AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2617, 27 September 1909, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

CHILD SNATCHED FROM DEATH

An act of heroism was performed by John Muir, a railway gauger, at Horsham, Victoria, last week', when he risked his life in a gallant and successful attempt to save a little child from being run down by. a train. Muir was in charge of a ballast train, which was returning from Natimuk, and as the train came round a curve toward Horsham railway gates, he saw the child about 200 yards away, standing between the second set of rails. At the same moment he saw the Dimboola tram, travelling at about 20 miles an hour, coming towards the child. The ballast train was also travelling at the rate of twenty miles an hour, but without hesitation Muir leaped from the floor of the van, four feet above the metals, on to the permanent way. The engine of the Dimboola train was then within 50 yards of the child, and Muir barely succeeding in dragging the youngster off the line and jumping behind the van of the ballast train, which had just gone past. The child is only 20 months old. ACCOUNTANT’S SUICIDE.

Mr. John Bedford, 56, an accountant residing at “Rapara,” Lane Lev© Road, Lindiiekl, N.SAV., committed suicide at his home recently. Deceased sat down to tea with his family, and before the end of the meal pulled out a revolver. He placed this to his head, and before anyone could snatch it away pulled the trigger and fell back dead. Although a doctor was immediately called bis services were of no avail, death being instantaneous. Deceased had seemed depressed and worried lately, but bad given no indication of anv intention to tako his life.

STRANGE COINCIDENCE. Coincidence could hardly go further than it did in the case of two women who are in receipt of old age pensions in Victoria. An arrangement of papers in alphabetical order for the purpose of record and filing disclosed that there was apparently one pensioner, who besides having been taken over from tlie State had been granted a new pension. The surname, which was not Smith or Brown, or any such common names, were the same; the Christian names corresponded, and each was a widow, and a dairywoman in the same street of an inland town. The ages were stated as 69 and 73 years, a discrepancy of which little notice is* 1 taken by the pension officers, who find knowledge on this point very ofter hazy. _ Each had six children, both had lieen born in Ireland, and has come to Australia in the same year, and neither applicant could write. Formal inquiries were made through the local police in order that proper evidence of the “obvious duplication” might be recorded; but the result of these enquiries have been to show that tlie two —rsons are actual! individuals. They are not related to each other.

A DIVORCE CASE. In the Sydney Divorce Court last week Harry Buchanan, sought a divorce from his wife, Ethel Buchanan, on the ground of desertion. Petitioner stated that he and his wife were married at San Francisco in February, 1901, according to the rights of the Presbyterian Church. Tlie respondent was an actress, and after a few months the parties came to Auckland, but respondent came to Sydney to see her mother, and petitioner stayed in New Zealand, and worked as a prospector. While so doing he contracted sciatica and lumbago, and he went to the hot springs at "Rotorua for treatment. While there he received a letter from his wife bidding him good-bye. He had allowed her £4 a week maintenance, bho left him in 1902. Tlie hearing was adadjoum\ed generally after petitioner had given part of his evidence.