A MANIAC KILLS HIS WIFE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2232, 10 December 1896, Page 12

A MANIAC KILLS HIS WIFE.

THE DANGERS OP RELEASING LUNATICS ON PROBATION, Wellington, December 2. A sbooking tragedy happened at Pangatotara, near Motueka, last Saturday night. About half-past & o'clock en that night John Grooby, who a fortnight ago was released from Nelson Asylum on probation at the request of his wit'« and sons, who undertook to take care of him, took an axe used for cutting firewood and attacked his wife. Mrs Grooby was at the time in the act of drawing bread from an oven. She apparently held up the bread tin to ward off the blows, as the tin was found cut through. The unfortunate woman was apparently then forced to tho ground, aud as she lay there helpless the maniao knelt down and with the axecomplutod his murderous deed. The whole of the front and sides of the head were cut .and beaten into a fearful and unrecognisable mass. After finishing the deed Grooby washed his hands and face, laid the axe beside the bouse, and walked to and fro beside the body. Ho told one of his eons that be committed the act with a tomahawk, and he subsequently said the devil did ic. Groobj's sister, who was closp by, heard the screams, and rushing in saw her brother chopping at bis wife's head. She spoke to him, but he did not reply, and she then sent for help. The murderer was subsequently arrested by the police, and at tho inquest a verdict of " Wilful murder " was returned against him. Grooby has since been brought before the Magisti'&tes' Court, and stand* remanded. The family is well known in the district. " Mothers will find Chamberlain's Conga Remedy especially valuable for croup and whooping oough. It will give prompt relief and is sate and pleasant. We have sold it for several y&axs and it has never failed to give the most perfeot satisfaction.— G. W. Richards, Duciuesne. Pa» Sold by all leading chemists.

THE SUIHERLI.ND FALIS'aNI) DISTRICT. In Ootobsr 1888, Mr 0. W. Adams, chief surveyor of Otago, measured the height of tha great Sutherland Waterfall and found it to bo 1904ffe. In March and April 1890 he visited Milford Sound again in the Tarawera, and made the journey overland by way of M'Kinnon's Pass. He took barometrio observations at various points on the journey, bnb had strong reason to suspeot that his barometer was not working smoothly, and that it probably stuck and failed to record tho lowest pressure of the atmosphere on M'Kinnon's Pass. Oa working out the observations he made the height of M'Kinnon'i Pass much lower than he expected, bub as these were the only observations available he gave them for what they were worth. On various occasions since, Mr Adaim has endeavoured to induce tourists making the overland journey to Milford Sound to make tha neoensary cb.-ervations, but it was not till January of the present year that anyone possessing the necessary scientific knowledge could be found willing to take the required observatiobs. In that monbh Dr W. S. Roberta and C. Zifcle, jun , mado tho trip, meeting some members of tho Intercolonial Medioal Congress at Milford Sound. Numerou* ob«ervalions were taken, bath barometer and thatmometer being noted as often as possibla. Pressure of work at; the survey office has prevented the observations being reduced and worked out till this proa^n!;, and tha following results may be taken as the most ac iurate values of the hiights of the various points observed tlufc have been obtained up to the present time. The observations extended from Te Auau Lake to Milford Sound, and the ascent of Mount Hart was made from M'Kiunon'a Pass. Te Anau L*ke is 694-ft above sea level, ai determined by Mr Jana&3 M'Kerrow'a triangulation, and the complete results are given in tho following table: — Table of Heights Above Sea Level. Feet." Milford Sound , .„'" .„ 0 Lake Ada , ,„ 150 • B^ech Hut 3 rt , " ... .BJO Foot of Sutherland Falls 1180 Top of Sutherland FalU 30? l M'Kinn'.n's Pass ... ,",, ... 3400 - Lake Mintaro 1950 Halfway Camp ... ... 1030 TeAnauL»ke ..... ... • 691 Mount Hart (west' of M'Kinnon's Pass) 5440 The thanks of the public are due to Dr Roberts and Mr Ziele, as upwards of 80 observations were recorded, some of which were obtained under circumi^auoes of great difficulty. To Mr Adams a meed of praise is due for bis indefatigable efforts to make kaowu the scientific facts in couuf-efcion with this portion of New Zealand Wonderland. Captain Duncan, of Te Anan, also lent valuable assistance by keeping a simultaneous record of barometric readingi at Lake To Au&u. Siamese women entrust their children to the care of elephants, and it is said that the trust is never betrayed. In making champagne the grapes are squeezed six times, each pressure making wine of different quality. Judge Simp3oD, Messrs Gregory Walker, C. G. Hoydon, and R. E O'Connor, all prominent members of the Sydney bar, have just been created Q.O.'s.