AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 16021, 6 January 1923, Page 9

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

MOTOR SMASH

SYDNEY, Dec. 28.—Mr Mack, K.C., one of Sydney's leading barristers, was badly injured in a smash at Cronulla. He was coming across in his car to the surf from his home at Burraneer Bay when a. steam tram crashed! into his car, knocking it 20 yards 'along the tram line: and into tho gutter, and left Mr Mack tangled 1 up in the debris with a 'broken tliigli, a. broken arm,' and) a broken shoulder. ' Ait' the hospital it was reported' that Mr Mack was' "generally smashed' up," and in a serious condition. DEATH IN HOTEL: ARREST OF LICENSEE. MELBOURNE,-Dec. 28.—Henry Gray, licensee of the hotel ;it Elaine, arrested in connection with the alleged murder of Michael Fahey, appeared at the Geelong Court, and wag remanded. Gray asserted; that Fahey had been drinking and gave trouble at the hotel. Hearing his wife call out from tho kitchen, lie rushed out. and found Fahey standing in the doorway, the panel of (ho door having been smashed. Fahey had threatened l to "get him," whereupon he fired two shots. Gray sent for a doctor and informed thc> police. Faliey, however, died before assistance came. WHERE NEXT? £450 FROM POLICE STATION. MARYBOROUGH (Q.), Dec. 28.—A sensation was caused' in Bundabcrg this morning when it was learnt that a sum of about £460 belonging to the Railway Department, which had' been deposited in the cells at the police station over the holidays had' disappeared. The money represented' a portion of tho railway takings during the holiday season, it being customary for the department to lodge it at the police station. Inspector King and' Mr W. C. Harvey, traffic "manager, at Maryborough, are proceeding to Bundabcrg to investigate. AUSTRALIA'S NEW CHAMPION: MANLY BOY'S RISE TO FAME. SYDNEY, Dec. 28.—While men who fall just short of championship class themselves are bewailing Australia's departed' swimming glory, and are sending all the way to America for a teacher, a Manly lad' 15i years of ago has burst on them as a champion. In a competition in the Manly baths A. ("Boy") Charlton swam 440 yards in 5.16 3-5. which is the fastest time ever recorded in Australia. Unfortunately, although the time is undoubtedly authentic, the Swimming Association was not properly represented, so that it cannot be set down as a, new official Australian record. No swimmer has any doubt, however, but that the boy can ret>eat the performance, and do better still.

PRODIGAL'S RETURN: WRECKING HIS FATHER'S HOME.

SYDNEY, Dec. 28.—With the help of an iron bar, an axe, and his feet. Thomas Mullins, aged 33, almost wrecked his father's home in Randwick, according to evidence given at the Police Court.

Mullins (who was committed for trial) was charged with maliciouslv damaging the furniture of his father, Michael Mullins. The later said! his son visited! him sometimes, and' was habitually drunk. Yesterday he threatened to smash up witness and his daughter, exclaiming: bo here when yon are all dead and gone." Mary WiUon, married sister of the defendant, described' the damage done. He said lie would kill witness and her father.

Constable Moran said that when lie arrived at the house defendant was hacking a table on the verandah.

£4,000,000.

CHRISTMAS AND THE BANKS. SYDNEY, Dec. 28.-Four million pounds went walking about, the streets of Australia during- the Christmas week. There was enough money in the spending pocketfi of tho public to have — Built the North Shore bridge. fini.shedi tho city railway, given every returned soldier a Christmas present. purchased' a battle-cruiser, extended' Martin-place, built half-a-dozen hospitals, paved' Sydney with marble. or re-erected a couple of Parliament Houses. Instead' of that, the four million pounds flowed out of tlie hanks through an armv of Christmas stockings, into the hands of an army of shopkeepers, and back into the bank again. Keening tin Christmas cost the Commonwealth £4,000,000.

AMONG SHARKS

CAPSTZED CREW'S EXPERIENCE

SYDNEY, Dee. 28.—An experience which they do not want to pass through again was provided! tho crew of the 18footer Ivy, when on a journey down the harbor on Sunday. Thei Ivy was passing Athol Bight, where the steamer Fiona was anchored, when they saw a huge shark being "played" by someone aboard. The crew of tho Ivy was amazed! to> see several other sharks swimming about their captured mate. In their excitement the.men in tho Ivy failed to notice a fresh breeze comei across the water, and as soon as it struck the Ivy tho sailing boat toppled over and tho crew wero sent splashing about in the water.

The skipper, named Barker, and his crew say that the sharks disappeared op soon as the sail touched 1 the water; but. nevertheless, the captured' momster was still struggling about at no great distance from the capsized' boat. A ]>assin£ launch, noticing tho plight of the men, went to their assistance and soon picked them up, little the worse for their experience.

