FIRE IN AUCKLAND.

West Coast Times, Issue 203, 14 May 1866, Page 2

FIRE IN AUCKLAND.

SKIRMISH AT TARANAKI.

FATE OF THE CONDEMNED MAORtES.

Nemon, Saiurday, 3.36 p.m. i The s.s. Kennedy, from the West Coast, and the s.s. Taranaki, from tho South, arrived yesterday ; and the Danish Beauty left for Napier, and tho s.s. Albion for the South. The steamers Airedale, from the South, and the Tarnnaki, from the North, have arrived to-day. Tho fate of the condemned Maories has been decided. Five are to be hanged, 12 imprisoned for life, 5 for fourteen years, 4 for seven years, and 3 for four years. The office of the "New Zealander" newspaper, at Auckland, has been burned down. A skirmish has taken place near Warea, Taranaki. No lives lojt.

From Rosstown wo lenrn that; tho lotto*s have boon rccovorod whbh woro stolon from tho mailman Cameron on 20th March last. Ono day last weok, while a digger was .ont pigeon shooting on tho top of tho Totara ranges ho noticed Homo fragments of lottors lying half concealod und«rnoath a fallen troo On coming into RosstoTO ho mentionod tho ciromnstanco to tho polico, ono of whom, accompaniod by Mr. Oamoron, proccodod to tho spot indicated, whioh is situate about two miles distaut from tho pkco whero tho robbery was committod. They found, undor tho log, tho greater portion of tlo missing mail, tho lectors having bcon all opened, and scarcoly legible. From tho rat-oaton appoaranco tho papors presented, it woulu seom that thoy had boon dragged from thoir hiding placo by somo of those vermin whon discovered. Tho lottor s, wo understand, will at once bo forwarded to the postmaster hero, and delivorod to thoso addresses that aro voadablo.

Tho mythical drama of Rip Van Wiuklo, founded on Washington Imng's legond of " Sleepy Hollow," was produced for tho first timo at tho Prince of Wales' Opora Houbo on Saturday ovoning, with a completonoss of cast and attention to sconio offocts, which rofloots tlio greatest orodit upon tho managomont. Tho part of Rip Van Wiuklo is a difficult ono to ombody, tho romombranco of Haokott and Jofferson in this oharaotor working to tho disadvantage of any porformor vonturing to sustain tho role made bo famous by theso artists. Mr Burford, nevertheless, succ«odftd admirably, and on tho fall of tho curtain waih honored by a call, and loudly applauded by] tho audionco. Mr Androws who, as n low' comodian, has fow equals on tho colonial stage, played tho part of Kuiokorboekor with groat humor. Mr Lionel Harding, ns HtomanVanSlans, sustainod tlio part with lift usual carnostness and coro. Miss Rosa/ Coopor and Mr B Cvosby woro both succesßfu? in their respoctivo characters of Alice a/d Damo Van Winklo. Tho rost of tho characters wcro carefully sustained. Blanchard Jorrold's farco "As Cool as a Cucumber" followed, in which Mr Bartlott had ouo of those congenial light comedy parts for whioh ho is so famous and whioh ho elaborated in his usual happy stylo. Mr Streoton inado a good Barking ' To-night Romeo and Juliot will bo repeated,' with Miss Rosa Cooper as Juliot, and Mrs Charles Poolo as Romeo, aud Mr Bartlott as Meroulio. Wo doubt not tho houso will bo crowded.

Mr Kohinsou, of the Duko of York Hotel, had his till robbed on Saturday last in a most audacious manner. About noon ho loft tho shop for a minuto or two, whilo a man was engaged drinking at tho bar. On roturning ho found his customor on the wrong side of tho couutor, fumbling among tho bottles. Having no suspicion that anything moro than drink was tho object of his boing thero Mr Robinson at onco turnod tho man out of his houso. A short time aftorwards ho had ocoaeion to go to tho till, when ho discovered ho had loßt L 9 and somo loose silvor. By this timo the man was nowhere to ho found. Tho polico, however, aro co close on his traoks that boforo this appoars in print wo oxpoot that tho thiof will bo eafo iv tho camp.

