AUCKLAND.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXIV, Issue 2978, 9 April 1870, Page 5

AUCKLAND.

♦ On Monday afternoon about 3 p.m., an attempt at escape was made at Mount Eden Gaol, but fortunately frustrated by the vigilance of a wardor. It appears that some constables were marching up nine prisoners to quarters, when two of the penal servitude gang, one of them the distinguished Frederick Plummer, who aa more than once before made a rush for freedom, and another named Jerry Shine, supposing no doubt; that the attention of the warders would be drawn to the band of marching prisoners, walked quietly off and reaching the limits to the enclosure had commenced to run, when they were brought to a stand by the levelled revolver of a warder. It appears that Plummer, whose ankleß had been for some time graced with brace-bits, had contrived a few minutes before' to work them off, prepatory to the attempt. Of courao the attempted escapes were restored to the performance of their accustomed duties. On Tuesday they were brought before the Visiting Justioe, Mr Naughton, and sentenced to wear irons for twelve monthß. Last night Detective Hitches, while pursuiug inquiries with a view of discovering the perpetrators of a recent robbery, discovered that a quantity of tobacco had recently been offered for sale in town. A short time after he apprehended a man named Phillip John Murtagh on suspioion of the offence, and found in his possession 791 bs. of tobacco, 112 packs of playing cards, whioh goods are supposed^ not to have contributed to the colonial revenue. He states, we believe, that he procured the tobacco and cards from a steamer trading between Auckland and an Australian port. Detective Hitches went to Auokland this morning to make inquiries. We have no doubt that a great deal of smuggling has been and is perpetrated at the Thames, and we have little hope of seeing it quite put an end to till some ohange haß been made in tariff. The amount of duty lost to the revenue on the artiolea taken from Murtagh, and whioh he could carry on hia back, would amount, we believe, to about £10. The election of the Mining Board has now been completed, and the following are the members:—Daniel Grove, William B. Henderson, Patrick Nolan, Edward Henry Power, Alexander Hayes, William Sowerby Greenville, Alexander D. M'Tarißh. We hear that the well-known chief Bapata, of Ohinemuri, has sent a letter to Shortland claiming a share in the £5000 awarded fofr the; covery of a payable goldfield in thin province. The grounds of Bapata/solaim are that the proclamation wbb for the discovery of a goldfield in: any part of the province, and that he,; at a certain, date, gave to Mr John Williamsons auriferous; specimens from, Ohinemuri. Eapata, however, for: i gets two things—that Ohinemuriis not yet opened as a goldfield, and that it haß not been proved tq.be payable. Therefore till the Provincial <Xww©p

proclaims another reward of £5000, which they are not likely to do, Rapata bus no chance. Mr Hall, the American Counsel at Sydney, •who has taken the contract for the conveyance ■of the mail, is a passenger by the Wonga Wonga. We understand that Mr Hall is travelling right through in order to complete his arrangements for carrying out the contract. A correspondent writes that Colonel Harrington and Colonel Lyon arrived at Tauranga on Thursday, tbe 21st instant. The Hon. D. M'Lean had also arrived in the p.s. Luna. The principle item of news is that Major Kemp is reported to Lave relonsed the prisoners recently captured and that the Hon. D. M'Lean had proceeded to Opotiki to investigate into the matter. The competitive firing for the selection of district representatives took place on the 26th March at To Papa.' Sergeant M'Donald obtained the highest score, but wanted one point of the requisite number to qualify him to go Dunedin. Another shocking suicide has been committed, this time at Tryphena, Great Barrier Islund. The facts are clearly stated in the following letter, ■which has been received by Mr Naughton :— Tryphena, Great Barrier Island, March 20, 1870. To tho Commissioner of Police. — Sir. — We beg to to inform you that Mr Samuel Bailey, late laborer at the Gasworks, Auckland, arrived hero about three months ago, just recovering from a fit -of insanity, and he continued perfectly well until March 17, when he began to show symptoms of wandering "ngain, and on Sunday, March 20, he went, into the bush, and although he was followed within an half an hour he could not be found. On hearing that he was not to bo seen, four people went in search of him, but did not succeed in finding him until Thursday, March 24, when he was found by his brother, Mr Robert Bailey, and Mr Benjamin Sanderson, lying on his back with a razor in his hand, with which he appeared to have committed suicide by cutting his ;throat. He was left untouched until next day, when he was removed to an outhouse, and •we had him interred on,, the 27th inbtant.—Witnesses: Robert Bailey, Benjamin Sanderson, .Tohn Blair," jun., James Blair, and William Bogers."