Clifden Notes.

Western Star, 8 May 1908, Page 3

Clifden Notes.

From. Our Own Correspondent.

PJcughing operations have already started, an-d a good area of ground has 'been turned over and which will materially buneli't by the effects of the winter frosts. The recent touches of frost, have cut down the shaws of the potatoes, so that fti a week or two potato digging sbouli ho gen ena.l in the district. Owing to Mi- A. Mackintosh continuing - work at his sawmill at which his engine is engaged, the farming community here are in a dilemma as to how they aro going to get their crops threshed. J feel certain that tne first threshing** machine that came along thi» way would irot iho who.'? run at the Uliftlen, Otahu, Eastern Bush and Orawia. This is a chance not to he missed by the many thrt thing machine owners rodld about Otiiutau. A chain cutter would also be ]i I -orally patronised. Rabbits are plentiful, but the trap-

pers aro getting to work. N >1 lu'iig' | satisfied wfth the prices ruling for '■tfou carcase in all cases they oic ! skinning thorn. Thait sly imp Cupid has also recently been getting to work and in two or three cases has shot his arrow with fatal results. The most interesting shot was the nierelug of the hearts of a stalwart dlifden-bcrn ploughman) wlith that, of an accomplished widow. It is a p-t.v that Cupid would not "try his skill qmong the Lillhurn folk as the nambar of bachelors there tends to retard the prosperity of this part of the world. Thfo ladies should take it-ore prh '.leges ■with 'Leap Year. On the 16th May a meeting of the

Oliftdcn Racing Club is to be held, when it is hoped that a s'art will ho made with the improving of the new racecourse if it is the wish of the committee to cace upon it next New Year's Bay.

Several shooting parties have been trying their luck round about hero, ‘hut with very poor results. Game of all kind is conspicuous by its absence. The new post office, being central, gives every satisfatction whilst our r stormed post mistress, Miss Thiric, having now got into the grove of her routine duties, the public in conscouonoo are served with promptness and civility. Also our genial mail man, Jack Lynch, is always up to time, the Gorge now being in better order. For the winter Jack should he supplied by the Government with a foot warmer on his long cold drive from. Otautau.

Peculiar Death at Stirling,

(XXKTJtAJJIOTQKX EVIDENCE

DWA-'W OF P.CUUCAN'S WIFE

J>U<NE'DIN, May 5 An, adjourned inquest .touching the death of Catherine .Elizabeth Cornish said to hav|e. been found dead in t|he passage ©I fche Stirling Hotel on Friday afternoon, wasi resumed (before Mr Alexander E. Farquhar (acting Coroner) and a jury of six to-day. Inspector O'Brien conducted the proceedings on behalf of the police a|nd Mr Irwin watched the case on behalf of B. Cornish, lisensee of the hotel. Rrifchand Cor»£sh, licensee of thd Stirling hotel, and husiband of deceased, gave evidence. He stated ithat

he found hisi wife, dead in the passage, on'Friday at about &.®o p.m. He had not seen' her after going to bed at 10-.153 the previous night. His wife was lying on the sitUing room sofa when he iwent to bed, and she was the worse for drink. Ha (was not disturbed during the night. The cook ('Elizabeth Bennett) and he carried the body'to bed, when the cook undressed the body without assistance and put on -a clean nightdress. They noticed that the face .was bnuised and discoloured. "Noticed no .wounds or incisions about the head. Noticed that coal scuttle was upset at the entrance to the sitting room as it deceased bad fallen over it. TOier* was small coal and dust at her feet. Did not notice any blood on the floor ills wife's hair had blood on it. He had been killing a pig the day before and any blood ,on his clothes would be the .result of that. A. strange man ■was in the hotel and '■'cleared out'' without ikying, after being about the place for four days?, and, as *ar as witness knew was therethat night; (Yoss-exaanined, ho did not remember telling, Constable Marshall where lie last s*V his wife and he did not remember telling him that he got up at 10.10 a.m. and found his wife dead, but he found that ills watch had stopped. After he had sent the barman off with a wire ho heard the cooids train coming in from the south and knew it was 2.031 p.m. He did not wind up bis watch the night before. That was the only explanation he had for telling, the Constable that he found his wife dead at 9.-50 a.m. Witness and his wife did not lave peaceably together, and she drank to

excess. Dr Burnett, of Balclutha, gave evidence that he had received a message from the Hotel at 3-15 p.m. on Friday. Me then: went on to descriflje the deceased's injuries'. There was a cut an inch anid a.'half long on the skull, which was fractured, evidently by some sharp instrument. There were also brack eyes and bruises on various parts of the body. The wound on the scalp must have been caused by contact with a substance having a sharp edge. The skull was fractured in the region of the eye and in a direct line with' the wound on the scalp the brain was congested. In his opinion death was due to compression of the brain. Congestion of the ; brain could be caused by alcohol. A fall might have caused the injury. Tf a. hcajlthy individual had received the same injury he did not think the result would have been fatal. Witness was under the impression that deceased had fallen on the coal scuttle, but he could not say -how the impression came to his mind. The evidence of Elizabeth Bennett, cool-? at the Stirling Hotel, was 1 a direct contradiction of some of that given by the licensee. She did not know that anything was w.rong until 2.1'5 p.m. on Friday, when the . licensee said his wife was dead. She did not remove any clothing or substitute ai nightdress. She had not soen any '.stranger about the premises. Cor nish and. she were always on. the host of terms and he was quite sober G n Friday.

A verdict was returned thai. rlccPttß

'•(1 cam© to her- dcaUi In- n fall anrl in 'ijlvei opinion of the jiivy such fall would not. have prr.v.xl fatal had it not been for the congested state of deceased's brain, brought on by the excessive use mf alcohol.