Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Vertis et Prævalebit. SATURDAY, APRIL 3, 1897. THE WINSLOW VERDICT.

Cur faith m Coroners Juries is certainly not strengthened by what, has occurred at Winsiow m connec tion with the enquiry into the recent sad accident, by which a much-respected resident of the district lost his life. According to the evidence published m another column of this issue, the deceased came to Winsiow between 1 and 2 p m. to get a draught horse shod, he riding a hack. There were other horses waiting at the smithy when he arrived, and he had to take his turn, so that he did not get away on his return journey uqtil a few minutes after six p.m. During that time he had three drinks, brandies and soda, two of which, at any rate, he was known to have mixed himself, using very little brandy and a great deal of soda. Mr Smart, railway station master at Winsiow, saw him at about ten minutes past three, when he was quite sober; and the landlord of the hotel, Mr P. Keller, and G. J. Sproat, a shepherd, both swore that he was i quite sober when he left the hotel at a } quarter past six. Another witness, George Henry Keller, said that " he was not drunk when he went away. He was sober enough to take care of himself." There was thus absolutely no evidence that deceased was the worse of drink—rindeed positive evidence to the contrary, and the remarks of the Coroner m leaving the ca3e to the Jury indicated that he, at anyrate, was of i that opinion. That the fatality was o tused by a fall from the horse deceastd \ was riding, and that the cause of the fall was the shying of the horse, a vice to which it was known to be Addicted, was quite clear, and hence the verdict to that effect was the only one it was I possible to arrive at. But the rider appended by five of the jury, m which the opinion is expressed that the acci dent would not have happened had the deceased not been to some extent under the influence of liquor, is clearly not justified by the evidence. Even had it been otherwise, we fail to see what good purpose could be served by | a declaration calculated to give great pain to the relatives. We have been informed since the inquest that the one juryman who dissented from the rider was Mr Oompton, who, if is said, fought hard against it. If this be so, then the foreman, Mr Chapman, must have been one of the five who are responsible for the rider, and, although we do not for a moment suggest that he and tie other four jurymen who agreed to it acted otherwise than with a desire thoroughly to discharge their duty, it is an unfortunate fact that Mr Chap man was at the last licensing election one of the candidates nominated by the Prohibition party, bp it is inevitable lut that many persons will come to .the conclusion that his judgment was unconsciously wa'ped by his detesta tion of the liquor traffic. On the whole we are inclined to think that the sooner Coroner'a juries are dispensed with the better,

Local and General.

