TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1468, 16 February 1886, Page 1

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

It is expected Auckland will be represented by 40 carbine and rifle shots at the Rifle Association meeting at Wanganui. At the Resident Magistrate’s C«'urt, Wellington, on Friday, afternoon, a young man named Frank McDowell was committed for trial on a charge of embezzling £94, moneys alleged to belong to James McDowell, clothier. An old offender named Sydney Knight was fined £5, or one month's imprisonment, at the Dunedin Police Court on Friday for wife beating, the reason alleged being that she would nor, lead an immoral life. He has to find sureties to keep the peace for six months, and has little chance of doing so. Intelligence was received at Dunedin on Friday that Mr Prince, electrician, was thrown from his horse while proceeding to inspect the Phoenix mine, in company with Mr Bullen, the owner, and Mr R. Wilson. Mr Prince’s skull wasfractured, and no hopes are entertained of his recovery. During the voyage of the ship Opawa from London to Auckland a lad named H. Hogger fell from the cross jack yard into the sea. There was a heavy gale blowing at the time, but a boat was lowered and every effort made to save him, but without avail. A boy named Qriffifths, son of Mr S. S. Griffiths, commercial traveller, was found drowned in Auckland harbor at the rear of the gasworks on Saturday morning. It is believed he was fishing off the trestlework used in connection with the Te Aro reclamation and fell off.

Great interest is being taken in the licensing question at Auckland, and on Saturday there were large nominations for three out of the four wards. For Te Aro and Cook Wards there were ten nominations ; for Lambton nine, and for Thorndon six. The temperance party held a lecture in favor of their cause at the Theatre on Saturday afternoon. There was a large attendance, and Sir William Fox presided. Mr Glover, who had been engaged by the Temperance Alliance, made a strong appeal to the audience to return the temperance candidates. The offences return fur the Christchurch police district is just completedit shows that 2031 offences were repotted, and 1885 persons apprehended, during the year, against 2384 reported and 2200 apprehended during 1884,

The Licensing Committee nominaticis for Christchurch were completed on Friday, The temperance party are opposing the old Committee in all districts, but their success is considered doubtful.

William Mit .hell, a milkman of Lytte’ton, attempted to commit suicide Inst Thursday night by taking a bottle of some strong liniment. Emetics were administered, and the man was sufficiently recovered to be brought before the Police Court on Fiiduy morning. Excesssive drinking is the supposed cause. The int-rprovincial bowling matches Otago v. Canterbury were concluded on Thursday, when the result of the contest for the Cunningham Cup was a victory for the Christchurch Club, which retains the trophy for the present year. The Phoenix Company at Skippers obtained 1400ozs of bar gold from 730 tons.

Mra Mary Ann Carlson attempted suicide at Dunedin cutting her throat. The injury is but slight. She had been drinking heavily, and it appears she was left by her husband for some time with a young family, and this preyed on her mind. The Standard Insurance annual report states that the revenue, including the balance brought forward, was £85,514 and the expenditure £77,416, leaving a balance of £8127. A dividend at the rate of 7J per c'-nt is recommended.

Cardinal Moran held a reception at Dunedin on Saturday, at which a large number of persons attended. He may probably give a temperance lecture on his return from the North.

A navvy named Frank Park was killed near Nenthoru on the Otago Central line on Friday. He was engaged with others blasting, and returning after it was thought the blast had all gone off, one which hung fire exploded, hurling a tremendous piece of rock, which fell on him, and took eight men, with crowbars, ► o.ne time to remove. Park was fearfully crushed, and died some hour* after. Thomas Spence was charged at the Invercargill Police Court on Saturday with indecently assaulting a girl aged 11 years and remanded.

John Templeton, merchant, of Wyndham, Southland, has been declared a bankrupt. The liabilities are said to be heavy, ten thousand being named as the figures. The assets are supposed to be of considerable value. The heaviest creditors are Dir edin firms.

Two hoys named Gibson and Stuck, went into the Bush near Riverton, Southland, to obtain saplings. They went close to a burning tree top, part of which fell, striking both lads. Gibson, whose body was literally smashed, died instantly,, while Stuck escaped with a broken leg. At the inquest a verdict ,of accidental death was returned. At Gibson’s funeral a number of boys were present and they afterwards went for a bathe in the , lagoon. One of them named Joseph ' Richards, aged 12, got out of his depth and was drowned. One of his companions (Nickles), attempted to rescue Richards, and actually got hold of him, but lacked the strength to drag him into shallow water. Some Volunteers were shooting some distance off but the boys in their excitement did not give the alarm till after dressing. The body was soon recovered, but life was extinct. At the Resident Magistrate’s Court, Wellington, on Fridny 4 .afternoon # a care of some interest to sporting gentlemen was heard. The action was brought by one Daniel Dark to recover from the IslanJ Bay Racing and Coursing Club the sum of £2 6s, which plaintiff alleged should have been paid to him as a dividend on the Consolation Race at the anniversary meeting at Island Bay. It appears that on the Consolation Race plaintiff invested £2 in the totalisator on a horse named Talebearer, which was a siartei. The race was a dead heat be-

tween Talebearer and Little Scrub, and in the run off the latter won, and after a few minutes consultation the Stewards of the Club authorised the men working the totalisators to pay out the whole of the money (less the usual percentage) to the investors on Little Scrub, but the plain'iff alleges that by the conditions attached to the machine the money should have beeu equally divided between the horses running the heat, and then distributed to the investors on each of those horses as provided by rule 4, which provides in the event of a dead heat the money is divided between the horses. Evidence for the plaintiff was taken as to the purchase of tickets and applications having been made for payment which was refused. Mr Gully, for the defence, submitted that the public ought not to be guided by rules attached to totalisators, but if there was any mistake it should be corrected on the course at once. Ho contended there was no moral obligation resting on the Club to pay the money, and although the totalizator was legalised he considered it a strong point whether any money could be recovered in a Court of Law, The whole question was whether the investment of money in totalisators worked by a Club constituted a contract.

H« was of opinion it did not. Mr Menteath, for the plaintiff submitted that the totaliostor was not a gaming within the provisions of the Gaming Lotteries Aortas clause 46 and 47 specially exempted it. After further argurniufc His Worship, in giving judgment, said that investments in the tntalisators were nothing more than bets on racing, and therefore this was a bar to the action being sustained. He gave judgment for the defendant company with £9 costs. Notice of appeal ?/as given.