From tho Waimoa wo loam that now arrivals woro making their, appoaranco in considorablo numbors. Sovorol partioa of them had gono out prospecting tho district. A minibor of "hard-up" churns had como back to old tuckor ground. Nixon and party havo finishod their raco, which is to bo christened in a fow days. At tho now rush, two or three partios havo bottomed and got good payablo good. M'Maslor and party havo noarly fiuishod thoir dam, which ;thoy havo boen ton months constructing. Groat scarcity of wator exists in tho outlying gullios. Oalligan and party have a largo quantity of stuff waiting rain, to onablo thorn to wash up. Vory fow loaving tho district.

Tho rosninod enquiry into the causes of the week of tho Maria will coMmouco at tho Roßidoufc Magistrate's Court this me-rning.

Tho Gothonburg sailed for Molbourno with tho Bupploinontary English mails on board yoßterday morning. Tho Gothonburg carried 16,684, ozs. of gold oloarod at tkis port, in addition to which, sho took from tho Groy (in round numbors) 7000 ozs., making tho total shipment, at least 22,600 ozs.

Tho overland mail from Ohristolmvoh arrived on Saturday ovoning, punctual to timo, and tho lotteru woro placod in tho privato boxes. Th» nowgpapor mail will bo dcliyorcd this niorniug,

, Rumors obtained currency in town on Satur" day of tome important now gold discoveries to the south. No roliable information, howeror, has rcachod us, and wo deem it tho most

prudont coureo, aftor recent experience, not to givo publicity to statements that may bo a nioro canard.

We notico that in Saturday evoning's DeS pitch a now serial story, takon from tho " Cornhill Magazino," is commencod, called " Sybil's Disappointment ;" it is a moßfc road" ablo novelotto.

Mr Salo has -mutton in reply to a lottor from Mr Munro, tho honorary soorotary to tho Improvement Committee, intimating that in future tho W Urdon's roports will be placod at tho disposal of tho Press.

Tho following gontlomon, resident in Southland, havo boon appoi«tod Justioos of tho Poaco for tho Colony : — John Roborfc Outhbortson, of Waiau j John Francis Dundas, of Invorcargill 5 Cuthhort Cowan, of Hokonani 5 Harry Armstrong, of Winton j Joseph Rogors, of Glonquoioh; and Aloxandor M'Noil, of Ardlussa.

Tho resignations by Mv John Anderson Q-ilfillan and Mr James Crowo Richmond, of thoir seats in tho Legislative Council, havo boon accopted by tho Govornor.

Tho " Lyttolton Times" says : — " Wo trust that somo arrangements will bo mado during tho wintor for tho dolivory overland of Australian Mails arriving at tho West Coast, as serious detentions frequently ocour during tho provalenco of bad weathor, by tho mails boing dotainod on board tho stoamors arriving direct."

A caso of burglary is reported from Rosstown, On Monday oveniug last, about ton o,dook, Mr Wlesnor, of tho firm of Marks and Wiosnor, watchmakers and jowollors, whoso shop is situato injjtho most control position in tho township, lookod up his placo for a short timo whilo ho wont out for a stroll. Roturniug in about twonty minutes, ho found tho hack ontrauco to his shop had been burst opon and a quantity of colonial gold chains, rings) &0., stolon, ths total value of whioh ho ostitiraatcs at £120. Tho polico aro on tho alort, and should tho burglars again put in an appoaranco in tho locality — a woaknoss to rovisit tho spot whoro a good haul has bcon mado boing a well-known habit with gontlomon of this profession — thoy will most likely moot a different reward. At tho mooting of tho Improvomont Committoo on Thursday ovoning last, lottors woro road from tho Oommissionor rospocting tho Hospital, tho Wavdon's roports and Hokitika boing constituted a municipal district. Mr William M'Oroa wroto rogardmg tho outting of traoks, oxploring and prospeoting in Westland. Tho report of tho sub-committee appointod to improvo Eovoll-streot was then read. It was to tho offoot, that aftor calling for tondors for clearing and gravelling tho street, which was estimated to cost abou* oightoon-ponco por foot, • a portion of tho inhabitants woro applied to ascertain if thoy woro willing to subscribo tho nocessavy amdimt ; but as only a.vovy small proportion woro willing to do so, tho sub-committoo carao to tho conclusion that it was impossiblo to carry out tho work. Ifc was agrood that the 'roporfc bo adopted.