Messrs W- and J, Shannon, of Ohertsey, have undertaken thfl distribution of the Mail and Guardian papers at Chertsey, and have also been appointed agents for the Ashburton Publishing Co. A meeting of persona desirous of joining the Ashburton Co-operative Mopey Club is i called for 8 o'clock on Tuesday evening m the Arcade Chambers. Mr H. Diggle, confectioner, is leaving for Auckland, having disposed of his business. We wish him every success m his new sphere. At Timaru on Friday a man named Dearsley was lined for selling, without a license, goosebery wiae containing 10 pet cent, of alcohol. Commercial news will be found on the fourth page ;and cm the first page appears the remainder of our report of yesterday's sitting of the County Council, also a report of the jjjeeting of the South Rakaia Road Board. A meeting of school cflijrftrmtfcees, teachers, and others interested m the formation of technical classes will be held at the Borough school on Saturday, April 10. As the sub ject is important it is to hg hoped there will be a good attendance. It is stated that there is a species of sea weed m the South Pacific which often grows fco be §oin or 40in m diameter, and 1500f c to SOOGft ia length. It has no root m the proper sense, thjs noupishmentbeing absorbed from the water. Ths water of the River Tiato, £n Spain, hardens and petrifies the sand of its bed, and if a stone falls m the stream, and alights upon another, m a few months they uniise and become one stone, J?ish cannot live m its waters. It is pointed out m a Wellington paper that a peculiar circumstance m connection with Bouher, the Petone murderer, is the fact fchat he has never yet denied that he committed the murder, oot even to his wife or to the witness S*usbury, nor has he denied it since he has been m gaol. One of the most comical sights at Grey mouth during the recent floods was that of a Chinaman complacently wheeling or floating a perambulator a'oog the flooded street. In the vehicle sab a #hild contentedly sucking from a feeding bottle, while the mother of the infant trudged alongside, apparently enjoying the novel situation. The (Jeleatial was smoking a cigarette quite contentedly. A triangular match between the Waimate Rifles, Temuka Rifles and Timaru Naval Artillery was fired off on the Timaru range j on Thursday, and was won by the Waimate j Rifles by 23 over the Temuka Rifles and 56 over the Timaru Navals. The day waa a fine one, with a rather sultry heat and a j light air from the sea The conditions were ten men aside, 7 shots 6ach at 200 yds, ' 300 yds, and 500yda. The scores were Waimate 748, Temuka 725, Timaru Navals 712 A New Plymouth youth adopted a novel method of ■" raising the wind/" He was very hard up, and so cabled to )iia father m England asking for money 'immediately, as he was about to undergo an operation m the hospital. The father cabled to §, Catholic priest m that district requesiing him to verify his son's statement. No money has yet been sent. A meeting of the Winslow Sports Com ji/iit)iee took place on Friday evening, the principal business being the adoption of the 'programme*. Ai^et isome discussion this was sett ed and arrangements were made to issue same on Monday. A ground cdm&iittea was appointed and a few details dealt with when the meeting adjourned. Mr Alfred. JjFooks |«t ths goo, 3ewetary,

Attention is directed to the announcement I (hat the Rev T. G. Brooke concludes his, official duties m connection with the Ash buiton Wesleyan Church to-morrow even ing. The subject) of his sermon for the occasion will be "Finally, brethren, fare well. ' The choral part of the service will receive special attention. The choir assisted by » strong orchestra, will render Caleb Simper's fine anthem "I will feed my flock," and Miss Kathleeu Orr will sing, Grunod's beautiful aolo " Pray for me." Strangers are invited. Walter Bently—you a'l know Walter was at his highest one night m King Henry VIII. at the Wellington Opera House : , Farewell, a long farewell to all my greatness, This is the stale of man : to-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hope, to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honors thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost— Voice from the gods (mimicking Walter) ! "Then try Woods' threat Peppermint Cure ! (( It brought down the house. 16 AP

WAKANUI.

From Our Own Correspondent On Sunday laat the Wakanui churches held their harvest thanksgiving. The Wesleyan Church was very prettily decorated and was a credit to the taste of those who had performed this labor of love. The morning servioe waa conducted by Rev T. G. Brooke, and m the evening the Rer R. Murray occupied the pulpit when appro priate sermona were preached. On both occasions the seating power of the church was taxed to its utmost, but m the evening there was not standing room, and over forty persons had to listen from the outside. The Presbyterian Church had also been very tastefully decorated by several of the young ladies of the congregation. The Rev G. B. Inglis preached m his well-known j 1 powerful style, and as the collections were m aid of the Indian Famine Fund your readers can better imagine than I can de scribe the force or the speaker's remarks concerning a country so familiar to him. I am pleased to say the funds will be the richer by several pounds. On Thursday, April 8, there is to be a farewell tea to the Rev T. G. Brooke, when we hope to show our appreciation of his good work m the district by turning out m strong force, and on Sunday, April 4, the rev. gentleman preaches his farewell sermon at the morning service.

Jubilee Home.

Press Association,—By Electric Telegraph

Chbistchurch, April 2. To-night at a meeting at the City Council Chambers it was decided to complete the Jubilee Home for Aged People as a memorial of the Record Keign.

Brunner Mine Case.

