AUCKLAND.

Taranaki Herald, Volume I, Issue 44, 1 June 1853, Page 4

AUCKLAND.

PPESBYTEBIAN MINISTCR FOB AUCKLAND. — It appears, that, from some cause rti yet unexplained, the appointment of ihe Rev. Mr. Grant, mentisneil in our lust numb' r, in not to be carried into effect as, on the 4th of Junuary, the Rev. Mr Bru- c, of Aberdeen, was ordained in that city to the charge of tho Free Church in Auckland. The Dedication Service was conducted by the Rev. Mr. Adam of the Fiee South Church, in Aberdeen, and the questions .were proposed by the Rev. Mr.^Forbes, of

WooiJside. Tbe Rev. Mr. Bonar, from Glasgow, and the Rev. Mr. Lumsden, from Barry, ntl ended on the occasion, we understand that Mr, Bruce was highly esleemed by the people amongst whom he ministered at Aberdeen and that a subscription was in progress, for a testimonial of their regard to be presented Io him on his leaving. Mr Bruce may probably be expected to arrive by one of the first vessels from England. Promotion. — We observe with pleasure that Dr. Bac t of Howick, has "got a step" The announcement thus appeared in the London Gnzctte of December 3. — " Hospital Sinfj;— Assistant Staff Surgeon J. T. W Bncot to be Staff Surgeon of the second Class. DREADI'UL MURDFR— COaONER'S INQUBST. Our pcncenble neighbourhood, — in which the more serious crimes are of such exceedinitly rare occurancc— hat been ttnrtled by the perpetration of a murder attended with circumstances of the most foul and revoliini; atrocity. The vie im wai Mr. Richard HalMiui.e « baKer in the employment of Mr. George, in bhorllnml 'Street, and the kerne of the enormity, a house in which he resided alone at the Cabbage Trre Swamp Road, within about * mile and a half from the town. The facts, a» f»' as they transpired at tho Coroner's Inquest, wil be learned from the following report of the cvi, denea given at the inquest which was held bsfore Dr.D»vics, Coroner, on Saturday afternoon, a the Wheat Sheaf Inn, in Queen-street, to which the tiody had been removed. Mrs. Maty Juitin, residing at tho Cabbage Tre'o Swamp llond, near the Louie of the deceased, deposed,— On Frldny morning she observing a slow smolio from Mr. Ritbbone's houie { she sent her child logrt « light ) the child relumed slating thu' Ihe fire wat out, and that she could not find Mr. Rnthbone; nitness went herself in the evening to tuk ' some butler «'i)(l milk; the tent her child up•tuirij the child told her tlmt the taw no bed there, witness perceived a singed smell, she taw only deceased's hat and walking stick. On Satur* day morning she atked Mr. Homo, » neighbour to examine the house as she could find Mr, Rnth. bone iio-whcre. They went into the bed room, Mr. Home fust. Mr* Hume cried out "There he It I" the »vf deceased lying straight in bed ! and hit foot burned. His face was the colour of the Maorics. The bcd-clothes were much burned The bed was on the floor, there was straw about il'i 1 ' She titw dropt of Blood on tbe floor. Saw Mr! Rathbonc last alivo on Thur-dny. The bed-room door was open- Deceased wat in the habit of fast•mng hit door at night having been once rolibedThe Foreman of the Jury (Mr. Wells, of Wakofield»stroet) here represented to the Coroner that from the serious aspect of the case it would be tie. tii able thm the Jury should see the place in which the body was found, The Coroner replied (hat v was then to late to go there that cvming; information of the occurrence had been rrcrivcd oniy at 12 o'clock, but if after hearing further e> ideuc, he (Dr. Duvici) mid the Jury thought it nicestnrj the inquest might be adjourned, and they could go early/on Monday to tho houitc. Tbe examination of witnesses was then proceeded with. Thomas Home, being sworn, — having ttatcd hi, accompanying the latt witness to the home, early on Saturday morning continued:— 'he went up ■inirs nnd B aw a boUtcr lying on tho floor, alto tb c framsiwork of a bed like a «tretcher,~Decctucd had been in the habit of sleeping there became the lower room was damp. Saw in the room a ttool, tnuffeit, and snufftray. Oil going into tbe inner room below, saw the deceased lying burnt 'mm the middle downwards. All the ceutre of the bed was burnt. Deceased was a quiet tobcr man. Witness came to town, and informed the Police. Having with the Police made farther examination he saw a pool of blood aud m«rk« of scuffling: it appeared at if tomebody hud tlippcd in tho blood, lie had often sren a cv l*s« or a long cavalry sword with dccraicd : this could not be found, nor <ould ii watch which he knew the deceased possessed. He did not think that noise in the house would have been heard at Mrs. Justin's. Dr. J J.R. Dallitmn demoted (hat he made a postmortem exainiuntinn. He found a were wouud/bn the back of dcceccased't head, which teemed to have been mnde withj a tomahawk or •mall aie : about the lize of half a Crovin of the external table of the tciill ni cut away. There was a second wound on tho leti lower jaw, likely to have been inflicted by an inmrumen: of the tama kind) tlie bone wat broked into several pieces or shivers, I Thore wai a third wound at tho right angle of the owerjair. Thit wai evidently a stab. It matt have wounded some of tbe branches of the carotid arteiy, which would liave bled largely. He thought Hil-. mutt have been the immediate cause of d<:aih* There were two stabs on the right arm, and two

on tho let ihouldrr ; there were illo tereral is rore bruiiei about the »rnu and ahouldo-i. The niiunds had certainly bren inflicted duiing lifr. The whole of the body from the client ■lownwardi m< dlsorganiittl by fire. The pnint of a twoid wonld h»»« inflicted the wnundi ho had described si lUbt, It ii quite impoiplble that the drceand could himiolf have inflcted the wound on tho back of the houd, We should odd that there ia a Very gencml— io far a* wo Imte heard an umremt — opinion that the Jury ought to hate had an opportunity of newing the body as it lay before it hud been removed, and forming ilieir own judgement from what they might have observed around it in the scene of the dreadful transaction. It hni since been Ascertained that the floor under the body win burnt through. The Government have oflVred n Reward of £50 for the detection of the perpetrator or pc rpcirmon of the horrible deed, and the Police are vigilcntly on the alert ; but up to yraivnlay evening no satis, f ctory olue to the discovery Imd been obtained.