Colonel Robert Hackett, familiarly

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4914, 2 April 1894, Page 3

Colonel Robert Hackett, familiarly

i known in the neighbourhood of Birr as . the blind Colonel, died at his residence, Riveratown, county Tipperary, on Dec. 30. | His death at the comparatively early age of fifty-four is directly due to the effects of fearful injuries received in tho Zulu campaign. Besides quite a host of minor wounds, he received a Bhot in the head, which took rather a remarkable oourse. The toullet, entering the outer corner of the right eye, passed out by the left, destroying both organs. He waa at the time loading the 90th Regiment at the battle of Ulundi, which, it will be remembered, brought toa close the Zulu campaign. He was for some hours among the dead on the field, and it was by accident that he was not in his unconscious state buried alive. A curious case of fraud, in whioh a man named Thomas Brown figured, was heard at Sydney reoently. The charge turned on tho wish of Ellen Wotton, an elderly lady, to get her sister out of a local private asylum. Brown had been a warder at the j establishment, and on his representing that I he was able to seoure the release of tho ; i woman by strategy Mias Wotton advanced ! | him JBI7 to induce one of the female atj tendants at the asylum to connive at the ' j kidnapping of the patient. Then he got | ' £20 from her for passage money to New j Zealand. Subsequently he drove Miss : Wotton to the asylum, where ha disap- '■ peared. He was not again seen by the , prosecutrix until sue identified him at the | police station. The accused was committed for trial.

________ M. Montella. a farmer at Sohirac, near Cahors, has the Telegraph's Paris correspondent) attracted the attention of his fellow-countrymen in a remarkable manner. He lately discovered that his wi.e was extremely frivolous io her conduct, and ha accordingly reproached her in emphatic terms. Madame Mbutells was ao overcome with grief that she rushed to the margin of the local river and threw herself in. She would undoubtedly have been drowned, as tbo current was very Bwift, but her husband, who had followed her, jumped in and brought her to shore. He calmly took her by the hand, led her back to ber family, telling her never to darken his door again, und tben went to the mayor of tbe c-nimuna, whom ho asked to recommend him for the medal usually accorded to rescuers of tho drowning.

I Considerable progress has been made j with the conjtruot.on,of railways in Iro- 1

land under the provisions of tha Light Railways Act. Recently a section from , Westport to Newport, which will eventu- j ally serve one of the most rugged and picturesque, and at the same time one of the least developed, portions of the west of Ireland was opened for traffic. The present section, which is eight miles in length, has been constructed by the Midland Great Western Railway, whose system it joins, and the company has been entrusted by the Government with its management and working. It is part of a larger scheme, the ultimate objective of whioh iB Achill Island, the avowed aim being to encourage a fishing industry which it is felt may be oarried on with every prospeot of success if access to the outer world be provided. Between Newport and Aohill about twenty miles of somewhat difficult country have to be covered, but it is stated that the line is almost completed for more than half the distance, and that it will be opened in a very short time. i Mr Gomme, the statistical officer of the London County Council, has prepared a return of the total expenditure for all London for the latest available year, 1890---1891, as follows :— London County Council ... _31,858,898 Metropolitan Police 1,287,610 Metropolitan Asylums Board 887,122 School Board 1,891,913 Guardians and other Poor Law Authorities 2,224,591: Vestries, Distriot Boards and j the City Commissioners of Sewers 2,189,899 Overseers 229,83 _ Library Commissioners ... 82,809 Burial Boards ... ,„ „« 6,671 Baths and Waßhhonses Commissioners ... 30,987 Church , ... 8,430 City of London Corporation ... 772,779 Total expenditure for all London ... ._. ... £10,920,893 Of this total, nearly eight millions were derived from rates, a million and a half from Imperial taxation, and as much more from various source.— fees, &c.