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Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3236, 3 July 1879, Page 2

The monthly meeting of the Board of Governors of the Thames High. School was held at the Borough Council Chambers this afternoon. Present—W. McCullough (in the, chair), Dr EJilgour,; A. Brodie, and W. Davies. No business o.| importance was transacted. *■

To-night Mr J. B. Stoney,the popular Glerk of the E.M. Court;, will leave the Thames en route for Dunedin. Mr Stoney leaves many friends, who will regret the departure of an exact and obliging official.:;-: /- ,■ / . ■. >. ;■'■ ./'T i \ ■

We have to acknowledge receipt of the; Cincinnati Miller and Millwright, a splendidly got up monthly journal, devoted to the milling busiuess. ;

Dxtbino the Court hours to-day a gen-j tlemen of inquisitive temperament . re- I solved to take a look at the ''dungeon dark and drear," at the "Police station. He entered one of the cells, and began; musing. He didn't muse long, however,; as a friend, desirous of a joke^ closed the J door, and kept him- incarcerated for some; time. The Christian resignation :' which stumped his features as hi gazed forlornly through,the barred windows reminded,:us forcibly of a picture of John Bunyan's hero when imprisoned at Vanity Fair. « T^STBBD^T afternoon a gentleman well known at the corner, having occasion to go to Auckland, before .proceeding to the steamer had some business to transact at Shortland. The driver, of the only cab on the stand was iion est, so Mr W. mounted the driver's cab and drove off towards Shortland to the great amusement of the habitues of the Corner. The legitimate driver of the cab was seen hurrying down Pollen street a-foot shortly afterwards, evidently in a state of suppressed excitement* We did not .hear how the matter ended.

In another column will be found the full; caste of " The Sorcerer," the first comic opera'to be given by Mr Biccardi's Company.^

The small steamer which Mr Valentine Savage has on the stocks at his yards near the Shortland Wharf is nearly finished, and will be launched in a day or two. She is about the size of the s.s. Pearl,, is to, the order of Captain Moore and Mr F. Snowling, and, is intended for the Upper Thames trade. The engine and boiler are J'rom the establishment of Messrs Price Bros., and are marvels of engineering skill. ;

To-mobbow is to our American "Cousins the day of days—the glorious 4th of July. IS6 doubt Colonel Davis, of Kopu, will be in town to assist in the celebration of the birthdray of. Yankee independence.

It is stated that the natives of' New Plymouth • are collecting subscriptions in order to defend the men arrested for the ploughing. By telegram we notice that a gretet ploughing match is expected, to take place to-day near Waihi. ' - .

The following business will be transacted at the.next session of the Supreme Court, commencing on Monday next: — Te Kane (native), larceny ; George Southgate, attempting to wound ; Daniel Orme, peijury; Edward Stariton, stealing from the person; Patrick Tobin, assault; Fairfax Johnson, cattle-stealing ; Barnaby Murphy, larceny; Michael Ryan, assault ; Ellen Whitaker, assault (grievous bodily harm); Utuku (native) horse-stealing; Mooney and Duneen, stealing from the person; T. 'Ingham, attempt to obtain money on false' pretences; T. Ingham, larceny; Robert Mulgrew, attempt to obtain money by means of a valueless cheque; the same, obtaining money by false pretences ; H. Grundy, killing an ox with intent; Hohapata (native), cattle-stealing; John Le Sueur, arson; Thompson and Dunn, arson; John Le Sueur, perjury; David B. Bhind, obtaining money by false pretences.

| It cannot be said that the late jury-men were the only men who had but a faint idea of their duties, or the meaning of their verdict,, as the following clipping goes to prove : —ln a murder case before Baron Parke, the judge told the jury that the evidence of any malice was very slight, : and that they could, if they choose, find, the-prisoner guilty of manslaughter. '•Just^' added his lordship; "as in an ! indictment yfor child-murder, you. may \ acquit the woman of murder and find her guilty of -concealing the birth of the child." The jury deliberated long and carefully, and eventually came into court with a verdict of " Concealment of birth." Judge M'aulo once tried a grevious case of wounding. The prisoner quarrelled with the prosecutor, and drawing a large clasp-knife, held liim to the ground, gashed him most horribly, and! he was with great difficulty cured of the dreadful wound. The counsel who defended the prisoner told the jury that although' the indictment charged the offence as being " with intent to kill and murder," and " with intent to do grievous bodily harm," they could, under a recent statute, find the prisoner guilty of " unlawfully wounding," which was a misdemeanour. Said Maule, in summing up, " Gentlemen, if you think the prisoner knocked the prosecutor down, drew his knife, stabbed and out him in such a manner that his clothes were divided with the. violence of the act, his abdomen ripped up, and his intestines made to issue from the wound in such a manner that the doctor tells you only the mercy of God has enabled him to appear here this day, |meroly v, ithout any ill feeling, and more as an .accident than anything else, you will say it is unlawfully wounding." The jury construed this sarcastic remark of the judge as a direction to them, aud mstautly returned a -mmiiiii-Qf " unlawful VQUiidJUiL-lL Bttrou

Alclersou once tried a civil action in which the plaintiff had had his ribs broken and his skull fractured by the defendant. The facts wore unanswerable, and the jury found a verdict for the plaintiff, with £1 damages. "We won't try any more cases with this jury," said the baron, " call another," and, as they left- the box, he quietly added, "Gro home, gentlemen, and as you value your heads and ribs at £1,1 hope you may find some liberal purchasers on your journey." —Leisure Hour. „!,.,..,,,.-.,.,,,

Scene : Corner of Vulcan Lane. . T^wo "gentlemen attentively watching a sticker posting on the wall before them the * announcement that the ftoyal Illusionists were prepared to expose Spiritualism. Gentleman No. 1 (who happens to be a fervent Spiritualist): It is a crying shame that such things.should be allowed in a free country. It's disgraceful ! At any rate there'll be none of those bills on the wall to-morrow morning. Gentleman No. 2: Indeed. Personally I venture to think that they will still be on the wall to-morrow morning. Gentleman No. 1: Oh ! no they won'ts'-;You may take my word for it. Gentleman No. 2: I prefer to abide by my own opinion, and Bin prepared to back it to the extent of £5 even money. Gentleman No. 1: Pray, who are you ? Gentleman No. 2:; Only the agent of the Eoya^lllusionists.; Tableau. The above colloquy was overheard .by,, several persons, and were it necessary names could be given.—Auckland.Star... ;:-''■:;! „ . .2v* ' '''■■ Vii