B. HALE'S CASE. THE VOLUNTEERS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5428, 2 December 1895, Page 2

B. HALES CASE.

THE VOLUNTEERS.

A VERDICT OF "NOT GUILTY." At the Supreme Court on Saturday tho first of the charges against Benjamin Hale waa proceeded with. ' This was, that, being a bankrupt, on April 24/1895; he had by means of a false balance-sheet and statement of affairs on Maroh 27, 1894, and at other times, obtained variom sums of money on credit from the Union Bank of Australia! and had not repaid the same,' contrary to Sub-section 20, Section 187, of the Bankruptcy Act. After a long retire- \ ment the jury brought in a verdict of >. " not guilty." The other charge, that of I not keeping proper books, is to be heard at i the next Criminal Sittings cf the Buprerae.] Court. The accused was released on bail— • two sureties of J550 each.

COMPANY CAMPS. On Saturday, afternoon the 'annual inspection of the Canterbury Engineers in eagirieerifag: work took place at New Brighton. The company mustered fortyfour strong,, under Captain. M'Gee- and Lieutenants Anderson And Bridgman, and Lieutenant-Colonel Gordon, was the. inspecting officer. A detachment of twenty men threw an infantry footbridge, 76ft in length, with five barrel piers, across the river about a quarter of a mile below the tramway bridge. The work was dpne. in an hour and forty minutes. At twenty minutes past four a . land mine, containing about 501 b of powder, was successfully exploded,, by electricity on the southern side of the river; Two or three clods fell among the crowd of a few hundred people who were gathered on the side of the river farthest from the mine, and nearly 300 yds away. Shortly afterwards, two water-mines, each of about lQOlb of powder, sunk in the river, were fired by Mrs Gordon and Mre ITGee respectively. The first, which had appa- j rently been placed in ft depression in the river-bed/shook the surrounding land like an earthquake( and lifted a body of water I about 50ft into the air. The' secoud raised a column of water to a height of some 300 ft. Some-flag eignallipg was Buooessfully carried on by two parties posted respectively near the river bank and on Eome sandhills, in the direotion of Christ-1 church, abbut a mile away. A field; telephone was also in operation. During , the afternoon the Engineers' Band, under j Bandmaster Pooley, ilujed a number of pieces exceedingly well. On Saturday afternoon the E Battery of Artillery, under Captain Donald and Lieutenant Dougall; went injp camp, with the Engineers, in t>r Weld's paddock at New Brighton, for the purpose of undergoing practical woxk in the mornings and evenings of the present week. The number of members' in camp yesterday was thirty-four. At 7 a.m. there was a parade 1 for the purpose of cleaning the four guns of the corps, and after, breakfa&t a couple of hours were spent in field drill in a paddock behind Mr Blake's house. During the- week the routine will be— Reveille, 6 a.m.; parade, 5.30; breakfast, 6.15; tea, 6.30 p.m.} parade, 7.80 p.m.; lights out, 10 p.m v A gun is fired at reveille and at sunset. Yesterday afternoon a church parade of the E Battery, and the Engineers, with the Engineers' Band, was held at the camp. The Be? W. S. Bean, chaplain of the Engineers, conducted the service,'and gave a very good address from the text, "Thou, therefore, endure hardness, as a. good soldier of Jesus Christ." The band accompanied the hymns nsoat effectively. The' Engineers will break up their camp, th.iß morningt * ' . ; . On Saturday afternoon the Christchnrch City Rifles, under Captain Hobday'; went into camp in Mr Hamilton's paddook, near the foot of the hills, in the neighbourhood of Colombo Road.