Telegrams.

Woodville Examiner, Volume XIX, Issue 3302, 2 September 1901, Page 2

Telegrams.

Napier, August 81. The death is announced of the Rev, P. H. Cornford, father of Mr H. A. Cornford, barrister, aged 83 years. Deceased entered the Baptist church as missionary in 1840, coming to New Zealand in 1861. He had charge of tha Wellesley-pfcreet church, Auckland, till 1877, when he went to Sydney. Coming to Napier in 1880 he founded a branch of the Baptist church here. Wellington, August 81. The Customs duty, collected at Wellington this month was £63,391, which is a record for the port. This day. News has been received in town of the serious illness of Mr Scobie McKenzie. The Premier has received the following cable from Colouel Porter,' officer commanding the Seventh Contingent in South Africa: " Orange River Colony ; contingent operations three weeks from Bth iust.; constantly on the trek ; successful night marches and attacks. Boers killed, thirty-one; wounded, many ; prisoners, tbirty-five ; rifles, nineteen ; ammunition, good ; waggons, twenty-one ; carts, eighteen; horses, three thousand; mules, ten ; oxen, two hundred; sheep, sixteen thousand; forage, fifty tons. On the 23rd iust. 310 Boers attacked us to recover a convoy. They were repulsed, the contingent resisting gallantly ; close fighting. Contingent well and cheerful." Wanganui, August 31. A sensational abduction case is on the tajns here. Some two or three years ago a boy was kidnapped whilst going home from school, and his father, until a few weeks ago, utterly failed to find where the child bad been hidden, though the police throughout the colony have been informed of the case aud a reward was offered for his recovery. Quite recently the police discovered the missing lad, who is a son of Joseph Soler, the well-known vigneron and winemaker, near Balclutha and restored him to his father, who is taking legal proceedings against those whom he suspects of having kidnapped the child, who it is thought was dressed as a girl and sent to various places to defeat the efforts of the police to find him. Ashburton, August 31. A man named Christopher Harold, well-known in racing circles, was found dead in Cashel street last evening, having apparently burst a blood vessel. Auckland, August 81. In the Supreme Court Judge Connolly granted, a decree nisi for a divorce on the petition of Dorothy Beed, who gave rather remarkable evidence. She married George Reed in Auckland in 1878. Tea years later he went to Sydney, after having been a year in Auckland Lunatic Asylum. She never heard of him again till this year. Believing him dead, she married again in 1895. The first husband turned up unexpectedly recently after an absence of 13 years, and sued his eldest son for maintenance. The wife now petitioned for a divorce in order that ehe might legalise her marriage with her second husband. The ground of the petition was desertion. Respondent, George Reed, did not appear, and the divorce was not opposed. The evidence of " King" Mahuta and Mr Sinclair, in connection with the claim of Mr George Bodley, of Wellington, for £lB2 was taken oi.. commission. At the invitation of the Government Mahuta and his fol-

lowers visited Wellington, and stayed at Mr Bodley's. The Government iftid him £4ll, but cut off £lB2 10s on the ground that the claim was excessive. Bodley i 8 now suing Mahutu for the difference. Mahutu stated he had not authorised the expenditure. The Government elated they would pay all expenses, and he had not been consulted in the matter. Mr Sinclair said he and Henare Eaihau made the arrangements and that Mahutu had nothing to do with them.