AUSTRALIAN ITEMS

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXVI, Issue 13417, 3 July 1911, Page 8

AUSTRALIAN ITEMS

Mr James Bliss, of Riddell (Victoria) reached the age of fill years last week. A number of school girls entertained the old gentleman at tea in the evening. Foxes are numerous in the Jeparit (Victoria) district, and are causing havoc among tin 1 young lambs. Several foxes have taken to trees, and a contractor had to climb a pine tree about T!ft to secure a lo\ which lie had shot. In the AI bury I’olice Court, Thomas Sexton Torrcst, aged 20 years, a photographer wacommitted lor trial on two charges of having uttered forged notes on the Bank of Victoria. The evidence showed that photography was employed. The Melbourne Women's Political Association last week passed the following resolution“ That in view of the frequency of crimes of late against women and little children, and of the lenient sentences inflicted, even when the conviction of the offender is secured, this Association considers that the time has arrived for women to be made eligible to act as jurors, and thus to effectively assist in the administration of justice.'' The outcome of a challenge between four potato-diggers at Dunstown (Vic.), us to which two would dig the greasest number of potatoes m eight hours caused a great deal of interest. The challenge carried with it stakes amounting to 120. The con. test proved very close, as only three bags separated'the parties. Victory rested with Messrs Watts and Leech, who dug 99 bags fo their opponent’ 96 bags. Four men were lined £3 each at the Vallsend (New South Wales) Police Court fer having ill-treated a cat. Evidence was given to the effect that one end of a rope was tied round the rat’s nock, and the other end attached to a clothes prop. Dogs were thca set to worry the cat until it died. In defence, the men stated that they caught the cat in a pigeou-box, and killed it with an axe. During the voyage of the I.G.M.S. Boon, which arrived at Fremantle last week, a shooting accident occurred, as the result of which a little girl named Edith Coosc was landed at Port Said in a critical condition. It appears that a young third-class passenger was cleaning a revolver in his cabin, unaware that it was loaded. He was showing it io fellow-passengers, when it suddenly went off. Tlie bullet passed through the cabin iiai i-li.-.e. and rnUird the temple &: the gal,