LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 3210, 22 July 1878, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

■» ' The Wodonga Defaulter.— On Saturday Constable M'Kenna left Ly ttelton per the Tararua in charge of Eowan Lockhead, the Wodonga defaulter. Since his arrest, Lockhead haa ohowed symptoms of a deranged intellect. Police Change.— Constable Bullen, who for the past two years and a half has been stationed at Lyttelton, has been removed from there to Ohristchurch. Constable Bullen has gained many friends in Port by the impartial manner in which he has carried out hia duties. S. John's Chubch. — A meeting of the parishioners of 8. John's is to be held in tho schoolroom, Latimer square, at half -past seven o'clock this evening, for the purpose of considering proposals for the enlargement of the church and the re-building of the schoolroom. We are given to understand that in re-model-ling the church, Mr Mountfort, the arohitect, has suggested one of the English cathedrals

as a model which- can be readily., copied in miniature, andxthat the proposed '^increase of accommodation. would afford seats -for 1200 persons, instead of for 600 as at present; A TALK OS -a Tub.— Yesterday afternoon at about four o'clock a gentleman .was pasiiujr by the yard of i the Messrs Fleming, builders,, when he observed some boys who,for their Sunday afternoon's diversion, were, engaged in rolling a large barrel .. aboufc the yiwjd. Something ma.the • language or manner of these young hopefuls appearing to suggest some unusual excitement, the gentleman was induced to look more closely into -the matter, and to his astonishment found that: amongst some straw in,, the tub an elderly x man was coiled up, m a- state of stupor from- the effects of drink. The tub inspector proved himself a Good Samaritan, for having- with some difficulty succeeded in rousing the man, he gave him some, tea, and conducted : him to the police depot to be taken care of. Tempebaitob Hall and Rooms Lyttelton.— A 'meeting was held at the Council Chambers, Lyttelton, on?Eriday even, IQ g *°r the- purpose of considering the advisaoleness of establishing a Temperance Tea, Coffee, and Dining Rooms, and the,erection of a temperance Hall in Ly ttelton.. His Worship the Mayor was voted to the chair. The | object of tire meeting having been explained, the tollowmg resolution was carried.—" That m the opinion, of this meeting*.. the time hasarnved when a place of amusement founded on temperance principles should be established in Lytteltao."/- Discussion ensued, and it was resolved— X That a committee^ appointed by this meeting to ascertain the^probable cost ofi establishing and maintaining a place of enter-tainmenfc-conducted on temperance principles, either i&.the- form of a WorMng Man's Club, Sailors Home, or Tea, Coffee, and Dining Rooms, with hall attached ae^may seem most suitable- to them." The following gentlemen, were appointed as a Committee -.—Messrs W. Reed, S* C. Phillips, — Early, S. R. Webb>. E. C. Birown, H. Allwright, J< D. Macpherson, H. K Nalder, W. . Graham, . R. Wood. A heartyevote .of thanks to, the,chairman terminated the proceedings-. Totjal Abstinence Sooiets-.— A meeting of the Christchurch Total Abstinence Society was held on. .Saturday evening, in the Temperance Hall, Worcester Btreet.. There was a large attendance. . The-ohair was taken by Mr T. J. Smith, .president of the society,, and MrF. E..Buckland acted aa-secretary protem. Bfir S. P. Andrews oil behalf, of the trustees explained to the members the details of the purchase of the. Templar Hall, and of the sale of the Temperanae Hall, in Gloucester street. _ The trusteas submitted for the consideration of the mambers a proposal to the effect that any totaLabstainer whocontributed to. the Trust Eund a..sum of £4,, should be entitled to a life membership diploma,, and be entitled to vote at all. meetings of the society, provided he continued, to be a total abstainer, also, that the trustees should be empowered to confer a life membership on tvied total abstainers, in recognition of services rendered to the ; total abstinence cause* subject to certain conditions of balloting, &c. An animated discussion ensued as to the best means to bo adopted to relieve the trustees from their responsibility, and it was resolved that a special generalt meeting should be convened at an early date,, where duplicate proposals would be submitted; to the- members for their adoption. The Hiffl- Mystery Cxeabed Up.