Claim for Damages

Press Association—By Electric Telegraph Hokitika, April 2. At the Supreme Court, m the coal mine case, to-day, the cross-examination of James Bishop, Manager of the Brunner mine, occupied five hours, and the re-examination occupied the remainder of the afternoon. The cross-eximiuation was a traversing of his whole management, and designed to test his capabilities m the light of recent scien tific knowledge of coal mine explosions and their causes. Mr Bishop's theory is that the explosion resulted from an outburst of gas following a fall from the roof. There is no hope of the case being concluded this week.

Concert at Flemington.

A concert m aid of the funds of the Pro hibition League was heid m the Flemingion schoolroom on Friday evening, on'y a fair attendance being present. A good pro gramme of eleven items all of which were re demauded and responded to was opened with a well executed pianoforte solo by Miss Kthel Gates, who also'played the aocompani ments. Miss Olphert and Miss Birdie Butler, both of Auckland, at once became favourites. Miss Esther Gates and Miss Mary Coilison sang sweetly, and the Rev J. Olphert was very successful with his recita tions. The rev. gentleman made a few remarks about prohibition, and on behalf of the League thanked all who had assisted to make' the conceit successful, especially to Mr Henderson for the use of his piano. On behalf of the audience Mr Dunn moved a, hearty vote of thanks to the performers for giving them such a good concert, which was carried with acclamation. The concert closed with the national anthem. Refresh ments, which were greatly appreciated, were provided for the singers and visitors by Mrs Henderson,

Women's Council.

Press Association—By Electric Telegraph, ChristcijuecHj April 2 TheWomen'B Council this afternoon passed resolutions to the effect that a mother should be able equally with a father to appoint a guardian to act with the surviving parent with regard to the property of children, but neither parent should be able to deprive thf other of his or her children unless the Court ahull be satisfied that the surviving parent is incapable of guardianship; that the conditions of divorce of men and women should be equalised; that the domestic servants half holiday should be made universal by legislative enactment. j lin the evening Mrs Shepgard was elected President. Motions wera passed m favor of temperance lesson books m schools and the establishment of Industrial Homes.

THE PREMIER'S VISIT TO ENGLAND.

Press Association—By Electric Telegraph

Napier, April 2, At a well attended meeting oj the National Association to-night a motion was passed expressing approval of the colony being represented by the Premier at the Queen's jubilee celebration wifh the proviso that m the interests of the colony the session of Parliament should go on during his absence. Captain Ruasell expressed sympathy wilh the proviso but said that under the circum stances it was impracticable. Jt was un fortunate for the (Oniony that it should be governed by a one man Ministry, and that his colleagues coutd not parry on m his absence, but the Premier held so many port folios that departmental business m I\trlia rojnt could not well go on m his absence. It was creating a bad precedent, but if the polony was to be represented by the Premier a short session was inevitable, but as leader of the Opposition he would not consent to grant supply but would dgrae to the exten sion of the Public Revenues Acts to enable the Government of the colony to be carried on to the end of Septembe-, which would nee&ssitate Parliament meeting m the middle of that month, He would strongly oppo«^ an extension to the end of October, but hs did not think that would be asked for, as if Parliament met later than the middle of September there would be no time for an adequate discussion of the affairs of the colony before Christmas. Another reso lution was that all branches of the National Association m the colony should unite m "presenting a congratulatory address to Her Majesty. ■

THE FATAL ACCIDENT AT WINSLOW.

