CHRISTCHURCH

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 696, 15 May 1879, Page 2

CHRISTCHURCH

This Day. The stewart of the barque G.B.S. gave himself up to the Christchurch police yesterday, saying he had committed four horrible murders in England some years ago. He appeared to be suffering from effect of drink, and he was put to bed. Whether the murders exist only in a diseased imagination is not known yet, but he will be brought up before the Police Court to-day.

A sad case of distitution was accidentally brought under notice of a member of the Christchurch police force a few days ago. It is that of a woman and child, living in a* miserable ho pel not far from the Garrick Hotel, with no food, nor wherewithal to purchase it. They were poorly clad, half-starved with waht and cold. It appears that the unfortunate woman had occupied a comfortable position some time since. She fell ill lately, and there being no one in the house but an infant child, she was unable to obtain assistance, and incapable* of seeking it. Sergeant Haines, who discovered the woman in this condition, did what he could to relieve her immediate necessities, and afterwards got the woman moved to the Hospital. Twenty-five notices of new insolvencies have been published in the papers during the last week. Amongst them were eight farmers, one labourer, one clergyman, one barman, and the remainder small tradesmen.