AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5574, 20 September 1889, Page 2

AUSTRA LIAN NEWS.

— _~ Melbourne, Sent 3. Tho traffic returns on the Victorian railways for the last quarter shows a fal-ling-oif as compared with the same period of List yoar, although a greater length of railway is open. The Melbourne City Coroner held an inquest at Melbourne Hospital on the body of Mrs Maher, of Brunswick, who died in the institution on Sunday evening from injuries received by being shot by her husband early on Saturday morning. Ou Friday night Mr and Mrs Maher went to a ball in the local Town Hall, and returning home at 3.30 a.m. on Saturday, fche husband found a revolver in the street On arriving at home Mr Maher examined the firearm, and whilst doing so ifc went ofl*, the charge entering the unfortunate woman's abdomen. The husband gave evidence to the effect that the firing of the shot was purely accidental, and his evidence was borne oufc by the dying depositions of his wife. Dr Gaul commented on the foolish practice of handling firearms in such careless fashion, and the jury returned a verdict; that deceased was accidentally shot. On Saturday nighfc two brothers named Fitzgerald, and a farmer named Sherry and his wife, who were returning from Orange, N.S.W. , were stuck up at Gosling Creek by robbers, who had placed a barricade across fche road. They were two in number and were masked and armed. The two Fifcsgeralds and Sherry were tied to trees, and such money as they had was taken from them. Tho woman managed to slip £4 whicli she had into her stocking, and. ifc was nofc discovered. After searching the men the robbers untied their horsos and rode away, unloosing the men before they went, The police and black trackers are out after fche robbers. A man named Ryan was arrested next day. He was taken at a camp some miles from the scene of the robbery. Two boys named Saunders, aged 13 j years and 10 years, were drowned in a waterhole at Portland, Victoria. They had been bathing, and dressed themselves but it is presumed were subsequently playing, when one fell in and the other attempted to save nim. Ifc is stated that, when fche bodies were recovered life was not extinct, but no one present knew how to proceed. The schooner Wanganui has arrived at Brisbane from Sudest with 80 passengers and 300ozs. of gold. Many of the passengers are sick, and others give fearful reports of fche amount of sickness on the various islands off New Guinea. Serious alarm is being caused by the unexpected influx of a large number of Chinese into the northern portion o f West Australia, ostensibly engaged forthe pearling boats. The Eastern Extension Telegraph Company alone has just imported 50 Chinese. Abundant facilities are now being afforded for the selection of agricultural land by intending settlers in New South Wales. One hundred and one reserves, comprising 111,092 acres, have been revoked and thrown open to selection since the sth June last, and (52 more, with an area of 34,367 acres, will be similarly dealt with during the present month. A heavy fine, amounting with costs to nearly L3OO, was inflicted on John M'Hugh for contimiing to occupy premises in Sydney after they had been condemned by the municipal authorities as unfit to be occupied as dwellings or otherwise.