The Inquest

An inquest waa held at the Winslow Hotel last evening, on the body of Mr Robert Edwin Stoddart. Major Steward was coro ner, and the following were the jury—Meiers S. 8. Chapman (foreman), R. Keoniugton, i George Grioe, Oliver Dreunan, Arthur Wil son, and W. de B. Comptou. Tho following evidence was taken : — William H. Cockle, blacksmith, at Win slow, said that he last s iw deceased alive at •ix o'clock on the evening of Apdl 1. He was then m witness's shop, where witness was shoeing a horse for" him. Deceased waa quite sober. He had brought a draught horse to be shod, and waa riding a, hack. After the draught was shod, he sent it on before him and followed a few minutes after wards on the hack, which was not a very quiet one, and was given to shying Saw him ride away, the horse going quietly at an ordinary pace. Did not see him again alive. the draught horse was aged, quiet, and had been shod before. Could not say exactly what time elapsed between the starting away of the draught and deceased's start to follow it—ten minutes or a quarter of an hour. Had one drink with deceased when he brought the horse m, which was at two o'clock, and he had to wait hia turn foe shoeing, as there were two others waiting to be shod He left the shop at about six o'clock. William Young, » laborer, m company with a Longbeach shepherd, found deceased on the Longbeach road about half a mile from Winslow. He was cut about the head, and was insensible. Saw no horses on the road. Lifted deceased up and saw that he was bleeding from one ear. The ehepherd rode off to the hotel for assistance, and Mr Keller sent a trap, into which witness and otheta lifted deceased, and Mr George Keller and Mr Smart drove him to the hotel Deceased was covered with dust as if he had been dragged along the road. Jamea Smart, stationmaster at Winsiow, said he saw deceased alive and well at about) ten minutes pist three on April 1. He was then standing at the Winslow hotel door. He was sober. Witness had gone over to the hotel on business. Was m deceased's com pany a minute or two. Next saw him at twenty minutes past seven lying on the Longbeach road. He was insensible and appeared to be badly injured m the head. Witness was called out; by a Longbeach shepherd named Jeff, who had passed de ceased on the road, and came to witness at the station for assistance, Witness anil Mr Keller werp m the railway office at the time, and together they went to the hotel stables, got. a tiap, and drove to the place. Lifted deceased into the trap, and brought him to the hovel. He muttered, as if he were speaking to his horse, " Get out, you cow," or something like that. There were uo horses near him. Assisted Mrs Keller to wash deceaseds face and dress his wouuds as well as possible, and remained with him until the arrival of Dr Hunter. Was not present when deceased died, and did not know who took off his boots, which were removed after his arrival at the hotel. Had no knowledge of what he was doing during the afternoon. There waa no sign of drink on him when witness saw him m the afternoon, but saw him have one drink Did not know when he arrived &t Winslow, and he was not trucking sheep there at one o'clock, because no one was doing that at that hour. Had no conversa- j tion with him about his business m Winslow. It was brandy, witness thought, deceased had, but it was taken with Mr Cockle. It wa9 qqite dark when the body was found. Peter Keller, landlord of Winslow Hotel, said he last saw deceased alive at about six o'clock the previous night m the bar of the hotel, talking to three men from Lwngbeach, whom he asked to have a drink with him, anfl they did S3. Deceased had a brandy and soda. He had been at the hotel some time prior to this, bub did nofc see him until about half-past three or four. He remained m or near the hotel from that time till six, going back and forward fo the smithy, and during that time served him with one drink besides the one he ha I with the three men. He had the first drink m oompany with a young man named Alick Thompson, and these were the only two drinks witness served him with. Deceased drank brandy and soda with Thompson. Did nofc remember seeing