vYostorday, tho Roman Catholic Chapel was conScoratod by the Right Bovorend Bishop Viarcl, assisted by Vicar Cfronoral O'Roilly, and tho Roy. Mr M'Gtirr. Wo boliovo tho cor oniony, tho full particulars of which wo avo unablo to i publish in this issuo, was vory imposing. \ A most daring caso of garotting took placo/ oorly on Sunday morning in Rovoll stroot. J$ nuW named Thoma9 Thomson, whilst proceeding homo about ono o'clock in tho morning, and whon near tho Mechanics' Arms Hotol, was suddenly pounced on by two mon, ono of whom'commoncocl in tho most approved garrotting stylo to throttlo tho victim, whilo tho othor was engaged in rifling him. Boing a poworful man, Thomson struggled hard to • throw off tho miscreants, at tho samo timo lusilty shouting for the polico. Fortunately, Sorgoanfc Dyer was within roaoh of tho calls, and rushing to tho spot succocdod in capturing ono of tho mon, tho other gottiug off in

tho meloo. Thompson thon discovorod L 2 and somo small chaugo woro gono, part of which was found on tho garottor. Tho prisonor, who is named Nod Jonos, turns out to bo ono of tho gang who woro captured at tho Hindon rush two years ago, whilo engaged in sticking up a storo. It may bo romomborod

tho dosporato fight that took placo on that occasion botwoon tho dosporadoos and tho po-

lico, before tho oapturo was offectod. Jones will ho brought up to-day boforo tho Rosidont Magistrate

It appoars from tho following whioh, wo oxtraet from tho Southland Times, that Hunt has mado his way to Rwerton gold-flolds : "Wo hay c received a short comunioation from our special correspondent to tho Eivortou goldfieldtf. Ho had not roscheel tho Faihi at tho

timo of writing, but from tho information ho had collootod, tkero can bo no question that Southland has gold-fields of considorablo valuo. Ho was shown ono parcol of over 200 ounces of f old purchased by ono of onr local hanks, and -was* assured that considorablo quantities woro hold by tho minors, who rofuso to boII at tho prico now oflbrod. Ho cousidors that tho Bivovtoa district is auriforous to an oxtont which Bfuniot bo known until it is dcolared a gold-field, aiid tho prospectors and pionoor workers aeourod tho ground thoy havo tostod. Tho population is steadily increasing. Mr Albert Hunt, tho oxplorer of tho Wost Coast, with liis party of votoran minors, havo arrived, determined to givo this field a thorough and fair trial. Tho population now on tho two workings — tho Longwood and Faihi — is cstiniatod at botwoon two and throe hundred, and fow complain of a want of succoss. Ho considers that, as soon as tho district is dcolared tv goldflold, many loasos will bo takon up, adoquato maohinory providotl, and larg» quanti-

tics of gold obtained. As in a fow days wo may oxpoot a full roport, wo shall in tho moantimo rofrain from further comroonts."

What would a pig do if he wanted a habitation ?— -He would tie a knot on his tail and call it a pigstye. Brigham Young is, indeed a pillar of Salt Lake. His idea of a wife is Lot's.