Australian News.

Pahiatua Star and Eketahuna Advertiser, Volume 4, Issue 366, 24 January 1890, Page 3

Australian News.

MELBornsß. January 11. A terrible accident nccured in the I Avarua Company's mine on 10th January, winch caused the almost ■ ri-ianianeous death of a foreman, 1* -ides seriously injuring three of the i ther miners and hurting a fifth. I our holes wore charged, and the party went to a higher level till they went off. They wailed till they thought they heard the reports of the discharge* of the four holes. Headed by Ja*. Mode, they then proceeded to the face of the slope. On reaching *1 e stop* a charge went off, and great u:a--es of stone were hurled about. Mode, being first, received the full charge of the explosion, and was terribly cut abuut the face and head, hail hi* left leg broken at tbe ankle, and was also injured on the left arm. lie lied when brought to the surface. Kelly was badly cut about the face, and had hut skull fractured. There is a punctured wound in John Fredericks' right temple, and lii* skull is fractured. John Tipitt received contusions on the breast. Henry, the carman, escaped with slight injuries. Mode leaves a wife and seven children, and one of his eons was working as st"ker at the claim when the accident occurred. Kellv. Kredencka, and Tippett are married nten. A desp* »ate affray, in which three ir.» i received senous injuries, occurred *t Penrith on the lOtli instant. An Indian native of Colombo had been prowling about tbe district for some days, and Sergeant Beattie bad en deavored to move him out of the town. The man started off, but early in the eftemoon the sergeant found him sitting on the curbstone in the pniieiP*l street. The Indian, after being ■pok-n to. picked up his swag aud appeared to be about to move off, but he suddenly turned on Beattie, drew a large sheath knife from behind and plunged it into the sergeant's chest. I‘” *!tie»oircd the Indian and struggled

with linn for a while, but becoming weak from loss of blood had to seek shelter in a convent close by. Crowds soon gathered round the Indiau, and several attempts were made to seize him ; hut being armed with stones and a knife he kept everyone at a safe distance. Number* of stones were exchange 1 between the Indian and tho resident*, without, however, doing any damage. Eventually 'Jonstable Mosely arrived with a revolver, and after calling on the Indian several timea to surrender, fired at Inin. The cap. however, snapped, and the Indian advanced on the constable, but his progress was checked by the stones thrown at him by the bystanders. The constable fired again, wounding the Indian in the abdomen. Still another shot was fired without materially interfering with the advance of the native. Ollier stones struck him. and he appeared to stagger, but when Alfred lleid rushed up behind him the Indian at once turned around and lunged out with the knife. At this stage a young fellow named John Xahuliler rushed on the Indian and seizod him. but in the struggle was stabbed under the left arm. The Indian was then overpowered and taken to the lock-up and the wounded men attended to. Beattie, who was an old and esteemed officer of the police, with a large family, has since died ; so also lias the Indian, who was named James, and 24 years of age, and though Zanbuliter is keeping his strength up, the doctors hold out lio hopes of his ultimate recovery.