him m Mr Smart's conrpaf.y. Saw deceased m »he "bar with Mr Goekle about half an hour before he left—somewhere about half-past five. Saw them through the passage, there being someone else m charge of the bar—either witness's wife or his son Deceased, who was always fu'l of fun, wanted to pull witness into the bar, but witness would not go with him and went away, and aluo refused to have a drink with him, as witness did not drink much. De ceased was quite sober. He used to come to witness's hotel about once a week or once a ; fortnight, and usually came m when he I was at the smithy, occasionally having three or four drinks. He some times got a litfile merry, but not incapable, and he was not even a little merry on this occasion, and walked out of the bar when he left at six o'clock. He seemed put out about something. Next saw him about seven o'clock when Mr Smait and witness 5a son brought him insensible to the hotel. He had a graze on the back of the lead an,<J a wound under his chia, He was laid an the eouph and Mrs Kejler wiped the blood from his face, He remained ou the couch till Dr. Hunter arrived. When Dr. Leahy, who was also sent for, arrived, de* ceased had been put to bed. While Mrs Keller was washing his face, deceased said " That old cow," meaning his horse, which he u*ed to speak of m that way. While he was on the couch deceased tried to rise two or threes times, but witness prevented him, and he told witness to mind his own busi ness. Was present, when he died at twenty five minutes past six that morning. De ceased was perfectly sober when he left the hotel the previous evening. During the afternoon deceased had spent an hour m the bar playing quoits, while he was waiting for his borse to be shod. He did not dine at the hotel. The quoits used were india rubber table quoits, aud the players were deceased, witness, his son, and Alick Thompson. They were not playing for drinks, and witness ex pressed himself to deceased as pleased to see him amusing himself instead of drinking. George H. Keller, son of the previous witness, corroborated his father's evidence to a large extent. Was aware of only two drinks that deceased had had. He was not drunk when he went away—sober enough to lot>k after himself. Witness corroboiated the stationmaster's evidence aa to the bring ing of deceased from where he was found on the road to the hotel. He was lifted into the trap, and a chaff bag put under his head. He wanted to get up, and said he waß all right and could sit up, but those present held him down. Witness threw his coat over him, but deceased said he did not, want that. It was brandy and soda deceased drank m the bar, helping himself from the bottle, as he said he wanted only a little drop, and he took only a little drop on both occasions. The express had passed a good while when deceased came first to the hotel. G. J. Sproafc, shepherd, Eiffetyon, bore testimony to the fact that deceased was quite sober when he left the hotel at a quarter past six. Alfred Collins, a laborer m deceased's employ, left deceased's house about seven o'clock with a message and saw deceased's two horses oh the road. The stirrup iron on the near side of the hack was over the saddle. Thought the hack must have shied, which it was addicted to doing, Had seen deceased, though he was a good horseman, thrown by this hack, and witness, though a fair rides? himself, found ib difficult to keep his seat on it. Dr Leahy said he was called by Gnorge Keller about half-past ten to at tend deceased at Winalow hotel. Found him suffering from a fracture of the skull. Dr Hunter, who was present.alao, concurred m this opinion. Entertained but little hope of his recovery, and told his friends that no trQitnient would do any good, and left after about'an hour, He had other wounds, but they were nob ' dangerous. T)eath • was caused by the fracture of the base of thq skull, and a fall from a horse on the road would be likely j;o cause flje injury.l De ceased did not appear to have been injured internally. He had a wound under the chin, apparently by a horse's hoof, ancl had evidently been dragged, as the skin waa off the baok of his head. Saw no indication of drink on him,

