LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 971, 9 December 1879, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The ship Lochnagar has now on board 1400 bales of wool m her hold. The loading has been very quick, and has been greatly accelerated by Mr. Adair's fine hydraulic wool press, with which the bales are double dumped before being placed m the lighters for conveyance to the ship's side. The Penguin is not due here till tomorrow evening, m consquence of being delayed at Wellington. She will leave for North at 7 p.m. The sale of Mr. A. J. Homon's property m Lowe-street, advertised by Meaars Bromley & Buller, has been postponed until further notice. At the R.M. Court, before C. Whitefoord, Esq., there were a few civil cases heard. The most important, being that cf Gough v. Berry, claim £47, to which the defendant put m a set off for a larger amount. Mr. Rogau appeared for plaintiff, and Mr. Nolan for defendant. After the evidence was taken the Bench reserved decision for Friday next. The Taranaki Herald says that this murderous wretch, the leader of the bushranging gang just captured m New South Wales, was formerly a resident of Auckland, arriving there m the Black Eagle m 1861, from London. He received his education at one of the public educational institutions m Auckland, and very early manifested a spirit of adventure, which led him into several scrapes. He joined the Waikato Militia m 1864, and, on its disbandment, endeavoured to get some of his old school fellows to join him m an expedition to California. He ultimately went to Australia, and took to the road under the alias of Captain Moonlight. His real name is Andrew George Scott, and he admitted the fact to the police on being recently captured. An astounding admission, says the Pout was made by the police during the hearing of smuggling at Lyttelton the other day. The case, it appears, was not a very strong one, a man with theconvenient name of Smith was put m the same cell as the accused Williams as a "decoy." SergeantMajor O'Grady, we learn from the Lyttelton Times, admitted that it was the custom of the police to adopt this method for the purpose of eliciting a confession. If this be so, we commend SergeantMajor O'Grady's conduct to the notice of his superiors, who, we hope, will speedily give him to understand that this ingenious but monstrously un-English plan of getting up evidence is not to be tolerated for a single moment m a British colony. A A man who would lower himself to act as a police " decoy " under the circumstances stated, would not be very particular about inventing a confession for an unfortunate prisoner if the latter were not disposed to furnish one voluntarily, and if this pystem of entrapping were to be tolerated no man would be safe. Dr. Kenealy, M.P., and Mr. Guildford Onslow had an interview, says a recent number of the London Times, at Portsea convict prison with the Claimant, and it is stated, prevailed upon him to consent to become a candidate for the Parliamentary representation of Nottingham. It was further arranged that if duly requisitioned, Mr. Onßlo\v would contest that borough, as his colleague, both coming forward upon an independent platform. Dr. Kenealy informed the pseudo Sir Roger that he had no doubt as to the favorable result of the election, and believed that if returned, he could insist upon his privileges as a member to be allowed to attend the sittings of Parliament. The nominations for the Opotiki Cup Handicap will close on 11th instant at 8 p.m., acceptances and general entries on the 27th. All communications are to be sent m to R. Wright, Esq., chairman of race committee. A monument has been erected m the new cemetery at Wick, m Scotland, m memory of the late Mr. Alexander Reid, who was accidentally drowned from the steamer Taupo, m Cook Strait, on March sth, 1878, Whilst on a journey to visit a brother at Auckland. The late Mr. Reid was one of the best known journalists m New Zealand, and was very highly esteemed. The monument was erected by friends of the deceased gentleman m New Zealand, who raised subscriptions and forwarded them to Mr. Reid's father for the purpose of having a monument erected to his memory.