AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2652, 6 November 1909, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

DEATH SENTENCE COMMUTED. At a meeting of the New South AVales Executive Council last week the death sentence passed upon Lambert Charles Seers, at the Newcastle Circuit Court last month, for wounding with intent to murder his wife, was commuted to 14 years’ penal servitude. The prisoner was employed at the Sulphide Works, Cookie Creek. On March 4, when he returned from his work, lie found another man in his house with his wife. -He flew into a rage and chased the woman into the yard. There he picked up an axe and struck her on the head, causing a wound' four or five inches long. Believing that he had killed her, ihe attempted to commit suicide. In this, however, 'he failed. The woman was taken to the hospital and ultimately recovered. She, however, declined to give evidence at the trial, saying the prisoner had always treated her kindly. The jury, in finding a verdict of .guilty, brought in a strong recommendation to mercy on the ground that the accused’s mind might have been affected by an attack of sunstroke from which he had suffered some years ago. FATALITY mTmOUNT MORGAN. A sad fatality occurred at Mount Morgan .mine, Queensland, last week, a young man, William Sullivan, 20, los ins his life. Deceased and his mate, AVilliam Flamank, were trucking from the shoot on the 69th floor of the east s'topes in No. 1 copper chamber, that is, between the 650 ft and 750 ft levels. About 6ft away from where the men were engaged there was a shoot connecting with the 750 ft floor. The men’s' duties comprised pushing the truck away, turning it on the flat sheet, and running it out. The shoot was securely .covered with slabs. The two youths, in order to give more play in trucking- operations, knocked the slabs -out- cf. their way to. quite unknowingly, just on the edge of the shoot. Flamank left to inspect other works, and, returning, missed his companion. Some men a short time after heard moans on passing the shoot, and made investigation. They found deceased at the bottom of the shoot. From appearances deceased stopped on to the extreme edge of the slabs, which went with him. Deceased fell down the shoot, a distance of 48ft. Besides ether inuiries he broke his neck.

‘ THE OWNERSHIP OF BEES. At- the Single ton ('N.S.W-) Police Court last week Frederick Buchtmann proceeded against Edward Eird for allege d unlawful detention of a swarm or | bees, valued at 15s. It appeared that the bees' swarmed on to a grape-vine in defendant’s property, and defendant asked for 10s, which he would give to .the hospital, before he would allow complainant to secure the hco,§. Alter some time on the vine the bees cleared away. Tire P.M., in finding for defendant, said that bees were property of a kind. The owner, however, only held a possessory title, and when they escaped they ceased to become Ins property. NEW THEATRE FOR SYDNEY. Sydney is to have a now theatre. According "to instructions- given to the architect, Mr John Reid, it is to be the largest in Australasia, and to rank among the leading theatres of the world? The theatre is to be built on a portion of that .well-known site, Anthony Hordern’s old Palace Emporium, which was destroyed by fire and subsequently rebuilt. There are in the block three distinct buildings, with Parker Lane and Parker-street dividing them. It is the centre block, known as “the Palace Emporium,” that is to be used for the -purpose. The land has a total frontage of 80ft to Barlow-street by a depth of over 200 ft, and a large slice of ground at the rear is also to be taken m. It is proposed to erect a building to accommodate between 2000 and 3000 “people. The appointments are to be of the very latest, and the furnishings up-to-date in every, way. The new theatre will certainly be larger than any playhouse in- Australasia. Her Majesty’s Theatre in Sydney and the leading theatres of Melbourne each have seating accommodation for about 1800 people. In London there are 42 theatres and music halls, and, with the exception of the (Lyceum Theatre, which seats 2800. the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, 2516, and. the Theatre Royal, Covent Gardens, 2000, the remainder of the-theatres of London seat from 1000 to 1800 people. In Pans .the■two largest theatres are the Chatelet, seating accommodation 3600, and the Opera House, 2200. In Berlin the largest theatre is the Metrcpol, with seatiij.or acco-mmodaition for 1800. But it is in°New York where the large theatres of the world are to be found. The Hippodrome seats 4678 people, the Metropolitan Opera House 4000, Keith and Proctor’s Theatre 3450, New York. Theatre 3817, and the Academy of Music 2700. The remainder of the theatres of America are considerably below these figures in seating accommodation, so that, , with one or two ex ceptkms, Sydney’s new theatre in seating accommodation will hold its own among t f he leading theatres of the world:' ' . - ' ;