\\n lalm vniis 6b ycirsoi t g ,v. u&vivc <» j Ni w A liiid, iiu h~d four < i^kUtL ! X ,J h'wi'lJit, aioilicr ijMnti.iiu 1 Ia | W,*Slil tteulxltor iti, fefciiyp^i rtOubJOWJbOtiil iiincatii t 'iv( t,'d • V , i, JLv.isc.iyef miuol, Ihd not tti<. 1 weii, ajf in ß )>\.a her '<*^i .l«i <il JliHl 10 < vDIL H,i. i [ ,iVt t < % ut. 'A aiv&J.j ' uid pcj't mini lit w>^ tt .iio '■c. a. C j'/i", Ul}il thtj nil WO i ', v llaH(i <wi- >■ I idirtll <l|(,|i of b'u,t- y1 / tjl . . O.J ' wiili .yaiii ( i> i 'vi, „ „ v ,' ' lllOU^Jlf, (J.J.O I t-ti < lH,y ,l! ,/(,.. lj, ,»i ,0 f lit tllOjj, ti.inl Wti U J((.t\ y » i! li Tlio llai k dcwiudta UCfl eiiiliO U 0 i. f t.J.C*' WllrK hU ll tjUfjlii, tJjLC I( .'GO.C Mir Oi O uli I rt «c The* Of oner fcttii'iiotJu on i Uu. ' th jury would iittvt Uv r>ftt.ul y un . >f< i( a VCIIJK I II Wwtl,i*u iyHtli.l' IJI evidfDM' I fiat dta.t'j hdA rtnuj'ti Uvu * friOtUMS Of lh< tLu, 1, i»lta \i i, ft^t/'k *.j C t.O tf Dill Otll( 1 W£tji(J Btfc, <]tu»iy J»WI.W 1; t.; iiill fjom \\m horaf &sine o-ueti v 1 Mi* 1 nijuty Kcvtidl wi'ihj b<jb liai tfcb' tuf '' it t flccsused wdis bober v/h^» he It,fi tin >)-A*l He appiared t'» fuv< j had Uaee bifcudiui vi d soda during the fo.jr i .j.jj-s, < *<-, 11 *t.e J Wmslow, but it was s*ioWft tL*c ;,c I &<J helped hnnself to )ju, fct/iaJl 'juauU i»s* fA brandy with a gt"ftt deal of eodri, *n<J »hw* was nothing to show that he was aaMc fo take care of hirrwelf. He would mow leave them to consider their verdict. After a consultation which lasted nearly three quarters of an bow, the jury returned the following verdict:—" That Robert Edwin Stoddart cam^ to his death at Winslow on the second day of April, 1897, through the fracture of his skull by a fall from his horse; and five of the jury are of opinion that the accident would not have happened if the deceased had not been m some measure under the influence of drink."

