Untitled

Otago Witness, Issue 2985, 31 May 1911, Page 11

. Referring to the outbreak of plague in Auckland a private letter, dated May 7, received in Dunedin, says:—"Two more oases of plague have occurred here, making seven in all during the past six weeks. We have had plague bare with a break of. only one or two years for the past 10 years, but never earlier than in May, and it seems quite probable that on the present occasion we may have a very serious outbreak. -.Auckland, although the largest and most progressive city in the Dominion, is undoubtedly the dirtiest, and the newspaper's are largely to blame, as in the past they have a'ways hushed the plague outbreaks up, with the result that practically nothing in the way of scavenging has been done." The divorce case Mary E'izabeth Ellen Smith v. Joseph Smith (storeman), a petition for dissolution of marriage on the ground of misconduct, came before his Honor Mr Justice Williams in the Supreme Court on May 23. Mr W. L. Moore appeared for the petitioner, and Mr Hanlon for the respondent. It had been agreed by the parties to hear the case before hi? Honor alone, and the jury summoned for the day was discharged from attendance. The parties were married at Caversham in February, 1903, and subsequently lived at South Dunedin, Dunedin, Maori Hill, and Ravensbourne. After evidence his Honor reserved his decision on the point as to whether the petitioner had condoned the 'respondent's conduct.

' Under the will of the late Mrs Catherine Fraser, widow of Captain Fraser, of Duncdin, the New Zealand Committee of the Regions Beyond Mission receives £2O; the Council of the New Zealand Auxiliary Ramabai Mukti Mission (India), £2O; the New Zealand Presbyterian Church Maori Mission, £2O; the New Zealand Committee of the China Inland Mission, £2O; the Presbyterian Church- Orphanage Fund, £2O; the Dunedin Hospital contributors, £IOO (to be applied in founding two beds in the hospital, one to be called the Charles Fraser bed, in memory of her lato husband, and one to be called the James M'Lellan bed, in memory of her late brother); and the Christian Congregation known as " The Brethren," at present worshipping in the Choral Hall, Dunedin, £100; while £SOO is to be placed upon trust, the income to form a scholarship to assist young men in pursuing their studies when, preparing for the ministry in the Presbyterian Church or some evangelical religious body. A message from Thames states that a proposal has been made to arrange a gathering of Thames pioneers similar to that held last week to celebrate the Gabriel's Gully jubilee. When the Union Company's steamer Waitemata was at Samarang (Java), on her way from Calcutta to New Zealand, an accident occurred while boat drill was being carried out. One of the lifeboats was being hoisted up to the davits, when it " took charge" and foil back into the sea. A sailor named William Moffatt, who was in the boat, was shot out into the water, and disappeared. Two ether sailors, Charles Irvine (of Lyttelton) and W. Johnson instantly plunged into the sea from the boat deck of the steamer, in an attempt to rescue Moffatt. The latter was evidently hurt in the fall of the boat as traces of blood were found. He was also probably knocked insensible, and was never seen again. The action of Irvine and Johnson was a particularly plucky one, as Samarang Harbour is infested with sharks. Moffatt was a single man, 38 years of age, and was a native of the Shetland Islands.