LOCAL AND GENERAL

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 278, 26 March 1889, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The murder ease is set down for hearing at 10 o’clock this morning,

The lawn tennis championship of Gisborne was decided on Saturday afternoon, Mr Louden beating Mr Bowly in the final.

Mr Corcoran’s tender for Contract No. 1, was accepted by the Kaiti Road Board, on Saturday, the price being £79 4s. There are 34 witnesses for the Crown in connection with the Fook murder ease, and it is said the hearing will last fully three days.

A meeting of the members of J Battery will he he’d at the Drill Shed at 7 30 tomorrow evening.

The match between the Maori football team and the Hull Club resulted in a draw, both sides scoring a try. The wintry weather that has now set in is bringing roller skating again into popularity. The City Rink was well patronised on Saturday night, and was open again last night, when its popularity was onoe more manifested.

At the Mutual Improvement Society last night Mr E. J. Spurdie read an essay, entitled “ Feminine Dyess,” dealing with a number of extravagances in fashion. The Rev. R. J, Murray occupied the chair. Mr Cannon, the Gisborne Poundkeeper, asserts that “ Schoolboy’s ” letter, published on Saturday morning, is a tissue of falsehoods. Discredit is also placed upon the supposition that the writer of the letter is really a schoolboy. There has not been sufficient time to make further enquiries into the matter, but with regard to the latter subject we may state that the writer of the letter is a genuine schoolboy, and one, too, from whom deception would not be expected. There is nothing in the letter to which exception could be taken, excepting its accuracy is brought into question. The writer’s name cannot be disclosed so far as we are concerned unless it is done voluntarily.

The tent services on Sunday were well attended. Mr Hare has decided to continue the tent meetings for a few evenings till he can complete arrangements for a hall. This evening the lecture will deal with Spiritualism. *' Is it of divine origin or is it the working of Satan ? Can we trust its manifestations ? And do the prophecies point ont its rise and development ?”

A couple of mammoth turnips were on view yesterday at Mr Clark’s butchery establishment. One weighs 191bs and the other 16&lbs. They were grown at Mr G. L. Sunderland’s place, being from seed that was sown broadcast. They are a splendid testimony of the prolific nature of the soil In the Patutahi district. If the Patutahi people hadn’t brains as well as turnips, they might make it decidedly inconvenient for an unpopular candidate at election times. A Patutahi settler had rather an unpleasant experience the other day. His wife took advantage of the warm weather to have a “ blanket wash ” and to this end took everything off the bads that could bo spared. These were washed and left hanging upon the line during ths night, and in tbs morning it was found that some mean thief had " annexed ” tour pairs ot good blankets, other things on the lines being left untouched. No olue haa yet been found te ths thieves, but as the line was close to the road it is possible that natives or Europeans riding by thought they could put them to better use than the owner.

Judge Richmond appears to have included Hau-hauism as one ot the many religions now in vogue, it we may accept his remark*, made yesterday in the case against • Macri charged with an assault upon a little ttativ* girl. His Honor, when informed by the interpreter that Watene, the parent of the child, was a Hau-hau, remarked ■* possibly that may explain why .the child knows nothing ci either church or religion; however Hsuhauism is a creed, and has perhaps as much claim to be considered as any other. Whether ths learned judge, was indulging in quist sarcasm or not, we leave to on* rtuUtVi

On Saturday last a French torpedo boat was lost in hurricane at Harfleur, and fourteen lives were lost.

A late telegram received from Hong Kong states that the misery in Shang Tung, caused by fever and famine is appalling, and large numbers of the inhabitants are committing suicide in order to escape starvation. One hundred and fifty men have struck work at the Phoenix foundry at Ballant, for higher wages.

The Aorangi has arrived at Wellington, Passengers and cargo for Northern ports will be transhipped into the Australia, which sails this evening, and arrives here early on Friday morning. It is stated that Mr Fisher, Minister of Education, will in a couple of weeks hence, pay a visit of inspection to the East Coast native schools.

