AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2490, 1 May 1909, Page 6

AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

FOURTEEN' YEARS AGO

• At the Brisbane Police Court last week Jack McLoughlan (47) was -charged with having, in January/ 1895, at Johannesburg (Transvaal), murdered George Stevenson and Hadji Joseph Mustaffa. Detective Kenny deposed that he arrested McLoughlan by virtue. of a provisional warrant issued at the request of the Transvaal authorities. Defendant, when arrested, said : “That mail’s amme was not Stevenson. So far as I can remember his name was Stev.e Davidson. He ‘shelved’ me and two of ray pals for a job in Victoria. One of them got five years and I got away to .Kimberley. Some time afterwards -someone banded Steve a bit of lead and la Malay man got a--bit too. I happened to be in Johannesburg that night, and they blamed me.” Accused subsequently said, “I was told that whoever shot Steve went to his room, pushed his door open; and shot him through . the stomach.” Accused was remanded for a week pending the arrival of a police officer from the Transvaal. 7 A PIIiiIr~DROWNED. A drowning fatality occurred at Wollongong (N.S.W.) last week, whereby the Rev. Father Murray lost liis life. He, left the presbytery at nine o’clock to go for a bathe in the surf. Shortly after nine o’clock a lad named Mellon, on going into the men s dressingshed on the beach, noticed the clothes of a priest, but he coukl not: see the owner anywhere. He searched for some 'time, but could find no trace of the missing - man; Mellon notified tha housekeeper at the Roman Catholic presbytery, who became alarmed,, as it was considerably, after the time -that Father Murrav should Have returned ■ho|iie. She at once communicated with tlie 7 police, who immediately went to -search the beach, but they oou'.d find no trace of tlio missing priest. Several: members of the Wollongong Surf Club went into the water in the hopes of finding him. After searching for some four hours the body was noticed floating in a rocky' channel. Father Murray .'Was 27 years of age and a rativp of Ireland. / -PANIC AT BIOGR APH SHOW 7 . 'Something in .the way of a panic occurred on the 17th inst. at a biograph entertainment held at the Hippodrome next to the Newtown Town Hall, Sydney; After the show had been running about 20 minutes a ston was made, but the shutter failed to drop 1 -. The operator noticed that a corner of the fnnt was on five. In a moment or two tne Nvlible apparatus and surroundings were in flames. Immediately there was a erv of fire, and a stampede for_ the entrance. The children not knowing anythin" .about escape doors wedged themselves into the passage struggling and screaming in a state of terror. The l essee, Mr - Gaut, and Constable Baldwin, who happened to be passing, found 20 or 30 of the younger children lying on the ground and being trampled upon by the elder ones. It was impossible at this time to reach the escape - doors- . without walking over , the children’s "heads, and although Mr Gaut sang out to those nearest the doors to open them, "the children jo the confusion were too frightened .to understand. Citable - "Baldwin and Mr Gaut managed to rescue the children who were on tlio ground, and to drag others through so as...tp clear the way. In the meantime the caretaker, who had been taking tickets, got found by a back way to the stage. He pulled a lot of the scenery down, and thus opened up a way to reach a side door leading to a lane. He passed a number of children across the stage, and they scrambled over the overturned scenery and got out by the side door. Fortunately by fcthis time the fire was out, the attendants having quenched the flames with buckets of water. The only persons injured were a ten-year-old boy named Hudson, who was scverelv bruised about the body, and O’Blieu, the operator, whose hands and face were badiy burnt. A few small bruises and cuts to some of the others were the only injuries recorded. VISITING EVANGELISTS. Dr J. Wilbur Chapman and Mr Charles M. Alexander, with a party of evangelists, numbering altogether near - - jy a score—Gospel-singers', hymn-wri-ters, soloists, secretaries, and a newspaper representative—have arrived in Sydney from Vancouver. They are on a “revival” tour, Avhich will take them throughout Australasia, China,. Japan, Corea, and the Philippine Islands, and -will occupy all this year and next. They will be in Australia for about six months. Seven years ago Mr Alexander went through Australia with-Dr Torrey. He was also here two years ago with his wile. . After the first visit the partnership with Dr Torrey was dissolved. Mr Alexander and Dr Chapman joined forces a year ago in • America, with this campaign of ‘‘aggressive evangelism” m view. It was started, Mr Alexander said, by a five and a-lialf weeks’ attack on Philadelphia, the city being divided up into districts for that purpose. Dr Chapman is a native of Indiana, U.S.A. This is bis first visit to Australia. He began his evangelical career, of commenced gaining experience in that directionT under Mr Moody, of the famous combination of Moody and Sankev. His partner considers him a wonderful man •at reaching audiences, particularly the men. His" most striking characteristic is his voice. In 'appearance he is of something the same type as Mr Alexander. . The revival is to be opened in Mel bourne, Sydney being visited • later. EXCITING INCIDENTS AT FIRE. Some exciting incidents occurred in connection with a fire which broke out iu the premises of a saddler in Murray street, Perth, a few days ago. '! lie fire originated in a cellar, in which there was a quantity of straw and fibre used for collar-stuffing, and the smoke was remarkably dense. Sixty girls were at work on the second floor .of the building, which is occupied by the Exce sior White Work Company. Finding the stairway full of smoko, some of the girls jumped from the window to the street below, and wore caught in the ai ms'of iiconic gathered around, -m----veral of the girls stayed to put on their wraps and wore piloted by tlio hi onion "down the stairs. Two foremen were temporarily overcome by the smoko and ■ < fumes.

|/ FATAL CYCLE ACCIDENT, >■- Adeline Ethel Jones, 10 years Af age, ' v/as l-idiu rt a bicycle down A* bi l ‘b'V street,• K&emwick (Vie.) on a .recent ‘-t f tern don, -SM turned into .A\ i son M\ street :: as -A rckibald : Edward' J>urhn£~ ■I: -ton * AV'9 s' dr iv i i vi; .pa st.. on agroe er s can. .. p”-insgtdn,; noticed tastvshe -was *uot |te '• ■■ / . v

an expert cyclist, and gave her plenty of room as he passed her. Rut the bicycle Swerved, and she was dashed against the wheel of the cart. Seeing that. she. was hurt, Darlington got down from his cart, and, with the ossistance of . a bystander, took her to her home; which was near by. Dr . Travers was .called in, and found that her jaw was broken, her eye severely injured, her chin badly cut, and her thigh cut and bruised. . ‘She appeared to raLy during the .afternoon, but died next day. : __ 'V: