AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

Colonist, Volume XVI, Issue 1660, 15 August 1873, Page 4

AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

Thb Absuidb Ship Mttbdbb.-«A (booking murder was commited on board the barque Tongay on Saturday, 26th July, the victim being the master of that vessel. After the ship was towed to the anchorage, four of her seamen, named Joseph Adams, William Edgar, Thomas Bl'Lean, and Ben Bebbeck, were placed in her by the the police, having been taken from the gaol to the ship under a warrant of deliverance. These men seemed to have had a bad intention when boarding, for threats were heard as to what would happen. On Saturday morning the sailors refused to man the windlass, consequently the signal was made for a shore boat, in which the ofcptain landed to procure some help to lift tb« anchor. At five o'clock he returned to his ship, and the order was passed along to proceed to sea, when the four of the crew before mentioned walked aft, and asked what was to be done to them, in allusion to their previous misconduct. The captain replied, " I will tell you on Monday morning." Adams said, " You son of a ——, I will do for you; take that," at the same instant giving the master a blow with some weapon, which he then threw overboard. The captain was immediately felled to the deck, and whila the cowardly assailants skulked away forwards, the officers carried the master below. He never-again, spoke. The fearful blow he received gashed the upper lip completely through, and the btood flowed down his throat till asphyxia resulted. Once the mate felt Captain Wittacombe press his hand, but no other sign of consciousness was made, and in an hour :he ceased to breathe. It was shown that Adams had the cook's rolling-pin in his haqd before he went alt, and that was supposed to have been the weapon of death. The captain was a young man on his first I Voyage as muster, and belonged to Plymouth, where J his father was an officer in the Coas' guard service. What adds a melancholy interest to the case is the fact that just six weeks before his leaving England he was married, and had looked forward with much pleasure to an early return to his wife. When the men were taken to the police, station thry had not been informed of the captain's death, and therefore treated the whole affair with the greatest levity, they having atlaned their object in getting ashore from the vessel. When, however, the oharge of murder was read over to Adams, his manner changed. It is said that:each man drew lots to decide who should strike the blow which should bring them before a magistrate, and the lot fell on Adams. It is not yet certain with what the accessories are to be charged, but doubtless more will be learned after the inquest. —Abridged from the South Australian Register. Pbrcooious Yotjngstbes.—A ooupie of youngsters in Victoria, aged 10 und 11 respectively, have been taken in charge by a constable for being drunk and disorderly near the gallery entrance of the' Theatre Royal. A few days'before some boys of tender age stole a horse worth £20, and sold it to the proprietor of a boiling-down establishment for 7s. 6d. —Southern- Cross.

A pbisonbb in the Pentridge Stockade (Victoria), after shamming insanity for three years, was brought to his sober senses by low diet and solitary confinement.

Manufactobb ot Cayenne Pepper in the Colonies.—Mr. Tolson has afforded the Geelong (Victoria) Advertiser an opportunity of testing some Colonial-manufaotured cayenne pepper made from three " birds-eye " chili plants in his garden. It was hotter than the imported article, and there was a fresh flavor about it that cannot be obtained from pepper that has been kept in bottles for some time There is no reason why the manufacture of such pepper should not be the means of establishing another Colonial industry.

Thebb seems a certainty of South Australian copper mines being flourishing industries for a long time to 'come. The Moonta mine alone gives employment to something like 1200 hands, and has lately been paying dividends after the rate of £120,000 a-year.— Grey River Argus. Thk Victorian Government. proposes to expend this year £127,000 upon public buildings; £158,500 on water supply; and £60,156 upon dock works.