TELEGRAMS.

Southland Times, Issue 13738, 27 April 1897, Page 3

TELEGRAMS.

New Zealand.

(Psb Pbxss ASSOCIATION).

AUCKLAND, April 26. Francis Hcsketh, aged 10, was drowned while playing on the logs at Tekopuru mill. H. M. Smeaton was fined 20s, with L 4 4s costs, for keeping his employes working after 1 o’clock on a Saturday afternoon, and 5S| without costa, in each of the other 14 charges. The defence was that he was taking stock for the purposes of the land and income tax returns. A two-year-old daughter of J. Gampbell, Raglan, died from burns caused by her dress catching fire* A singular fatality occurred at Glenalvon boarding-house. Alex. Roger McKellar, who had been staying there for the last four years, went into the garden with a pea rifle, intending to shoot cats, as they kept him awake. Later a shot was heard, and the gardener found McKellar dead, with a bullet hole in the forehead. Deceased was about to be married.

WELLINGTON, April 26. An enquiry began to-day into the charges against Mr and Mrs Short, master and matron of the Home for the Aged Needy. These are 13 in number and include allegation of ill-treatment of the inmates physically and by interference with their food, want of respect for the religious tenets of the inmates, and generally of treating them as though inferiors. The Rev. Evan Stavern, who brings the charges, conducts his case personally and said the reason for the enquiry was that the house was conducted as an illmanaged prison. Mr Eyre Kenny, S.M., is the Commissioner. , At a meeting of the Law Society to-night Mr A- Brandon was elected president and Mr E. Bell vice-president. It was determined to jinvite kindred societies to join in the cost of obtaining an oil painting to perpetuate the memory of the late Judge Richmond. About 36 local exhibitors are sending goods to the Brisbane Exhibition, and 44 from other parts of the colony, besides various Government departments. There is still some space left. The train now runs as far as Farndon, six miles from Napier. A large gang of men started work on a deviation of the line. About a mile and a half, with two small bridges, will be completed by the 17th. Complete restoration will probably require nine to twelve month a. The Appeal Court opened thia morning, before the Chief Justice and J edges Edwards, Conolly and Denniston. About a dozen members of the bar were present. The list has been revised, leaving nine cases to be heard. In Chapman v. Chapman, Mr Cooper stated that he had received notice that an appeal was not to be presented in the N.Z. Land Claimants Ordinance Act, 1857, in re Hine, and it was struck out. There was no appearance of appellant in Pollock v. Saunders, a case to test the right of a racing club to exclude bookmakers from a course. The case Progress Gold Mining Company v. Commissioner of Stamps was added to the list and the Court adjourned for the day. HAWEBA, April 26. An inquest commenced on Saturday touching the death of Essie Mason, aged 22, at Kaponga. The evidence, so far, indicates that death was due to poisoning, but how or by whom the poison was administered has nob yet transpired. The inquest will be resumed on the Uth May. The contents of the stomach have been sent to the Government analyst. DUNEDIN, April 26. At a meeting of the Otago Rugby Union Committee some indignation was expressed at the exclusion from the Appeal Committee of Mr James Hutchison (secretary of the Union), the Otago representative who. acted last year, and it was unanimously decided to nominate Mr Hutchison as a vice-president of the New Zealand Union. The Upper Waipori Co.’s return from two dredges last week was 430 z 2dwt. of gold; Jutland Flat Co., 12oz sdwt; Sew Hoy Big Beach Co., 3loz Bdwt. from one dredge. Thomas Barrett, who was recently released from gaol on the ground of increasing blindness, after serving seven years of a sentence of ten years for a serious assault, was called upon to-day to answer four charges of larceny of harness.—During the hearing one of the witnesses complained that the accused had threatened him as he left the box. Barrett was convicted on two charges and sentenced .to sixmontbs and three months, the sentences to be cumulative. He was acquitted on a third charge, and an indictable offence was adjourned.