MISCELLANEOUS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2251, 22 April 1897, Page 36

MISCELLANEOUS.

A serious scare occurred at the Princess Theatre on Friday afternoon while a mabinee was in progress in aid of the distressed actors' fund. There was a tremendous audience, attracted partly by the fact that Mr Purveß, the famous Q.C., was playing Sergeant Buzfuz. A woman in the gallery had thrown her cloak over an electric light globe, and it began to smoulder. It was noticed and the fire stamped out, bub a good deal of smoke resulted, and just for a minute or two there was a tumultuous scene. Mr Purves had his wife and family amongst the audience and was somewhat scared himself, but he did a good deal to end the fear by calling oub from the stage to the people to keep their soats.

Two young men were struck down by lightning in Bathurst on Sunday. Edward Donnelly, a successful student, was killed immediately. It was found that his hair was singed and his body blackened on tha left side. His trousers, shirt, and eiaglet were torn, and his boots split to p:eceK, the remains presenting a shcckiDg eight. His companion Marks was severely injured, one leg being paralysed and bruised, whije he was blackened in several places, buS he is bow recovering.

Atvogular case of child suffocation occurred in ColUngwood on Saturday afternoon last. A 14-months' old infant was put to sleep in a cot, Some hours. later it was found dead, its body banging oat of the cot, while the head was caught by the neck between some iron bars which formed the side of tbe cot. Apparently the child had tried to scramble out of the cot, and got caught betweeu the bara in doing so. Mr Percy Ralph Faviell, who was fortaerly a sugar- planter in Queensland, was drowned under very sad circumstances on Saturday night last in the Yarra. He was one of a party which accompanied Mr Taverner, Minister for Public Works, down the harbour to inspect some dredging operations. They were netring home about 9 p.m., Mr Flaviell was sitting on the gunwale in the act of lighting a cigar and talking to a friend, when he suddenly fell backward* into the river. He had recently recovered from an attack of typhoid, and it is believed had a fainting fit.