AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2450, 15 March 1909, Page 6

AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

MAD IN THE BUSH. TERRIBLE EXPERIENCES. Two Dowerin (TV.A.) selectors, Steinberg and Grossman, and tire latter’s two sons, became lost in the bush on February 28 when returning to their camp, and, running short of water, experienced terrible wrings of thirst. The two boys got separated from the men just after they started for camp, but by following the track they came upon a camp late on Sunday night, and received succour. There was almost a tragedy. One brother being mad for water was going to shoot the other, but the latter prevailed upon him to fire all his cartridges at a tree. In the meantime Steinberg and Grossman, sen., had also lost their way, and as they were not back in •camp when the turn boys returned oil Monday night, Surveyors Birch and Chown ancf others in' the vicinity organised a search party, but did not come up with the lost selectors until three o’clock on Wednesday afternoon. Both were in a very bad state. Steinberg was lying down with his boots and shirt off, and was temporarily insane; and Grossman’s eyes were protruding. Grossman stated afterwards that they •bad given up all hope, and said their prayers, and had gone a little way from each other so that one would not see the other die. Chown said that if the old man had not been found that night he would have died, and Steinberg would have gone mad. FEMALE SMUGGLERS. Quite a mild sensation was created on board the German steamer Prinz Sigismund, berthed at Sydney, on the night of March 1, when an encounter took place between two lady visitors to the vessel and a Customhouse officer. It seems that for some time past the authorities have Suspected that the Chinese smugglers employed the services of women to assist them in landing the contraband, and tv. r o women who hoarded the vessel, and remained on board for several hours, aroused the suspicions of Officer Anderson, avlio concealed himself on the wharf. As the women were walking along the main deck, with a view to making for the gangway, Officer Anderson ” suddenly sprang on board, and the women shrieked and fled. The officer gave chase along the deck and through one of the dining-rooms, but before he was able to overtake the women they divested themselves of their retticoats, which they left on the floor of one of the compartments, and continued their flight. The petticoats were secured by the officer, and found to contain 37 tins of opium. The garments had evidently been specially constructed for the purpose cf smuggling. There were rows 'anon rows of flounces, in each of which was a pocket sufficiently large to •hold one tin of opium. By an ingenious .arrangement, upon an alarm being given, the wearer could drop the garment without difficulty.

CHAIRMAN’S NOSE PULLED. The committee of the Mount Leonora Hospital, W.A.j, held an inquiry into friction said to exist among the staff as the result of a complaint by the secretary. The evidence of various officials was taken in regard to a charge against the matron, from which she was exonerated. During the hearing of the evidence of Dr. O’Hara, a scene occurred between him and the chairman (Mr. Stuart), Dr. O’Hara pulling the chairman’s nose. An uproar followed, and Dr. O’Hara finally left the ream. The committee resolved to call on the whole staff to resign. The secretary complied with the committee’s request, but the medical officer and the rest of the staff would not do so, and, if necessary, they intended to appeal to the subscribers. THE IRONY OF FATE. News of another sad tragedy of the inhospitable back country reached Broken Hill some days ago. C. Chapman, who is in charge of a couple of paddocks at Topar station, rode into town at about five o’clock, and informed the police that he had found tlie body of a man at Topar run, about 56 miles from Broken Kill. Chapman states that a week ago, while he was mustering sheep, lie picked up tracks which ho followed for eight miles, but at that point sheep had obliterated all further trace of them. A little later on one of the boundary riders found a swag at a spot about five miles from where the body was afterwards found. By the appearance of the body the man must have died a week -before, and probably perished of thirst. As showing the irony of fate, there was a good waterhole only in the next paddock to the one in which the deceased lay down to die.

CROQUET I’ARTY POISONED. A party of croquet players partook of -cream sandwiches at Werribee (Victoria) recently, and 1G of them were subsequently attacked with a severe illness, which proved to be ptomaine poisoning, believed to have been caused ]>v the fact that the cream used in the sandwiches had gone bad. The sufferers subsequently recovered. , A SENSATIONAL EXPERIENCE. A sensational experience befell Frederick Irvine, a carrier, in, the employ of A. H. Garling, storekeeper,, of Tooraweenah,. New South Wales( during the progress of a storm. Irvine carried between Gilgandra and his employer’s business place, and his road lay across Bidden Creek, where there was no bridge. He was on the way out about 11 o’clock, and ho found that just a ilittle water was then coursing down the waterway. It urns heavy going, however, and his waggonette, laden with wire netting and a chaffcutter. got embedded. Notwithstanding the fine team -of five horses, they could not shift it, and a wall of water over 3ft thigh came rolling down, carrying everything before it. The driver and horses were all swept away. Every one of the team, which was"valued at.£lso, was drowned . Irvine w r as carried down the stream . for some distance,: but luckily the current thre.W him-in the direction of land, r , and he struggled and gained it. He "landed amongst a dense growth of prickly pear, and was severely injured -Aby the opikes.