THRILLING BOLT: TOM MIX OUT DONE.

SYDNEY, Dec. 28.—A boy and two girls had a narrow escape when a horse attached to a lorry bolted' along Oxford street.

The lorry was standing near the home of Charles Frederick Waller, of the Rail way Department, and the threo children, two of them belonging to> Waller, climbed: on to tho lorry to play. Tho horse took fright, and' bolted'. It dived! into the air, tilted the lorry, and .threw the two girls to tho roadway. The boy Frederick Charles Waller, aged' had a thrilling experience—more thrilling, in fact, than any stunts accomplished to date by Tom Mix, of movio fame. He remained on the lorry when tho horse bolted, and threw himself on his stomach. Tho horse miraculously dodged the crowded' traffic in vai'ious streets, and then passed' between a motor car and a heavily laden lorry. It bumped the side of the lorry, and the impact managed to take some of the sting out of itr galloping propensities. Two men sprang at tho horse's head, and prabbod l the reins. They were dragged along for about 20 yards, and' a third man ran after the lorry, snatched the child, and carried l him to safety. The boy wa.s not injured. The two little girls received' bruises about tho body when they were thrown from the lorry.

TURNED FROM liaSPITAI

DOCTOR'S MISTAKE.

MELBOURNE, Dec. 28.—Evidence alleging a remarkable error of judgment o'n the part of a doctor at tho Melbourne Hospital was given at the inquest concerning the death of Andrew Kitchen, a boy of nine years of age, who was run over by a motor car in South Melbourne.

Alfred Robing motor mechanic, said that ho accompanied the boy to tho hospital, where ho was examined' by a doctor and several students. The boy wag then unconscious, but the doctor refused to admit him, ae: i beret were no broken hones.

"I oaid that, I would not, move him an inch," continued Robins, "as ho wa? in a. critical condition. They replied that he was not, and I said that T would take him to the Children's Hos-

pital. I then took the boy in my arms to the Children's Hospital, where he died; ten minutes later.

The Coroner (Dr. Cole) said that apparently the case was obscure. The boy wa.s not bleeding at all, and evidently the hospital authorities tlicmghti ho was merely in a state of coma and not seriously injured. "In cases of this kind' where a person had been injured by a motor the sufferers should novel - be turned away," the Coroner added. A verdict of accidental dfeath wa.s returned'.

LAZARETTE MYSTERY.

TWO-MEN DROWNED: DID TIDE CATCH THEM?

BRISBANE, Dec. 24.—The mystery surrounding the drowning on Monday of James O'Connell and Harry Hall, two of the officials at Peel Island, has not yet been cleared up. It was ati first reported that both men, who had just returned to the island from a holiday, in Brisbane, were drowned when out fishing in a boat, but that theory is now discarded, as no trare of the boat has been found. O'Connell's body was recovered, but Hall's is still missing. The police theory i.s that the two men sat or lay asleep on the wind' on that portion of the Leach known as The Spit, where they were last seen, until the incoming tide surrounded/ them.' Hall was well known al Bundabcrg, where he was once an A.W.TJ. organiser. THEIR SAD CHRISTMAS. CHILD BURNED IN HOUSE. ARDLETHAN (N.S.W.), Dec. 28. While Mr E. Robinson and' his wife were silting over breakfast on Sunday morning, oiio of their children rushed in, say. ing "The house i.s on fire!" Tho parents ran out, and their small boy, Allan, aged two and a. half,' wandered into a. hod room. A strong wind was blowing, and in a couple of minutes the house was a mass of flames. Then it was discovered that Allan was missing. The father hurried into the house to his rescue, but was unsuccessful, and was terribly burned 1 about the head, body, and' arms. The charred remains of the child's body were found under the bed, after tlie house had been reduced to ashes. Tho father was removed to a. private hospital at Ard'lethan, where bo is lying in a, critical condition. MAN'S TERRIBLE LOSS. DYNAMITE EXPLOSIONS. SYDNEY, Dec. 24. Frederick Thomas has lost two hands audi an eye as the result of an accident with dynamite at Dee Why yesterday. Thomas is a fisherman, and is 46 years of age. He lives at South Peak-road, Dee Why. It is believed' that Thomas was in a boat at. Dee Why when the accident happened. He was using the dynamite far the purpose of getting fish,'and lit the fuse, wheih was very short. It. burnt down and' connected with the explosive before Thomas had time to throwit away. Portions of his hands were blown off, and he was also hit in the left eye. He was taken to- the Manly Cottage Hospital, where Dr. Barron attended to him. Later is wa.s found' necessary to amputate both hands and to remove tlie eve. Thoma« was in a. critical condition last night.