During the month of February about 2000 acres—chiefly small grazing runs—were selected in the Hawke's Bay district. The artesian weß contractor, having had a misfortune with the pipes, was compelled to start a new bore, in which rapid progress has been made. Two of the pipes were lost through the mishap at the first bore. The genial Tom Bracken, ex-M.H.8., who is now an insurance agent in Dunedin, delivered an address entitled “An apology for bores ” the other night, and as admission was fixed at the most popular price—i.e.. nothing —there was a large attendance. A clergyman occupied the chair, and made a few introductory remarks, saying tbat it was fitting that a parson, who had a prescriptive right to be a bore for one day of every week, should preside at an apology for bores. Mr Bracken’s address was in defence of the prince of these—the insurance agent, whose usefulness he amply demonstrated.

The Rev. R. J. Murray, who has temporarily taken the Rev. J. Ward’s place in connection with the Wesleyan Church, preached in the Church on Sunday. On concluding his sermon in the evening he mentioned that his stay in Gisborne would only be of short dur tion, but he hoped that it would be one of good service, and that he would have the individual and co-operative assistance of the members of the congregation. He sought to be a leader among them, and he could best be that by being a servant to all. He said he would regard it as a favor if the addresses of sick persons were communicated to him, so that he might have the opportunity to visit them ; and in conclusion he expressed a hope that his stay in Gisborne would be pleasant and useful to both himself and the congregation. Mr Murray is an earnest speaker whose every word seems to be weighed before utterance, and his sermon in the evening was a demonstration of simple truths, clothed in language that oould not be misunderstood. Last week a man went into the Queen’s Ferry Hotel, Auckland, and requested permission to go upstairs and wash himself, and was shown inte a room and subsequently left, Mrs Stimpson, the landlady, had occasion to go upstairs, and missed a diamond scarf pin, stated to be worth £l5. Information was sent to the police station that the visitor was suspected, and Detective Herbert was furnished with his description. He went in search of the person described, but meeting a man named Joseph Hood, who had been "wanted" previously on another matter, it struck the detective that this man answered the description of the hotel visitor. As he was deliberating over his suspicions the barmaid of the hotel came past. The detective pointed out Hood to her, and she recognised him. He was taken in charge by Detective Herbert, and on being searched the missing jewellery was obtained. Our Melbourne correspondent writes The

party with the “ Prairie Flower ” elixir, who faded out so quickly from Melbourne some t-me ago, has since appeared in full bloom at

Dundee (Scotland). And in arrogant full bloom at that—prosecuting a Scotch chemist for infringing his copyright ! " Sequah ”is what the Prairie Flower man calls himself now, and he is simply shovelling in money in Scotland. In Scotland I Fancy a quack going there to find gulls 1 It seems like going to a goat’s house to look for wool. There is one characteristic thing in the case, however. The Judge, in summing up for the defendant, said “he could not hold for a moment that there oould be any copyright in Prairie Flower any more than in Lcchiel whisky, or any other common thing of that kind!" What a joke this would seem in any but a Scotch court I Evidently some of ths oldtime flavour of Glenlivat, that was there when my Lords Advocates drank all night and adjudicated all day, hangs about the Scotch courts still.

A trial which has just concluded in the department of Kursk, in Southern Russia, with the conviction of four peasants, for the murder of a girl of eleven, they-being sentenced to penal servitude for terms varying from eight to twenty years each, reminds the reader, in oertain details, of the hideous and grotesque superstition about “ thieve’s candles ” recently described by Dr Bloch. The four peasants believed in the strange superstition that candles that are made from human fat render them invisible. In order to obtain this necessary material, they first attempted to murder a boy in a forest; next they killed an old peasant, and afterwards a Russian clergyman, whom they met in a field. In all these cases they were unsuccessful, be ing disturbed before they could accomplish their full purpose. On the 15th of October last, however, they came across a young girl, Lukeria Cherkashina, in a lonely spot, and at once proceeded to strangle and mutilate her. Out of the fat from this child’s body they made candles, with the help of whose supposed protecting rays they attempted a robbery. They were, however, Caught and put in prison, where they confessed everything. It was stated in Court that the superstition ot “ thieve’s candles ” is widespread in Russia.