TROUBLED AUSTRALIA.

Temuka Leader, Issue 4013, 19 February 1903, Page 1

TROUBLED AUSTRALIA.

DISASTROUS BUSH FIRES AND CYCLONIC STORMS. SYDNEY, Feb. 16. As an outcome of the dry weather and sonic cases of careless; use of nre, serious blish tires are raging, in various patts. ,bf the,, Sthti,, At Nelson Bay,. several farms'and sxvept, through - the cemetery,- .The’fire’is still ’buriiing. Three!arms have Jieen d&nolishfed at Rockwell, the fire having been started by hoys rabbitting. At Dungog, the fire swept close to the town, destroying the grandstand and sheds on the racecourse. The Church of England and rectory buildings were saved after a )iard fight. The flames spread to a residence near the racecourse and 'destroyed it. The hospital containing ai iunnber of fever patients, . was saved with difficulty. Hundreds of horses and cattle stampeded into town. As the day advanced the wind grew stronger, and drove the fire intothe south end of the township; At Hanley’s Creek, a few miles south of Dungog, people became terror stricken and adandoned their homes to the flames. In contrast to this an exceedingly cold snap is occurring at Kiandra, heavy snow falling tb-day. The glass stands at 35. MELBOURNE, Feb. 16. The cyclonic storm, with dense dust traversed the greater pa t of the State. It was particularly severe around Melbourne. The public school at: Montagu was completely wrecked, , and a woman was seriously injured by hying debris. The gale plaiyed havoc with a number of business places in South Melbourne. MURDEROUS ASSAULT. ■ DUNEDIN, F,eb. i:6. Mr Thbrnas , Reid,;, a ' clerk ini the employ ,pf ;S.dh, Even, was murderously 'ahsadltcd.,ahd ; . robbM, this, ’aftbrnbdn pf £286: r ! The money required“ to; pay tlie employees in the firm’s boot ‘ factory is, taken from the bank'to the, warehouse,; and there mads, up .lihto i.paibeis. ; It Was Mr Reid’s duty ‘to take the nibhey ’ from the warehouse to the boot factory, which 'is situated behind, the railway station, ‘Evidently -someone who khpw riSMtihe of the 'business waited for Mt Reid, and as he : passed a vacant 'section heari the boot factory, came'out through a ! hole' in the fence and struck Mr i Reid a ’stunning;blow from behind,, and then put a, sack over his. head,, bleared out with the £'2B6 Which he was carrying. Mr Reid, who is 23 years of age, :was, later ffound in a s'emi-conscibus' condition, and; was removed tp the hospital, where he relapsed into unconsciousness without having spoken so far. He has a cut on the back' of his head, evidently produced by a blunt instrument. Up to the present (11.50> p.m.: no arrest has beeh made in connection wit)) the robbery. Two men were sepi) abput the lo locality with a heavy spring cart. This cart and horse were found at large in Vogel street this evening. The horse seemed as if it had been driven a considerable distance. DUNEPIN, Feb. 17. Just before midnight of Monday the police arresip'd Thomas •Rh’msay in connection with, the robbery pf Mr Reid near Sargpodls. The ’accused was reihfihded for a week. No ’further arrest has beeh ‘made in connection ■ With the, .asbaiilt ‘oh: M r Reid 'ahd rbbbery of : £2h:s; Mr; Reid is still unable tO speak' coherently. Feb. 18. John Cairns, a, Tasmarnan, Ms been arrested in cionfiectiori withithe robbery near Sargood’s.