Athletic Notes.

[by spbinthk.] The Domain at the present time haa never looked better, and at night presents a very pretty Bight with the cyclists and runners training for the A.A.Q. and A.C. Sports on Easter Monday. All the men are now train ing m teal earnest. Since I laat wrote several have put m an appearance and those who have not started I am afraid will not | get fit m time. PEDESTRIANS. A. Thomas is a regular attendant at the track, night and rnormog, and is running more on his toes now and getting into form. W. Shearman is doing plenty of sprinting and should be ready by the 19th F. Henry ia also sprinting nicely, and is much improved. I would not advise him to do too much. W. Thiele has been suffering from shin sore for a day or two, but resumed work on Thursday evening, and did a few sprints. W. 0. Steward haa been absent from the track for a few days. I hope the Bink of New Zealand will not overwork this rru-.t promising colt, but atauy rate he will benefit by a spell and is out of the sort to coma on fast again. P. Jonapj the noted firn^ra champion, h*s joined the A A,C. and A.C, a-nd a cioir.g plenty of long work, I haw him G ri a -e;y good 100 yds on Thursday nkeraoan, i would strongly advue hi-n to throw *nis psp* away. I. Baigent is a much improc&'i nar.^r, and going along wita a verj free af.y.s Ke is training for trie bar-lea. I ?.;.»'! ai.r. every success with the tii 'as. J. Birch has been a'Aa% wj>. ■*, -.*idy w-vi, and is doing ali that is aeked ot' fain:. E. Mateon its now com:iig on very fa*s. and wants to be ready by Saturday t':a 10 . ■ for Christchurch, but I think he will \& ia splendid form by Easter Monday. Hs sprinted a good 130 yds on i uesday. J. A. Brown is contented vith a good knocking about at football, and is getting the fat off fast, but would ad via? hiai a little more track work. B. Royle ia seldom seen on the track, and I would like to see more of him. W. Hefford is doing good work m the country, and expects to pull the half-mile off with a reasonable handicap. W. Smith has uot been on the Domain oft v, but 1 suppose he is putting m plenty of work at Tinwald. 0. Smith, our long distance runner, has not been over yet. I hope to see him on E^ter Monday. G. YYoo§s will I hear compete m the half-mile. He ought to hurry up and get to work. F. Tucker our coming walker I hear haa retired. I think it is a great pity that we have not got any one to represent the walkers, i hope Frgd will re-consider it and add one more medal to hie credit, | for I think he is capable of putting down most of them. CTCM&TS. W. Daly is riding very well just now, but, should not spurt too far. I think h.e re quires a little more gear a and a good three or i four miles spin with a spurt to finish will do him more good. Joe Eriedlander has a great dash of pace, and is fche makings of a Joey Barker. I would advice him more steady work just now. I notice the seventy-two gear made a grpat improvement on Thursday. N. Jones trains very regularly, but seems to be very backward m condition ; he could also do with more gear. I hope at anyrate to see him, cjo something on the day. Walter Purchase and W. Page have had a few spins. I think the latter will require a lot of work to get fife. H. A. Flower and J. Qheeseman are con spicuous by their absence ; what has come over them ? I thought the former would have been riding after winning the very fast run road raco. The latter has a nice bike, but aeems frightened; poor sports I am afraid.

