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Timaru Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 1846, 21 August 1880, Page 2

A NBW Zbaland Forqbb. — Tho Australasian of August 7th says : — Murray Cowell Kavera, tho bank clork from Now Zealand who was eomo time ago charged with embezzlement, but who was discharged by the City Bench on Saturday, m consequenco of tbo non-arrival of the original warrant, was again boforo the Court on Monday, having been re-arrested. Trooper Coylo, from Marton, Wellington, New Zealand, produced tho original warrant and depositions, and prisoner was remanded to gaol pending tbo preparation of the Governor's warrant authorising his extradition to New Zealand. It appears that tho prisoner was a clerk m tho Marton branch of tho Bank of Now Zealand, and that a man named Murdoch M'Donald, who could not write, had an account at the Bank. Ho used to get his cheques written out for him and thon attach his mark. Tho prisonor mado out a cheque for £75 and cashed it himsolf, marking tho document and piissing it through the books m tho usual manner. Mr M'Donald, when his pass-book was made up, discovered tho fraud, and tho cheque being m prisoner's handwriting a warrant was issued for his orrosfc, and ho was captured m Melbourne, having como to Victoria aftor his dismissal from tho Bank, which had taken place m the moantimo. A Defective Law. — A northern exchange hai tho following : — A Maori girl was arrested on a charge of larceny at Otaki, and was placed m the lock-up, but managed, by the aid of a man named Rumsey, to pull up some of the flooring boards of tho building and to oscape. Rumsey was committed for trial for aiding and abotting, but, on behalf of tho girl prisonor, Mr Hawkins raised objection that tho chargo was not an offonco within tho meaning of tho Act, his argument being that there really is no law under which a person who escapes from custody before trial can be punished. Commenting on tho tubjoct, tho lianawatu Herald remarks : — " Tho law is very strict rogarding persons escaping who have been convicted of an offence and committed to gaol, but, apparently, if a person ii arrested, and escapes from gaol before ho is brought before tho Court, and committed to prison, it ia no offonco. If a man eicapes from the constablo taking him to gaol it is a serious offenco, but if ho escapes from the gaol itself aftor tho policeman has run him m the law says nothing to him, Tho only law bear-

ing on the question seems to be tho Vagrant Act 1866, sub-section 1 of section 5, which provides that ' Any person who shall break or escape out of any place of legal con* finement before the expiration of the term for which he shall have been committed shall be liable to two years' imprisonment.' That section evidently applies to a person escaping from gaol after conviction and committed to prison/but an the girl Ti Oriori had not been committed there was no law upon which she could be convicted." We may add that the Court upheld the objections raised by counsel, and dismissed the charge. Mblboubnb Laebikins. — A new application of the garotte (says tho Melbourne Age) has been adopted by some of the criminals of this city, if wo may rely upon the statements of a correspondent, who has furnished us with the following particulars for the accuracy of whom bo vouches. Ho states that on an evening recently a gentleman was going up Latrobe street, on hu way home, about eight o'clock. He was walking carelessly along with both hands m his pockets, when suddenly, as he was passing a lane near the corner of Swanston street, a rope was thrown latso fashion over his head, and ho was dragged to tho ground and pulled up tho lane as quickly as possible for about thirty yards. Fortunately for himself he was strong, and catching hold of tho ropo ho braced his leg against a stono and was pulled to an upright position. By a sudden jerk he got possession of the rope, and finding himself attacked by from twelve to twenty of tho larrikin class, ho turned the rope's end to an effective weapon of resistance. By swinging tho ropo round his head ho succeeded m keeping tho ruffians off, and, regaining the street, took refuge m the nearest publichouse. Bbooklyn Biudgh. — Tho Brooklyn Bridge, which is now nearirJg completion, spanning the arm of tho sea winch separates New York from Brooklyn, is (says tho American Exporter) without doubt tho boldest undertaking m tho way of a bridgo ttructure ever attempted. As a work of engineering skill it cannot bo fully appreciated without knowing something of its magnitude and the uses for which it it designed. The total length of tho bridgo is 5989 ft, and width 85ft. Tho central or river span is 1595 ft, being 600 ft greater than the now widest span. This ia suspended from four great cables, each 15}in m diameter, running over two towers, one on each side of tho river, 278 ft m height above high water mark. Those cables are each composed of 5296 parallel (not twisted) galvanised oilcoated wires closely wrapped into a solid cylinder. The clear height of tho bridge m the centre of the river span is to bo 135 ft. The construction of this bridgo was