INTERPROVINCIAL.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1051, 18 June 1884, Page 6

INTERPROVINCIAL.

(Per, Press Association.) , Auckland, June 10th. Petitions in favor of the, maintenance of the existing Education Act have been ■ent from Auckland to Wellington, embracing 6153 signatures. A number of unemployed ("about 50) principally Southern and Australian arrivals, applied to the Mayor to-day. He aaked them to furnish - k a list of their names, trades, and where last employed, for the consideration of the Council. *v . June I2ih. Mr Wtn. Pickett, sharebroker, committed suicide at his lodgings in Welles-ley-street late last night. He had locked himself in his bedroom, undressed, and shot himself through the heart with a charge from a double-barrelled gun. A few minutes before the landlady heard him say in his bedroom that men were after him. He had been out the previous night, but returned to his lodgings la3t night. There is no clue to the deed, save that he had been drinking. He was single, and had no relatives here. The list of unemployed handed to the City Council to-day numbered 134, of whom 44 were married, and 90 single; two-thirds labourers, the rest tradesmen. Two city contractors alone offered work to 90 good labourers at from 7s to 9s per day, and 4s 6d a yard to a further number at breaking road-metal, being a higher rate than given by the Council. The unemployed fixed 6s a day as the rate for temporary relief works, but would not accept it as permanent wage 3. The advertisement calling a meeting of the unemployed was anonymous. It is believed the object of the agitation is simply to prevent men coming here from the South and Australia. June 14th. The schooner Result picked up an open boat off Caralli Island containing two men who deserted from the scow Ruakaka at Mongonui. They were bound for Sydney, and are supposed to have thought the voyage too risky in the scow. Ttiey were' at sea 24 hours without food or water before being picked up. Cogan, a gum-digger, attempted suicide this morning by cutting his throat and stabbing himself in several places. •Slight hopes of his recovery are entertained. He was a Wairoa gum-digger, and suffering from a debauch. He is a Roman Catholic, but had been attending some of the Salvation Army meetings, and had got the craze last m»ht in his ravings that the Salvation Army were after him. The landlord of the boardinghouse where he stopped, on heating Co»an moving about in his room in the early morniug, went up to see what he was doing. He fuuud Cogan sitting on the bedside, quite nude, with his throat cut. He said, "I've done it now. It was better for me to have done it than to allow them (meaning the Salvation Army) to do it." There" was"another man sleeping in the,same room, and he went at once for Dr Hooper, who bound up the throat of the would-be suicide, and then he discovered that Cog.m had several other wounds in the lower part of his stomach. The man admitted that he had stabbed himself' several times, but had' not succeeded in making the wounds fatal, because of the knife being blunt. Cogan was conveyed to the Hospital, and is reported as doing well and likely to recover. June 15th. The Lalla Rookh, Captain Campbell, arrived at Onehunga this afternoon. The captain reports that when nine miles south-west of Manuka Heads, on the voyage from Waitara, he saw signals of distress from a ship. He ran alongside to render assistance. She proved to be the barque, Andro Klas, 400 tons, from Hongkong for Auckland, with a cargo of sugar for the Auckland Sugar Company. The captain reported that they had disease on board, type unknown ; two were dead, six disabled, and himself, officers, and the balance of the crew exhausted with the extra duty. The barque was taken in tow over the Manuka bar. The Lalla Rookh came on to Onehunga, Captain Campbell acquainting the harbourmaster, Captain Win«, who, with Dr Scott, proceeded to the barque to ascertain the disease, but has not yet returned. The officers of the barque are in good health. The crew (part of whom are Chinese) are the only sufferers. It is feared it may be smallpox and scurvy of a grave description. Christchuroh, June 10th. The family of the late Robert. Heaton Rhodes intend to build and endow a Convalescent Home near Christchurch, and to expend £10,000 in the building and parial endowment. Some time before his death Mr Rhodes handed £5000 to trustees a» an endowment to provide religious ministrations to the sick in hospitals, innates of gaols and asylums, and for the religious teachings of orphans and destiate children, whether in state instituioßS or those of the Church. It is stated hat under " The Deceased Persons Estate Duties Act 1881," Rhodes'estate pays Government £30,000 duty. A petition praying that no alteration be made in the secular and compulsory clauses ' f the Education Act is being numerously jigned in Christchurch. ' The Moa Creek Gold-mining Company had 26,000 applications for the first issue . f 24,000 ten-Bhilling shares. June 14th. A terrible fire occurred about 4 o'clock Hhis morning at Leeston, destroying a twoj£oraed cottage on the Southbridgn road • >wned by Mr Holley. The cottage was •iccupied by Mr Frank Smith and his wife, >nd as neither of them was to be found the '.ebris was examined by ConstabL- Simpson, when the charred r mains of both were found. On further search being made a third body was discovered, but at present .t is not known whose it is. ' (Later.) The third body found in- the debris of lh^ fire at Leestou has been identified as that of a man named William Thomson, ,vho left the Leesfrm Hotel last night rather the worse for liquor. X o clue has been obtained as to the cause of the fire. Napier, June 10th. j The Orsnondville Licensing Committee have closed all four hotels in that district which extends for over 20 miles along the main road to Wellington. New Plymouth, June 14th. Owing to some culverts on the railway line being blocked, the heavy fall of rain yesterday burst them, and destroyed about a quarter of a mile of the road near Wan<?anui. It is expected to be repaired today. A member of the Armed Constabulary force named Calder, also acting as postnasier at Parihaka has been arrested on v charge of embezzlement of Government moneys. Wanoandi, June 14th. A married woman named Brigens was found dead on the Brunswick line this

as to' how she met her death. ' "' i . — : . — - (