MISCELLANEOUS.

Timaru Herald, Volume L, Issue 4742, 13 January 1890, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS.

So much progress has been made in Assyrian excavation that almost the whole of Senngoherib'B groat palace at Konynujik has been now cloared out, and upwarda of 1,700 new tablolß have boen secured for the British Museum,.

A New York paper, claiming to have tho largest circulation in tho world, is offering six premiums, amounting in all to £6,000, for the beat original ideas and suggestions for its improvement, and the oxtension of ita salo and inlluonce,

A atrango action is pending beforo tho court at Spandau, in Prussia. KTautj, tbe common hangman, haß written and published a sensational novo! eutitled " The Executioner nf Berlin j" and in it he introduces his own wife as tho paramour of his assistant, whom he mentionß by name. The wife has proceeded against her husband for defamation of character.

Mr Alexander M'Millan, the manager of a gold mino near Ararat, lost his life iu a terrible way. He wra engaged with three other mon in putting a eypbon in tbo bob-pit, when by somo means the engines started, and beforo Mr M'Millan could draw hif head from undor the beam of the bob his head was completely severed from his body.

I hear, writes the London correspondent of the Leeds Mercury, that Sir James Hannen, after his retirement from the Probate and Divoroa Court, will l-eceive a Peerage, -hough not equal to tho daily labour of an ordinary court of law, Sir James Hannen would bo quito capable of attending to tho judicial bueinesß of the House of Lorda, and his presence there would greatly strengthen the court of final appoal.

A man named Lee, whilo bathing in tho South Molbourno baths, divod from a height of 12 feet into a fow feot of water, fracturing bis spine, and after lingoring for a few hours diod in tho hospital. Two days after, two more accidents of a precisely similar nature ocourred. A man named John Somers dived into two feet of water in tho St. Kilda batliß, nnd sustained concussion of the braib, his injuries terminating fatally ; and later on the aamo day a mon named Kdward O'Neill did the came foolish thing in tho Port Melbourne baths, and now lies iu a critical condition. In ovory caio tho accidents were caused by the carelessness of tho bathers as in nil tho baths notioo posts ore oroctcd to mark the depth of water.

A singular instance of tho recovery of a thousand pounds' worth of lost jewels has occurred at Warwiok. According to . a Birmingham paper, Mr Montague Nelson, the Conservative candidate for the borough, left hia wife's jowol case in a cab which ho hired to brirg him from Milvcrton station. He did net know the cabman, but, with the aid of

Inspector Hall, he was traced. The jowol caso wob not, however, found in the vehicle, and it transpired that a raoing man had riddon in it after Mr Nelson, and had been driven to tbo Wheatsheaf Inn. Tho houso being full, tho landlord had procured lodging for tho man at a privato residence. Thither Mr Nelson and Inspector Hall procoeded in tho middle of the night, and, knocking tho owner up, they proceeded into the lodger's bedroom, only to find him asleep ofter a drinking bout, and tbo lost jewel bate lying intact near hia pillow. Without awaking the ele'epor, tho officer took away tho jewels, found thoy woro all intact, and restored them to Mr Nelson. Thoy, howovcr, left word with tho landlord that ony information on tho point could bo obtained at tho police office in the morning ; but, ilia noodloss to add, tho man made no application, and tho jewels wero duly' worn by Mra and Mibs Nelson at the Primrose Ball — which waa attended by lord Salisbury— tho next evoning.

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