MISCELLANEOUS.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 6752, 5 February 1892, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS.

There is a certain Sheriff Campbell Smith who dispenses justice at Dundee, and who, perhaps, takes a more lenient view of wife beating than any ju'dge on the bench. He had before him the olher day a hawker named Boyle, who on reaching home one evening began pummelling his wife and dragging her ab’Ut by the hair. 'l’o add insult to injury, the hawker forced his wife to kneel down and beg his pardon—probably for not having any more hair to pul!. Having obtained this satisfaction, Boyle deliberately renewed the assault, and savagely kicked bis wife in the back. Sheriff Campbell Smith seemed for a moment to contemplate sentencing the prisoner to “ an admonition,” but on a full consideration of the cose ho thought tint would be 100 slight a punish ment, and summoned up courage to send him to gaol for five days ! Boyle no doubt left the dock with bis tongue in bis cheek According to mail advices from Yokohama, dated Nov. 10, further particulars of the recent earthquake continued to reach there. The director of the Gifu Observatory bad been examining the district where the disturbance was most severely felt. Some years ago he reported * there appealed in the ground holes to which no bottom could be found, and which were believed to communicate wi'h immense cavities below. The director now thinks that the recent earthquake was caused by the Gifu mountain slipping into those caverns. The earthquakes still continued on Nov. 9, no less than 730 shocks being felt du'ing the twenty hours preceding the dispatch of the intelligence. There was sufficient food in the 1 regions aff.cted by the earthquake to prevent actual starvation, but over 400,000 persons were homeless, and almost without clothing. As the winter approached the suffering would consequently be great.

At Lambeth police court oa December 16th William Burgess,a member of the Salvation Army, appeared to a summons taken out by Mr A. W. Wright, landlord of the Queen Tavern, Neate Street, Camberwell, for unlawfully playing upon an instrument after being requested to desist by the complainant. Mr Hopkins, after hearing arguments on both sides, said the Act of Parliament was no respecter of persons, and he had to bear it in mind that the thoughts of every householder in London under it were precisely the same. It had been put forward that a Salvation Army musician was not a street musician, but he bad no difficulty in holding that be came within the moat ing of the section of the act. It was also argued that the Salvation Army ought not to be moved on by a publican because he was carrying on a trade which was the cause of crime. Ho had no hesitation in saying such an urgument ought not to be listened to for one moment. He considered the offence proved, and ordered the defendant to pay a fine of 10s and 2s costs. Defendant’s counsel asked his worship to state a case for a superior court, but Mr Hopkins refused to do so.