DOUBLE TRAGEDY.

Colonist, Volume XXXI, Issue 5313, 7 September 1888, Page 4

DOUBLE TRAGEDY.

SAD FATE OP A BRAYS -GIRL. Melboubue, August 29. George Rennie, a single man, aged 55, residing with his brother at Upper Thornton, was at work on the 20th August, on hia ■selection, about two miles from bis brother's'house, anJ in the 'wildest portion of the bush. He accompanied twCother selectors named Beat'ie. While the two Beaities were in the act of felling a tree, the tree fell, andiu doing so struck a,large dry tree, which shot down the hill at a terrific rate.. Before Rennie could escape the trea struck' him on the leg, and liter ally smashed the joiut downwards in pieces. The men above quickly repaired to the sceue. No time was lost in traveling the thick and almost impenetrablecountry, but, unfortunately, there was great delay in rescuing Rennie. Ultimately the Bnfferer died at tlie Alexandra Hospital nearly twelve hours after meeting with the accident. On being received he was in a very low fctate from loss of blood. The doctor administered chloroform and amputated the right leg above the knee, but just as the operation was ! concluded tha man breathed his last. While all haste was being made from the house to rescue Bennie, a sad fatality overtook a brave young lady named Jace Nichol, daughter of an old and respected resident at Upper Thornton. Hearing that the accident had occurred, she gallantly offered her services to Rennia's sister-in-law by fording the river Goulbourn. This the sister-in-law endeavored to dissuade her from doing, but, suddenly leaving, she lost but little time in procuring a hoise, and ventured to cross the Goulbourn at a~spot where fording is particularly dangerous owing to the bottom of the river being of a rocky and uneven nature and slippery. Two of the girls sisters followed her to the bank to watch the daring feat. When Miss Nichol reached the middle of the rapid-flowing stream her horse slipped from under her, and sb.3 was seen struggling in the water. The fact that her riding ekirts caught the horn of the saddle made escape impossible, but in oonsequence of her still maintaining her bold of the bridle the horsa moved round and violently plunged. In an instant the girl was seen floating away and her horse swimmiug back. Upon reaching the bank a portion of the girl's skirt was found fixed to the horn of the saddlo. The unfortunate girl was seen drifting I down the centra of the river for a considerable distance by her sisters. It is supposed that the horse became excited when Misa Niohoi left the saddle, and in plunging struck her, causing her to let go her hold of the bridle, and that after floating away she was insensible. Nothing more baa bean seen of her. The police are dragging the river in the hope of recovering her body. She was a fine horsewoman, and her act is looked upon as one of great bravery. This sad calamity, following on the death of the unfortunate man Bennie, cast a'gloom over the whole of the Thornton and Alexandra districts.

A church of England clergyman, who was travelling on the Continent, was exceedingly partial to a psculiarly hot kind of pickle, a bottle of which he invariably carried about with him wherever he went. An Ainerioao, who was seated next to him one day at tallc d'hote, thinking these pickles were for general use, began to help himself. "I beg your pardon/sir," interrupted the clergymen-, " those pickles are minej but help yourself, you're quite welcome to try them." The American thanked him and tasted them. '• Stranger, I guess you're a parson ?" " I am," he rasponaed.— (A slight pause.) Stranger, do you believe in eternal punishment, everlasting fire, and all that sort of thing?" "Certainly I do. But what makes you ask?" *'I kinder thought so. "Well, I calculate you're the fast parson I've met wlro- carried samples about with him."