AUSTRALIAN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5348, 28 August 1895, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN.

i [Special to Peebb Association.] '. MURDER OF A TRADER. . J SYDNEY, August 27. News from the New Hebrides reports the murder of Francois Eos si, the wellknown French trader, who was shot by the I natives of Santo Island. The warship Scorff is 'investigating the affair. . TOTALISATOR BETTING. The police visited all the totaliaator betting shops in Sydney, and warned the occupiers to clobo immediately or they would arrest everybody on the premises. This intimation had the effect of closing all these places to-day. . A TOBACCO ROBBERY. MELBOURNE, August 27. There have been numerous extensive robberies in the suburbs lately. A large consignment of tobacco taken from a store at Richmond was found in an empty house at Coll ingwood. The police watched at night, and three men who commenced to remove the tobacco were pounced on. One named Gaffey, in an attempt to escape, was shot i by the police in the shoulder and lies in a I critical condition. The other two, who are well-known criminals, were captured. PHYLLOXERA. Baron von Mueller has reported strongly against the proposed introduction of American phylloxera-resisting vine stook cuttings. He says that they are only resistant to a certain extent and that it is impossible to really disinfect the pest. Ib may exißt, though unobaervable under I ordinary circumstances. The only safe method, he says, is to get seeds of resisting kinds and raise stocks for grafting. Last year he obtained a large quantity of such seed from America and France and a stock is now available for growers. A SEVERE STORM. A severe storm has been experienced in the Ballarat district. Many buildings were destroyed and several others were unroofed. The telegraph lines are down ; in all directions, and the town is in dark- } ness. A mixed train from Maryborough [ crashed into a heavy iron semaphore [ blown across the line, bub luckily smashed I through. The passengere were much ; shaken. CITY OF MELBOURNE BANK. The Chief Justice has granted' the necessary order for the compulsory winding-up of the City of Melbourne Bank.