AUSTRALlAN NEWS. Strange Case in Sydney.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 158, 26 June 1886, Page 6

AUSTRALIAN NEWS. Strange Case in Sydney.

A STKANOK case occurred at North Harbour, Sydney. George Griffiths reported to tho police on the LOth instant that he had found the body of a young woman, a domestic servant named Elizabeth Martin, on tho shore up the harbour, she having been ar parentiy drowned. Griffiths stated that he and a man named William Jatncs mot the deceased and another young woman named Jane Brown, also a domestic servant in Sydney, on the previous evening, and that they all went to Manly together. Tho women accepted the invitation by the mon to go to their camp at iNorth Harbour, and stayed there all night. About three o'clock on Thursday morning the deceased left the tent, and atter being absent some time, two men and tho woman Brown went in search ot her, and at 7 o'clock they found her as described. At the inquest, evidenco was given that deceased was a highly respectable girl. Brown was previously acquainted with the two men, and arranged the meeting, which resulted in the trip to Manly. Brown say* sho did not intend to stop all night at the men's twnt, but that she fell out of the boat and got hor clothes wet, and had to put on men's clothes till her own dried. A serious suspicion attuohed to the two men and Brown, and they wore arrested. Both mon are well well connected, boing clerks in Sydney, and deceased is the daughter of a *cry old colonist at Linton. Hor father ia one of tho oldoefc seiVrints of the railway department The doctors who conducted the post-morta/i examination formbd the theory,from the appearanceb presented, that the deceased got into the water and received a shock which caused fainting. The heart thon ceased to act, but tho lungs continued to perform their functions, and tho deceased took water into the lungs. They expressed the opinion that sho came to hor death partly from syncope and partly from asphyxia by drowning. Maiks. wine found on the hi easts, the upper pait of tho arms, and the bridgo of tho note, and a biuiso on the forehead. These were pronounced to be autemoitem injmiea Giifßths was charged with having committed a capital offenoo on the deceased, and James and the girl Brown with being accomplices. [

The Lye-ec-Moon Tria l. At the Sydney Water Police Court, on June 14th, Arthur Wynn Webber, captain of tho .Lye-ec-Moon, was charged with having feloniously slain Antonio Pothgomotos, chief cook of tho vessel Mr Teece (instructed by the Crown) said that procoedingo were being taken against Webber on thu ground that he had beon guilty of culpable negligence in allowing his vessel to bo wiucked at Grco:i Cape. The Crown did not intend to pioceod with tho case against the thud mate, Fotheiingham. Ho pointed out that the evidence of tho second oilicor, John Hu(chin~on, at the inquest, showed ITothcringham to be tho witness of the truth. The second officer stated that as soon as he came on deck on the night of the wreck Fotheiingham told him tho same story. Ho (the third officer) afterward? gave in evidence, viz., that the captain had boon called ten minutt3 before the ve-&el struck, and the Cviptain was in tho w heelhouse when tho vessel want on tho recks. Fothyiinghfi u was placed in the witness box, and lepoated the evidonce given by him before ihe Marine Board. He said he had a conversation with Hutchinson, the second oiheer, about tlneo minutes after the vessel struck, and told him how matteis stood, and where the captain had been. All that time witness had no hope of escaping. No seaman could have had such a hopo The tir.-t time he (witness) heard of a complaint against him was when the captain gave his evidence at tho Coroner's Court. The captain previously had been most cordial tow aids him In lepiy to Captain Webber's ooun-tl (Dr Sly), witness said he could see bieakcrs on the right and left hand of the vessel ju.-t betore -he struck. He could not hav»j tui ned the ve^-el's head away from the d mger whilst the captain was at the wheel. Kai he (witness) lurried her hcaH, and she hrtd co.no to ho would have boen chained with murder. Ho could not see that tho vessel was going into danger. Shts was going vmy c!o?e, but it might have been that she was passing botween tho Cape and an outlying rock. Fred IT. Trouten, Government Manager ot tho Ai sfcrataa'an Steam Navigation Company, sa.d he had had great experience on the coast between Mclbourno and Sydney. A duo Noith course fiom a mile outbide Cape Howe would take a ve?sol on the reef at Green Cape. Dr Sly : Sup posing the officer on the v atch sees danger, should he not turn tho vessel's head oil? Witness : Dut idedly. Dr. Sly : And then inform the Captain? Witnees : Yes. Thore i? a book or instructions provided for such ea-ios Witness gave Captain Webber a voiy high chaiacter, and contendod that it was an officGi's duty to koop a vessel off danger which ho could see. In this co-e by the officer's own admission he did not know whether there was any danger outride the points or not, and his duty was to avoid the danger he mw, and not that which ho only conjectured. Mr Johnson (magistrate) asked if an officer, in steering a course given to him, calls the captain, who comes on deck, would it then be the duty of that officer to alter the vessel's course ? Witness : If he knew the captain was on deck and in cbai gc ot the vessel, I do not think it would. The Magistrate : Would ho be justified in altering the course, knowing that the captain was on deck and in the whcelhou?e? Witness: No. He would not be justified in altering the coimo. It would be an interference with tho captain's authority. In the Book of Instructions, Section 22, mariners mo cautioned against approaching to within two milos of the const line, an island, rock, or sunken danger, tax] in the ovont of &uch deviation from a general courw being necessary, tho commander was oidered to vako personal charge Dr. Sly asked,the Magistrate it he thought there was bufficient evidence on which to convict accused. The whole ca?e rested upon Fotheringham's evidence, and he had been charged with the very oritno tho captain was charged with." Mr Johnson : That i 3 a matter for a jury. I certainly think a pri »>a facie cose has been made out. Accused was committed for trial at the next sittings of the Criminal Court. Bail was granted in prisoner on his own recognizances of £500, and two sureties of £250 c-r one of £300. Dr. Sly said Captain Tiouton had such a high opinion of Captain Webber that he would go bail for him.

Respecting the eftt.'ibli.shmcnt of a permanent < oloni/U Museum, Mr Graham Berry, Sir Saul Samuel and Mr Ganick quebtion whether the colonies would grant an annual vote for its support. It is considered that the scheme", as at present suggested, is crude, and many exhibitors will not give their exhibits.