INVERCARGILL

Western Star, Issue 374, 21 August 1880, Page 2

INVERCARGILL

(yaoM oub owk corbespondbnt.) The I'istrict Court opened on Monday morning, His Honor, Judge Harvey, presiding. There was only one criminal case to be heard, that of a young man named William Curran, alias Noras, charged with stabbing one James Crowley at Arenal. The prisoner's cast of countenance was very unprepossessing. Nevertheless, somehow, all the witnesses seemed to give their evidence as far as was possible in his favour, and the Judge followed suit by summing up also favourably. Seven or eight jurymen were challenged, but the facts were so clear that only one verdict, that of “ guilty,” could he given, and the sentence awarded was the very light one of three months imprisonment. Among the civil cases afterwards heard the most important was that of Smith and Kiugswell v. James Mackintosh, a claim against the defendant for delivery tf damaged turnip seed. A good deal of evidence was taken, the result being n verdict against (he defendant. Mr Macintosh is highly dissatisfied with the Judge’s suwming up, and with the decision given, c*d I

am informe 1 that he intends to apply for a new trie l , on the ground of the Judge’d alleged misdirection of the jury. On Monday evening a concert of sacred music was given at St. John’s (Episcopal) Church, and was well attended. Though t e music was rcnderel entirely by the ladies and gentlemen of the chnje, it ,was of very snnerior quality,.the choir being an unusually strong one, perhaps one of the strongest in the colour. Miss Wermouth and Mrs Boss are a host in themselves.

On ttie same evening Captain William Jackson Barry gave his remarkable lecture on the irps and downs of colonial life at the Theatre Bnval. There was a very fair audirrw, aid T can assure you the lecture was Will worth hearing, hot so much from the value of the information given, a* from the amusoment it afforded. Though the gallant cnntain had evidently learnt it bv heart, it w*9 almost verbatim the same lecture as that which had been nreviousiv reuorted in the Press, his. delivery was very easy and effective. His story of his 51 years of colonial life teemed with incident, in fact it was crammed chock full of sensational events. He left England when he was six year* old, ran awav froth his employer, became a stowaway in a ship, lived among convicts and bushrangers in Victoria., narrowly escaped being shot, drowned, flogged, and imprisoned, billed by savages and eaten ; went over to London with recommendations from Sir George Grev and three hundred and fifty other colonists, introduced himself to Sir Julius Vogel in London, 'and asked for on engagement as etnigration. lecturer ; was refused, became a leeturer on bis own account, made money, or. as be termed it, was in the "swim.” viVted the Tiehbo.nrne Claimant in Gaol, became acquainted with that person’s friends. Lord Birers, Lord Poaeberry. and others. Lord 'Rnseh-rry. Lord Pavers myself, and other noblemen, as Captain Barry put it, wrote a work, published it. sent a copy to the Queen. “ got alon-side her.” and was "in the swim” again, with a letter from Her Majesty, but disdained the allurements of liome life, and came out to New Zealand again. Captain Barry’s yarns are very funny, but his grammar is. atrocious ; indeed, he is quite as much above grammar as the Emperor Sigismund himself. If you ask me whether I believe his facts to he true, I give the question up ns a very tough connutndrum. If, however, thev are not true, they ought t« h#. In style he is a combination of the old sailer stuffed with tough rams, and the nigger minstrel making a stump speech. The “ South’and Times” has come out this weefeas a penny paper. I depht whether the reduction : n price will very largely increase the number of subscribers. People inSeuthlandhave potheen poor Inn" enough to he very economical, and then the style of the “Times” is not exactly suited for a penny paper. It is resp»ctahle, but slightly heavy. A successful penny nnpe'r needs generally to he of the blood and thunder description. The " Melbourne Herald ” is a capital illustration of the direction in which a successful penny paper usually tends. The weather here is unusually mild. Indeed, this has been hitherto the mildest winter I have vet known in Invercargill. This week rain has fallen, and the wind been blowing; but still the temperature it very bigb for the time of year.