— lt will be remembered that paragraphs have appeared in our. columns, with reference to the finding oS a, hat and draughtboard under the bridge at the Styx Railway Station, and' that in the last paragraph a correspondent stated that a man, who had a draughtboard with him, was ejected from the train at the Styx Station on July 10, aB he was drunk. The police made careful inquiry, Sergeant Hughes going to the neighbourhood to endeavour to find the missing man^but he could at first only ascertain that his railway ticket was a return one to Dunsandel. Subsequent inquiries, however, proved" successful. The man is a small farmer named Dickson, who. resides about seven miles from Dunsandel, and he returned to his home in safety on Saturday, July 13. On the day he was ejected from the train, he was met by a stock driver who knew him. He told this man that he had come from Christchurch, that ht got into the wrong train and was put out by the guard, and that he had lost his hat and something else since he left the Railway Station. The stock driver added that Dickson, ; who was then drunk, was going towards Kaiapoi. We have received another letter from a gentleman who Bays that he is a friend of Dickson's, but as he states nothing new, and uses strong epithets such, as "inhuman," without any apparent cause we do not feel called upon to publish his communication. Thhatbe Royal. — The reproduction of "The Daughter of the Regiment," which attracted so large an audience on the occasion of Miss Nelly Daley's benefit, proved most welcome to the numbers who visited the Theatre Royal on Saturday evening. Misa Nelly Daley was highly successful as Josephine, and although her voice has lost somewhat of its freshness and power, her singing throughout gave unmistakable evidence of a good musical training, and of much flexibility and sweetness. The impersonation was undoubtedly a highly satisfactory one to the audience, who, by their continued applause, showed that they recognised and appreciated the efforts made for their enjoyment. In the musical mklange MrH. D'Elmaine had reason to be gratified by his reception. His song, "Alice, where art thou?" was enthusiastically encored, and in response he sang "My Pretty Jane;" this in turn being re-demanded, the request was too peremptory to be refused. Miss Tilly Andrews once more won golden opinions by her rendering of " Shamus O'Brien," ai*d the reading was followed by one of Miss Ruby D'Arcy's well- selected ■ongs. The closing item of a very full programme was the reproduction of the panorama scenes from " Lalla Rookh," which, as has on a former occasion been stated in our colanins, reflect great credit upon Mr Williams, the ecenic artist. Our readers are reminded that this evening Miss Florence Colville commences a season of 12 nights as Lady Teazle n "The School for Soandal." A Deplobablb Position. — About mid-day yesterday a man named George Cunningham, apparently about 35 years of age, gave himself up to the police, and in doing so made a statement to the following effect: "lam a labourer and came from Melbourne to Wellington about five months ago. I had my passage paid by Dr Robertson, house steward at the Kew Lunatic Asylum, near Melbourne. I had been in the Asylum about nine months, having been picked up in the streets of Melbourne when in a fit. Dr Robertson thought that the climate of New Zealand would suit me better than Australia. I have been in Wellington for the past five months, doing odd jobs. I stayed at different boarding-houses there. I was starving there, and stowed myself away in the s.s. Ringarooma to Ly ttelton, for which I received seven days' imprisonment with hard labour in Lyttelton gaol. The people of Wellington would not employ me, owing to the fits to which lam subject. I went yesterday evening to a boarding-house in Btreet, kept by a man named . I had supper there, and went to bed about a quarter to nine. Botween one and two o'clock I was wakened up ; I was in a state of stupor in my bed, and there were three men in the room. The landlord took me and pushed me out the door saying * Leave my house ; and leave the town } you are a maniac.' I had had a fit. I am not conscious of having had a fit until about two hours afterwards. 1 have sometimes contemplated suicide, to put an end to the groat suffering I endure from these fits ; 1 1 loDg for death as a release from them. I give myself up to the police, as I have no meanß, no frionde, and am in a strange country, in dangerous ill health. I believe the fits were brought on by a fall from a horse, some seven or eight years ago." It may bo added that the man has good address, having apparently been fairly educated, and that, so far as the police have been able to make inquiries, his story aopears to be true. — '■ ' -- ■ «■■'■ ■■ ■ — -I— —^— — — — —^—^fl^y^