commenced Jan, 2, 1870, and its bunders aro now laying the roadway wires. It is now estimated that it will not be finished before 1882, and that it will coat whon completed at least 18,000,000d015. The original estimate of cost was 9,000,000d015, and upon this hypothesis its construction was begun and carried on until its towers aro now the most prominent objocts seen by the incoming marinor. Tho time for counting tho cost or weighing the wisdom of tho two cities engaging m inch a tremendous enterprise is now past; and whether tho advantages that are to accrue to the public will be adequate to the cost of the work or not, it must be finished. Then America may with good reason claim the greatest bridge m the world — a bridge that engineers and strangers will regard with wonder and admiration. The object is to open up communication between New York and Brooklyn for the passage of street cars, road vehicles of every description, and pedestrians, so as to relievo Now York of ita overcrowdod population. Thb Biteb Bit.— The Australasian says that on tho Saturday upon whioh the deciding course for tho Waterloo Cup was run rumors were abroad to the effect that Bashful Maid was the winner, and upon making due inquiry it was found that the message receirtd by tho usual pigeon express gave " Bashful Maid, boat Springwater." Throughout the meeting, until this particular occasion, the messages were forwarded with due accuracy, and it is not tho blunder on tho part of tho " pigeon," strange though it may appear, that we are concerned with ; but we aro informed that, as quiokly as the bird with the false message reached Melbourne, certain clevor poople, before tho news became general, rushed off with all celerity and backed the Maid, she having, according to tho information supplied thorn, already beaten Springwater. As it turned out, howover, it was a case of the " biter bit, or diamond cut diamond." Tho names of persons holding responsible positions m the coursing world are mixed up m the affair. BcanEANaiKQ m Nbw South Walbs.— A correspondent of the Uralla Times gives tho following particulars of tho stioking-up of some Chinamen at Glen Morison, and tho capture of two of tho bushrangers : — " A caso of robbery under arms was reported to tho Walcha police on Wednesday, 30th ult., as having occurred on tho previousovening at Glen Morison. A Chinese hawkor named Ah Chung, who carries on business at tho Rocky River, and Ilia assistant, Ah Chung, wero camped with a cartload of general merchandise on tho diggings at Glen Morison. On Tuesday about eight o'clock, thoy wero stuck up by four men with blackened faces, one at least of whom carried a revolver. The robbers eased thoir victims of some money m notes and cash, and also pilfered some goods from tho dray. Besides this thoy took some cheques, but on departing handed them back. Tho victims of this outrago (the second of tho kind that has occurred m this district during tho past two months) quickly communicated with tho police, two of whom, Sergoant Olvor and Constable Stumbles, star tod m pursuit. Biding all day Thursday and Friday, and making enquiries meanwhilo, their Bcarch proved successful about sundown of tho latter day, when thoy captured two of the supposed bushrangers, who at the tinio woro apparently riding carelessly through the bush. The prisoners, Jim Callaghan, a half-caste, and Henry Owens, both doscribed as stockmen, wero lodged m tho Waleha lock-up. An incident following the arrest of the maraudors, doscrves to be mentioned. For prudential reasons tho police did not handcuff their prisoners. In traversing the road leading to St. Leonard's station, where they intended to pass the night, tho half -caste — being m custody of Constablo Stumbles, and Owens riding a short distance ahead m chargo of Sorgeant Olvor— evinced on inclination to lag bohind as much as possible, pleading for an excuse that his horso was footsore. ConBtablo Stumbles knowing his prieonor was a reckless fellow who know every inch of the country through which they were passing, tried to induce him to quickon tho paco, but without avail. On approaching a stoop hill, over which tho two foremost horsemen had alreody passed, Callaghan suddenly called out to tho policoman, ' Catch mo if you can,' and bolted off at full gallop into tho bush. Nothing daunted by tho suddenness of the attempted escape, tho officor of tho law, drawing hii revolvor, dashed after tho runaway, and after an oxoiting chase of about half a milo, during which tho half-casto led his pursuer over a dangerous crossing m a crook, hoping thereby to baulk tho constablo'e horse, which, howevor, cleared tho obstacloatabound, he succeeded m grasping tho bridle of tho prisoner's horso. But hero was a dilemma ; Callaghan refused to stir from tho spot, and dared tho policoman to ' shoot him, as ho would not go to Walcha alivo.' Mr Stumbles daro not got off his horso, noithvr was it advisable to shoot Callaghan's horse, but handcuff his prisoner ho must. Fortunately, tho timoly arrival of Sergeant Olvor, who returnod to ascertain the causo of Mb comrtulo's absence, sottled tho difficulty, and the would-bo o«eapee was seenrod."