LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2210, 9 July 1896, Page 17

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Some of those who figured in the disgraceful proceedings came before the Police Court on Monday. Charles Nelson, for resisting the police, was fined £5, or one month's imprisonment; and Michael Kelly, on a similar charge, was sentenced to three monthi . James Woods, one of the ringleaders of those iDciting the prisoners to resist;, was aho sentenced to threa* months' imprisonment. The Bench commented strongly on the behaviour of the roughs who for the main part composed the crowd, and by their remarks showed that, had it been possible, their j Worships would have been even more severe than { they were. The police deserve commendation ! for the arrests, and it is a matter for tegret that more of those concerned in the outrage were not brought to justice.

We learn' on good authority that Mr John Graham, chairman of the Taieri County Council, has definitely decided to contest the next election for the Taieri .constituency. Mi> Graham will stand as an Opposition candidate, and as be is a very old settler in the district and has many friends his chance .of election is considered good.

A singular &tory of maritime rom»nce comes from Samoa via Sydney., The AdrlaMoo, a Chilian sbip, put into Apia, and all hands — p&gsengem, crew, captain, and cook — at once proceeded to Chief Jrstioe Ide. They were all of differenb nationalities, most oould speak no English, and those that could spoke very little ; but they apprised the Chief Justice that the two passengers, who were merchants of Chili, having a large quantity of wine to dispose of, chartered the Admtico to seek a market in the Pacific. "W hen. they got well out ' on their voyage and amongst, the islands, the cook expressed himself as being dissatisfied with the captain, and, to the amazement of that officsr and the charterers, announced that he was the owner of the ship, and would have things done his way. Things became so mixed that the captain, at the request of the charterers, and unknown to the cook, steered for Apia, and the whole party visited the Chief Justice. The cook, an Italian, now claimed the charter money, told the captain to take a back sott, and produced to the Supreme Court of Samoa documents chomog that he was part owner, and that before he left Chili the other owcen conveyed all their interests to him. There was a complicated trial, and eventually the courb held that the cook was owner, and that the captain must take his instructions from him, and the charterers pay him the charter money.

At the invitation of Mr Parser, of Blenheim,'*' a number of gentlemen visited Cable's foundry at Wellington on Thursday to witnais a smelting of Taranaki ironsand. Mr Purser has leased an area of land At Slokau, about 40 miles north of Now Plymouth, where the supply of ironeand is practically unlimited. Mr Purser separates the ironsand proper from the titanium by running it through a box-like structure in which revolves a magnetised drum that attracts the iron and allows the titanium to pan through. The experiments on Thursday showed that the sand can be smelted quite easily.

According to the Daily Chronicle Mr A. B. Fitzgerald, who recently visited New Zealand, will start in a few months to attempt the conquest of the highest; mountain yet climbed. This is Aconcagua, on the borders of Chili and Argentina, and 23,000 ft high. Mr Fitzgerald will leave England about August 1, and hopes to be baok in April or May next year. The expert and now famous Swiss guide Zurbriggen, who accompanied him and Sir Martin Conway in their recent journey across the Alps, will also go with Mr Fitzgerald to South Auterioa. The rainfall during last month (June) is reported by Mr Paulin to have amounted to l-73in at Opoho and to 2'B9in on Signal Hill, rain falling on 13 days.

The Southland Times is informed that a prosecution for "conspiracy to induce a broach of the law" is not improbable in connection with the recent alleged sly grog-selling cases. Evidence to a certain extent has baen procured showing that a trap was laid for Mr Baxter, and that the money supplied to the man in Matanra whose lick wife required the sohnapps was provided by Bomeone m Invercargill interested in the trade.

The head master reported to Monday night's meeting of the Albany street School Committee: Attendance roll— Boys, 368; girls, 397 ;— total, 765. Average— Boy*, 34*; girls, 364 ;— total. 708. Highest attendance on any half-day, 722.

At a lunoheon given on the opening day of the Eastern Downß Agricultural Society's show in Queensland, a -Mr Mathew Swinburne, in responding to the toast of bis health, proposed by the Mayor of Warsrick, gave an account of how he came to settle down in the neighbourhood. In the course of his remarks Mr Swinburne said that after making a modest pile he made a tonr of New Zealand. "I went from north to south," said Sir Swln-

borne, " and spent about two months with very great pleasure and proflti. I tell you frankly that I like New Zealand better than Australia. Its climate is more congenial to Englishmen. It is altogether more like England. I wonld have liked to have settled my son there, and, with that view, inspected several estates. Their legislation, however, scared me. The levellingstats of the laws, and the promise of more of the game kind to come, was cautioning capitalists that it was very unoortiin for them to invest in such a country. The so-called 'progressive' legislation, and the proipeot of more, only hampered the" shopkeeper, the manufacturer, and the employers, with bo benefit whatever to the working classes— bub the contrary. The high-fulutin legislation of the last four or five years has well earned foe New Zealand the name of being a kind of hothouse for forcing liberal and labour lsgislation. The village settlement was a failure, and the lending of cheap money to the farmer waa initiated. That experiment was looked upon as being fraught with most cettaia danger, as the Government could not proteot itself from dishonest valuators and politioal pressure. Only those of the party got the. a wards. Bub here, I believe, I am perhaps treading on ticklish ground." Farther on Mr Swinburne said he did nob speculate in New Zealand, bub left it as he found it, to work oub ita own salvation. Dr Bell, tbe prinoipal analyst of the Exo'io Laboratory at Somerset Houae, in his reporb on temperance beverages in England, says :— "Of 425 botanic beers and other temperance beverages whioh were analysed, more than .half contained over the legal 2 per oanfc. of proof spirit, the range extending from a mere trace up to 25 per cent. In 19, although represented as non-intoxicating, the samples contained as much spirit as ordinary ale."

