MISCELLANEOUS.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, Issue II, 9 June 1880, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS.

— * =rar A church organist at Aratqff, near Kieff, lately confessed on bis death bed to the murder, twenty years ago, of ■ farmer.' He committed the crime with the priest's pistol, which he stole and then placed in the sacristy, confessed to the priest so as to preclude tbs latter from giving evidence against him without infringing the obligation of secrecy, and then went and denounced the priest as the culprit. The priest who rainly pro* tested his innocence, was sentenced to hard labour for life, and, on bis liberation being applied for on the strength of the organist's death bed confession, the reply was that he bad died a few months ago. The golden days of the Dnnstan are apparently not yet over. The local Times is reliably informed thit flf orphy and Co., Tinker's Gully, have obtained another 500 ounces of gold from their tail ditch, which together with former returns of 1200 ounces, gives a total yield of 1700 ounces as the resnlt of the past year's work. Much curiosity has been excited as t<? the object of the new diamond rock bor* ing machine, which a Sydney cable message reported had been purchased byDr Hector for the New Zealand Govern* ment. The machine itself arrived at Wellington by the Wakatioo a day©* two ago. The use of the machine is to test ground for auriferous or other mineral deposits. Tt is intending to hire it out to local bodies or mining a -soeiations for this purpose, and it is "hoped that vain,* able results ro=»y be obtained in the way of developing the mineral resources of tbd colony. An incident occurred at the Theatre Royal. Manchester, on Monrlav, which shows to what wanton, insult ladies of the theatrical profession are liable from blackguards with a little money in their pockets. In the scene where Miss .Kate Lawler and Miss Alice May are the only ocupanfsof the stage, two contemptible oaob*, vho oreup'ud one of the omnibus boxes, took the opportunity when Miss Lawler was near of saying loud enoush to he he»H, ' Have a drink, Kitty.' Miss Lawler indignantly moved from the vicinity of the box, and cleverlv altering the words of her part to suit the occasion, replied, ' Ask those cads in that box.' Of course, the management promptly and ig? nominiously ejected the fellows, and contemptuously returned their money. The audience showed their appreciation by loudly cheering the management, and hissing tbe cads as they disappeared.