INTERPROVINCIAL.

Timaru Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 1465, 2 June 1879, Page 2

INTERPROVINCIAL.

[Per " Timaru Herald " Special Wire.] Napier, May 31. The prisoner McLennan waa to-day committed for trial on a charge of poisoning his wife. The case occupied the Resident Magistrate's Court all the week, and has excited a great deal of public interest. The most important additional evidence was that of a woman named McDonald, who knew the prisoner at Geraldine. He told her before his wife's death that he was over head and ears m debt, and had passed forged cheques, but that he had managed to keep his wife m ignorance of his troubles. After her death he at>ain appeared at the witness' house, at Patangata, and remarked that it was a good job that his wife was out of the way, as he was free to go to Africa. She afterwards found that there was a suspicion of his wife having been murdered, and told him so. He first said with some curiosity, " Could they detect poison so long after death 1 " and afterwards, " I loved her too much to poison her." He also Baid that if an attempt was made to arrest him he would shoot the policeman, and theu shewed her a revolver. New Plymouth, May 31. The Hineinoa, with the Governor, Sir George Grey, and Colonel Whitmore on board, arrived here this morning, at about noon. The party, cm landing, were conveyed to Mr Caverhill's house, which has been given over to tho Vice-Regal party. It is expected the party will remain ltere till Tuesday next, and then leave for Auckland. Wellington, May 31. Gleich has been, released from gaol. Alfred Lindsay, boot importer, has assigned his estate to T. W. Young, merchant. His liabilities are about L 14,000, and his assets about L 17,000. The customs revenue collected at the port of Wellington fur the month ending today amounted to L 12.563 8a 9d. For the corresponding month of last year it was L 16.693 11s Gd. During the month of May 85 births and 31 deaths were registered m Wellingtan, and 24 marriage certificates issued. Captains Hewitt, Rose and Cross, who form the Royal Commission touching the wreck of the s.s. Taupo, returned from Tauranga yesterday. It is understood they have not yet concluded their labors. A supplementary Gazette authorises the shooting oi hares within the counties of Maniototo, Vincent, Waikouaiti, Lake, Peninsula, Taieri, Bruce, Chitlia, and Tuapeka, between the Ist June and 31st July. The experiment of lighting the trains on the Wellington and Featherston Railway, with gas manufactured en route, has at length been rewarded with success. A trial was made on a train a night or two ago, and proved conclusively that so soon as the trains are fitted with complete apparatus, it will light them with safety and economy. Preparations are now m progress to carry out this system of lighting, which probably will be applied to all the New Zealand railways, from its great superiority m every way to the dirty and inefficient oil light hitherto m use. A man on whose word we can rely (says the New Zealander), informed us last night that he had brought to town several ounces of alluvial gold, found m one of the up-country districts. At present we are not at liberty to mention the locality, as the man has not yet secured his own interests, nnd wishes to make further investigations, but we have every reason to put faith m the statement of our informant. The perjury case against Mr Kinross, of Napier, occupied the Resident Magistrate's Court all day. The examination of the naive witmsses was very slow ; ail they said having to be taken down m both Maori and English. Very little progress was therefore made, and nothing very important was elicited. The chief witness j,was Pariaweirua, wha deposed that Kinross now claimed certain lands of his known as Pakowai, m payment for / spirits . . supplied to the witness. The land had. been mortgaged to Kinross, but only for four years. The witness had got goods and money from Kinross on various occasions. He had transacted business with Kinross through George Worgan, who acted as interpreter. The goods of various kinds had been debited by Kinross to him, and laid against his interest m the Pakowai estate. He always got whatever he asked for m connection with the estate Irnm Kinross' store, whether goods, money, or spirits. He could not say how much spirits he got, but he used to get two cases at a time. The spirits were all charged against the mortgage on the estate. He always signed a document when he got goods, spirits, or money. He did not understand the contents of these documents. Kinross used to tell him the amounts of the cheques. He could not read himself. The case was further adjourned to June 10th. Imogene Flinders, a married woman, attempted suicide by throwina herself from a wharf m the harbor. When rescued she was nearly dead. She was taken to the hospital. Chbistchcrch, May 31. A box of surgical instruments, quite new, was found the night before last m a stall of the old Provincial S tables, Durham street. The police, so far, have been unable to find an owner. The births m Christchurch and surrounding district during May were 158 m number, against 162 m the same month last year. The marriages were 36 against 33, and tho deaths 61 against 49. Oamartt, June 1. The number of vessels which entered inwards during May was 43, with an aggregate registered tonnage of 6478 tons. The number outwards was 36, with a tonnage of 6198. The Customs revenue for the month of May was L 1393 193 4d, as against L 1723 Is Id for May 1878. The difference is accounted for by the fact that much leBS goods are loaded here now than formerly. Dunbdin, May 31. On Thursday it was reported to the police that an elderly man named Stevens, working at the steam laundry m Cumber-land-street, was missing from his home. Yesterday afternoon a resident of South Dunedin, whilst walking on the beach near Lawyers-head, found the body of a man which subsequently proved to be that of Stevens. A bottle half full of brandy

was found at hia side. Tha body was at once removed to the morgue by a cabman named Burman, who came on the scene shortly afterwards — and an inquest will probably be held on Monday. The vital statistics for Dunedin district for the mouth ending to-day, are as follows :— Births, 149 ; deaths, 55, including two from tyhoid fever ; marriages 39. For the month of May last year, the returns were — Births, 155 ; deaths, 33 ; marriages, 38. The " Zealandia " panorama i9 to be exhibited m Oamaru and Timaru next week.