ACCIDENTS OFFENCES, ETC.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1243, 25 September 1884, Page 1

ACCIDENTS OFFENCES, ETC.

A man was thrown from bis horse at Wanganui on Sunday last when passing the Salvation Array Band. A laboring man named Evans attempted to commit suicide at Auckland on Tuesday last by cutting his throat. He is in a very dangerous state. At Brisbane recently a colored man named Hall shot his wife and then cut his own throat. The woman will probably recover. Hall’s case is hopeless. The cause was jealously. The Salvation Army in Blenheim continues its nocturnal processions, with torches and hymn-singing, notwithstanding the prohibition by the Borough Council. It is believed the latter have no power to act. Constable Gartmill, stationed at Shsffield, while crossing the railway after dark on Saturday was knocked down and run over by a truck, which was being shunted off to another line. He received injuries to the groin, and had one thigh broken. He died in the Christchurch hospital at noon on Monday. An attempted murder and suicide occurred at Prahran, Victoria. A baker named Gustave Beefer, who has been keeping company with a young girl named Jane Irvine, 16 years of age, became terribly jealous and fired at (he girl twice and then at himself. The girl is expected to recover. His case is hopeless.

Robert Pinlayson, charged with arson of a small store at Riparoa, near Gisborne, bis own property, was committed for trial. The insurance was only effected the month before,* and prisoner’s footmarks were traced from the scene of the tire to a whare, where it was proved accused slept the night. Accused’s boots fits exactly with the footprints. Piniaysoa said to Hayes, a native, “ You got me into this. When I get out I’ll shoot you.” The Resident Magistrate’s Court _at Napier has been occupied two days investigating a murderous assault on Jack Lofley, the well-known Taupo guide. On the night of the 27th August four men set upon him at Tara went, and severely injured him. Owing to the darkness he could not identify his assailants by sight, but from the voice he believed he recognised in one of the men Sergeant Cleary, of the Armed Constabulary. Recharged Cleary with assault. The evidence was m.ist contradictory. At the end of the hearing the Resident Magistrate said there was a strong case of suspicion, but the identification of Cleary was not complete. He therefore dismissed the information, but refused costs to Cleary’s counsel. He committed for trial for perjury.a constable named Wilson, and told Cleary that his evidence was so contradictory that it showed him to be utterly unfit for a police officer, and he hoped he would not be allowed to remain in the force.

A sad case of supposed suicide took place' in Nelson about ten o’clock last Monday night. A young man named Henry Cresswell, son of Air Cresawell, Chief Clerk in the Nelson Post Office, had been to a weekly drill of Naval Volunteers, of which he was a member, and returned home between nine and ten o’clock, but instead of entering the bouse he went into an outhouse where the fatal occurrence took place. His mother heard a rapori, but did not think it was on their premises. On his father coming home, he went to see that all was safe, when, to his horror, he found the deceased dead, shot through the heart. He was dressed in the full uniform of his company, and in his carbine was an empty cartridge case, and in his pouch were nine loaded c irtridges. The deceased was nineteen years of age, and had been employed on the Colonist for two or three years. At the inquest no evidence throwing additional light on the cause of the suicide was adduced, and a verdict was returned to the effect that death was caused by a gunshot wound, but by whom inflicted there was no evidence to show.