St. Patrick's, South Dunedin, was crowded on Sunday evening, when an address was presented to the Rev. Father Hunt prior to his leaving for Cromwell, to which pariah be has been transferred. Mr P. E. Nolan presented the address on behalf of the congregation. The Rev. Father Hunt, who was deeply affected, spoke of the kind feeling tint had always existed during hit residence amongst the people of South Dunedin. Ho referred to the many sacrifices made by them in maintaining their school and in the erection of their beautiful church, whioh spoke volumes for their generosity and their love for their holy religion. He urged upon them to maintain their school and to give their children a sound Christian eduction. He expressed his sorrow at having to leave them, but he could assure them he would never forget their many aots of kindness, and, in s&yibg good-bye, he would ask for his successor the hearty co-operation that had alway been extended to him where matters in connection with the church or school were conoerned.

A. case which has probably few (if aDy) parallels, h»s just occurred in Vienna. Ths Chronicle's correspondent there says that a whole family, consisting of fcur person*, has become simultaneously insane. The unfortunate victims are Alexander Sobransky, aged 66, and bis three daughters, aged 18, 22, and 24 respectively. They are all suffering from grossnnwahn (megalomania or great delusions). The malady first manifested itself a few days ■go, when the Sobransky family, found that the house la whioh they live, which they thought waa.their own property, belonged to someone else. They tried to ejcot the other iumatee, and made all sorts of absurd arrangements. The poor girls were only detained after a fierce struggle, in whioh they defended themselves with hatchets. The oase has been brought: under the notice of Professor Krafft-Ebing, the eminent psychologist at the Vienna University. It appears that a son of Sobransky,' aged 26, was seized with a similar mania a year ago, and is ttill insane.

A curious and unusual light was witnessed tbe other night in the West of London. Two gentlemen, one an American and the other a well-known French teuor engaged at the Paris Opera House, paid a visit to the skating rink at Knightebridge, met some old acquaintances there, and spent a lively evening, parting with their friends noon after 11 p.m., comfortably exhilarated and joyous. Walking along they camo across a blind man dolefully singing a ballad to the accompaniment of a guitar. Immediately the Frenchman was seized with an idea. Going up to the blind man, and giving him a coin, he asked leave to try his guitar, and in a few moments passera-by realised that somebody was handling an instrument in a manner quite unespeobed in the street*. Promptly a crowd gathered, and then the rich voice of the operatic singer burst forth on the night air as he accompanied himself on the guitar. Such melody in a London street proved irresistible. Soon the entire thoroughfare was blocked, riob. and poor alike stopping, eager to hear tbe unwonted musio, while rumours of all sorts flew around the crowd as to the identity of the unknown singer whoie tones were thrilling, his .audience. Meanwhile the blind man stood enraptured, tears falling down his face *fl he listened. The American, needlesa to say, promptly grasped the business side of the question, and went round the crowd with his hat, soliciting donations. They came too, thick and fast, in coins of all sorts and sizes. When afc last the police felt it incumbent on them to take steps to avoid the increasing blook of traffic, the philanthropic gentleman turned over to the blind man the contents of the hat, which amounted to over £4-, and, jumping into a hansom, drove off amid the cheers of the crowd.

Mr Leslio H. Reynolds, whose name is well known in connection with engineering matters throughout the colony, has taken offices in. the Australian Mutual Provident Buildings, Princes street, and intends making Dunedin his headquarter?. Mr Reynolds has had practical training, starting apprenticeship with the late firm of Kincaid and M'Queen In 1879, and has since had experience both in Britain and abroad, hiving been a pupil of Sir John Coode for some years.

At the Police Court on Thursday, George Buthveu was charged with having, on the Ist inst., at Mosgiel, obstructed Constable Griffiths while in the execution of his duty. He was further charged with having assaulted tbe constable while ia the execution of his duty.— Accueed pleaded guilty iv both instances.— Mr D. D. Macdonald, who appeared for him. said Mr Kuthven was actuated by jealousy, ana counsel suggested that having got htm to promise not to molest the constable in future it would be sufficient if he were bound over to keep the peace towards Constable' Griffiths. — Inspector Fardy mentioned that the accused had bitten the constable's fingers down to the bones, and in a veiy cruel manner. He had an itu&ne idea that there was some improper intimacy between tho constable and » member of bis family. There was not the slightest foundation foe the idea.— Mr Carew questioned whether Mr Ruthven had tho power to restrain himself.— lnspector Pardy did not think he had, and said that be was a very respectable settler, ' but had unfortunately got this insane idea into his head.— The inspector not objecting, Mr Carew slid the accused would be let out on his own recognisance of £20 and a surety ior a similar amount, to keep the peace for 12 mouths ; at the same time severely cautioning Mr Ruthven, and stating that ba was perfectly satisfied that thevo was not the slightest- ground for his suspicion.— The first case was withdrawn, the sureties being made to apply to the aisaulfe case.