough on rats."

Ashbußton, July 15. On Tuesday evening Philip Dolan, who lived on the banks of the Rakaia, met his death under distressing circumstances. It appears that, in company with his son, a lad of , seven years, he was engaged hauling firewood from the spit running between the sea and the river. About half -past 4, when the last log was being hauled, the father noticed that the water was rising and the waves washing over the spit. He ordered his little boy to go on before. This he did, and in a few minutes looked round and haw the horse struggling against a wave and his father up to his shoulders in the lagoon. Not a sound was heard but the roar of the sea, and the boy looked away. When the poor little chap could look round he could see no sign of his father. He says that when he saw the hor.se nothing but the neck aud head could be seen. The shingle was washed clean away. .The horse eventually managed to get out, and went homo, but there was no chance for the poor unfortunate; and up to 4 o'clock this afternoon the body had not been recovered. He leaves a wife and two children.

Christchurch, July 15. At the Lyttelton Magistrate's Court' to-day Ernest Buckholz was fined £20 for smuggling 9|lb of tobacco and 300 cigars from the steamer Glaucus.

Thomas Hough and William Perceval were to-day found guilty before the Supreme Court of conspiracy with intent to defraud the New Zealand Railway Department.

Gisborne, July 15. The directors visited the South Pacific Petroleum Company's works yesterday, and report as follows :— " Weaver, the contractor, having notified that he had completed the first section of his contract, 880 ft, on arrival at the works steam was got up and the drill worked. Subsequently on being withdrawn the depth attained was found to be 899 ft, The hole was then cleaned out by means of the pump, and after its being sent down five or six times, the presence of oil was made clearly manifest, being brought up mixed with sand in about equal proportions. More importance is attached to the indications from the fact that Weaver's predictions to the board for some time regarding ' the depth. at which ho would strike sand, and when he expected to obtain the first decided indications of oil, have been verified. Weaver considers we will strike the veritable oil rock at a further depth of 250 ft to 300 ft, and we have the strongest reasons for believing his prediction will prove correct. The bore is in first-class order, the pipes perfectly plumb from end to end, and the whole machine in good working order.". Messrs Fred. J. Shelton and Edward F. Ward, directors, certify to tho correctness of the report.