LOCAL AND GENERAL

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 452, 10 May 1890, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Mr Corrie Johnston, who has been assisting Mr Varley in . his missions, is to arrive in Gisborne to-morrow, and he is to give an address at the City Rink in the afternoon, and again at 8 in the evening. In the bankrupt estate of Daniel Oourtnay the assets are set down at £5 (a black mare) and the liabilities at £79 15s. The creditors of £5 and over are :—R. Colebrook £ll 7s, Gisborne Hospital £l4, S Stevenson £5, D. M. Orr £5 2s, R. Watson £6 15s, H. Harcourt £5 17s.

Andrew Davidson had just arrived in Melbourne from New Zealand when he refused Is to a young man named John Ryan who had volunteered to be his guide. Ryan then collared the man’s watch and chain and decamped. He got four months’ imprisonment.

Mr Christie Murray arrives this morning from Napier and his first lecture.in Gisborne will be given in the City Rink to night. So much has been heard of Mr Christie Ma ray and the novels that he has written that there can hardly fail to be a large and intelligent audience to see and hear him personally. There were 67 summonses and 7 judgment summonses set down for hearing at the R.M. Court on Thursday morning, but only two cases went by default, viz., Harbor Board v. S. R. Cooper, claim £4 10a for rates, and same v. S. Doleman, claim 13s 4d. The other cases were either confessed or settled out of Court,

Our “friends” who were so pleased to learn that Mr Geddis was our Auckland correspondent, can now chuckle over the fact that he has been compelled to relinquish that position owing to the recent case, but we have made other arrangements, which we will bq equally satisfactory. At the R.M. Court on Thursday the case H. Cannon v. R. Harper, £3 5s on a judgment summons, again came on. The evidence was to the effect that defendant could not pay and had no desire to do so, being also imbued with the idea that his being brought to Court so often reversed the position cf debtor and creditor. An order was made for immediate payment, or in default seven days’ imprisonment, execution to be stayed 14 days. Th 3, cases Cannon v. J. Smith and Cannon v. W. Adams were further adjourned. In the case Johnston and Co, v. Airey, claim £4 sb, four days were allowed for payment, or in default four days’ imprisonment. The Napier Harbor Board is to be congratulated on having arranged to secure the services of Mr Bicheno, who is now free to make other engagements, the Gisborne works being stopped for the present. Mr Bicheno is not only a thoroughly competent man but it is also certain that while he is in a position of responsibility the Board need never fear the possibility of a scandal such as that which has caused the changes that are being made. ,He is a very careful as well as competent officer and ho requires no better recommendation than his work.

The practical joke fiend has been rampant in Gisborne during the last few days, and great amusement has been caused to those who have not happened to be the victims, though on more than one occasion there has been a danger of the fun being carried too far. One joker is said to have been beautifully “sold.” He had tho duty of collecting rent in connection with the Salvation barracks, and he received a bogus letter ostensibly from the Captain or Lieutenant, beseeching him to join the Army, and specially pointing out the excellent example it would be to others to see a man like him (he is a visitor) joining the holy ranks. When he went to collect his rent he had the letter in his mind, and its genuineness seemed unquestionable when the fair officer used all her persuasive powers to soften the heart of the hard collector. The story runs that he abandoned, his claim, -and made himself quite a centre of interest by showing round the letter he had received. The opening meeting-of-the Union Literary Society was held in the Sunday-school room on Thursday, the President (Rev. Canon Fox) being in the chair. Notwithstanding, the heavy downpour of rata a dozen members atlended. It was intended to elect office bearers for the ensuing year, and there was also set down a debate as to which had the more advanced the interest of the world—the thinker or the doer ? After a short discussion in regard to the syllabus, Mr Ratcliffe moved, and Mr Kenny seconded, that the election of members be postponed until next meeting. This was carried, and it was then decided, with the consent of the openers of the debate (Rev. Canon Fox and Mr E. Chriep), to postpone that also. While expressing regret at the unfavorable night the President said he thought, in the circumstances, it was a very hopeful sign that they had even the number present. Mr Mann, the secretary, stated that the P.ckwickian representation had placed the Society in a good financial position, apart from the subscriptions for the new period. The mysterious personage known as “Tom Colling” continues to increase his notoriety. His history is almost as hard to trace as his body is to discover, but he appears to have come from Australia, and his name has quickly become a byword in all the principal towns in New Zealand. In Wellington the other day a man when asked thought it funny to say he was Tom Collins, and he soon got so severely’dealt with that he has now gone to law about it, while Tom no doubt enjoys the fun. The latter has been hunted high and low during his stay in Gisborne, and even hemmed in a bedroom, but somehow he always escapes, and his mischief-making tongue wags as fast as ever. This morning one enraged perso-n-publicly throws down the gauntlet, and failing an ample apology something more serious is threatened. Some victims have consulted gentleman of the legal profession, while others are said to have lain in ambush for hours in the hope of appeasing their thirst for Tom’s gore. It now remains to be discovered whether the monster’s Gisborne career will not be cut off before the beginning of another week has come round. Report has it that Tom had a big fight on Thursday, and he appeared to have coma out of it so badly that the victor got frightened that lie would be ma le liable for manslaughter. He sped in great haste, in search for Dr Pollen, but Tom was only trying on the trick of tho spider, which, when in danger, pretends to ba . dead. Any way he “ vamoosed ’’ with wonderful celerity directly his antagonist had got out of sight.