CORRESPONDENCE.

A WAKANUI RATEPAYER'S COM PLAINT.

(We do not hold ourselves responsib'e for the opinions expressed by our correspondents^

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —I am nob in the habit of writing letters for publication, But I think to publish the following may be a warning to the rate payers in the Wakanui Road District who have not paid their rates. lam the owner of a piece of land in the above district that is liable for a rate of oae shilling per annum, I neglected paying last year's rate—in fact, I forgot all about until the Ashbucton sum- I mons server came to my place the other day I with a summons for one shilling, which cost jme£l to settle. I have been in thia district over twenty years, and I think business men in Ashburion and elsewhere bear me out in saying that I never have to be asked for money the second time. J am in Ash b,urtoQ every week, when the Board's clerk could eisily have given me notice that this large amount of one shilling was overdue, or sent me a post card 10 that effect. I don't know that I would have written this, but it has come to my ears that some of the members of the Board have said J gob notice time after time. That I emphatically deny and except the one notice sent after the rate was struck, I never gob another either verbal or written uutil I got the summons, Thanking you in anticipation for publishing this —I am, etc., JRobert Mulligan, liyle,

MAGISTERIAL.

ASIfBURTOM-FRIDAY.

ixiwt iAtifct'i i). Tnoium «id T. E. Upton. J *X 1 t-t '-< ;/. • i I-./ ',i sis - V,'t', ijam Williams <■'' K<-yv.s. rt ■■. w«ft r ifwuM np oo U Xv, J- 0 £. #i f «*-* V.'wifArri Dae« v. . i v,.!-'. m. t i ? ,u0 ». '••. -a i*^ <, :t^vrii*-A Wjtn »'■ '.i/i ill «>"U.y *,i iUvi-Vt Vi-*. *,rf,>y* tJ-USO MUd J-w kui, C^ihHifcvC wjl'.-. t \*>.t,: '«S, but : .-ijrjL'.i «.* ibfeji.tti'At x> for «:r >j. i ,vv j 'A VM*w bj^.l|^i tat tW4 yi,m,ijt V't .: a..mfc w«tti.«u jtfwoMLfcdwith, 'j - iV lyLvw;.»'g *'vic;«>mv« w^ i*s#fe *JWr ire JJ t .v-ct jr'v.r, j.- I*,* *e,i*% «* tf t 4ot\jum /„■*_*:, -;-.j.vw; i-ifcv us »*w lite Wfilwnw ifyi-jt'* ;*'. vri« yiejry-^o-fous'J em March IV V>'i Juus Jyujuti w*s*witi *ito**s and he r.q vriiiithß i#tr#; jf. * f*jr. Wiioea* y'feiwi V-•ir.vt ujt W.liiiast home. This wfcis tit fc 50- To* t-ritp wwt Mr L*trjs'p. Tl.a'. Wight tb*y ktl drwe to ZeiUnd Lodge, sttj'i the two Vv'iiiiatoc weot to, »nd witcets &:j'l Ijurjii sat m the trap oo tbe road. liujfi wouid he about tweiye o'clock or later. Kcrnainei there for ten qtinates or * quarter of aa hour w&itiag f*r the Williams. Did not know what the William* were ia the Lodge for, m witness drove them round there at their own requeat. When they came out the younger one aaid he had set the house on fire. Looked round and ay % light m the wash house. Aiked them why they did not sop to put the fire out, and they aaid they would only be caught. Drove away past; Greemlade's and then went home, the two Willianu going with him to the stables, where they got out of the trap, and helped witneM to unharnew. They then went away. It was about three o'clock when they got back to the stables.—• W. J. Dunn aaid he was with Fox on March ■ 17, and corroborated his evidence m regard to the Zetland Lodge incident. He oore out Fox'a statement as to the two Williams goins; into the Lodge and he and Fox re maining m the trap on tbe road.—Constable Eade gave evidence as to making injuries at Zetland Lodge on March 18, as to a fire that had occurred the night before- There had been a fire m the wasbhouse, the window of which had been scotched, as well aa the ceiling. The burned blinds had been removed. The Williams had already been arrested, and on being told they would be charged with this also, they said they had had some drink and had gone to the Lodge t having been driven there by Fox and Dunn. Tbey admitted going into the washhoaie and setting the window blind on fire.— Prisoners were committed for trial on thi» charge at the Supreme Court, Christcharch. They were then charged with having broken into the premises of H. P. Madden, baker. on the 14th and 15th March, and having fctokn therefrom sundry articles. H. P. Madden aaid that on March 13 last, which w*a a Saturday, he locked his bakehouse at nine o Js!ook aad fastened up the windows. On fc.-e following morning he visited the bi»k«h<»-a3e, at eight o'clock, and found that if. had been entered. The window was opea ir.fl oue of fche doora was wide open, and the j :-„:.{!.« unlocked, Miased some tea and some I j .m. The tins prodaeed were his property. Oa *ictd*y night, March 14, be left th» j buraaouse at Sea o'clock, locking up the \ f.:afte. At foar o'clock next morning he re ] Ciirr.ed, and found that the place had been j -r.fz.aA apside down. A quantity of dough ■:<* i>iy for hrown bread bad been destroyed, i bc-x r,i batter had been painted, and a ■v-'V.k, a^d the tables had been all painted <■>?■«•". s& that it took him &b hour to clean -p. Soaifi sugar, better, cicdies, and spice bid beea taken away, as well as the side door ke/> Tina produced were his property, and the key and candles were similar to his. There was more damage done really than the value of what had been stolen. The window had been taken corapletly out and placed m the yard.—Constable Eade arrested the prisoners on the charge of breaking into Maddens bakehouse. He found iVilliams the eldgr encamped m a tent on tbe south side of the river. The tent was pitched over a hole about sft by 7ft, and the pro perty produced witness found m the tent— the property identified by Mr Madden. There was a depth of six inches of straw m the bottom of the hole, which W. Williams had made use of as a bed, and some kerosene tins had been rigged up as a chimney.—ln this ca-e also the prisoners were committed for trial. They were then charged with having on the night of March 15, broken into the premises of William Soal on the Alford Forest Road, and stolen thereform two pairs of sooks, a watch chain, a pair of woollen drawers, a blanket, two tins of herrings, and a door key.—William Soal said that on the night m question he went to bed about ten o'clock, after making all the doora secure. When he got up m tbe morning he found the place all open, and on examining ho found the articles enumerated m the charge missing. The articles produced were his property.—Constable Eade said the prisoners admitted being the thieves m this | case, and the property waa found m tbe . tent m the riverbed. The prisoners were committed for trial.—They were then charged with having on March 18 broken and catered the house of H. Hooper, Alford Forest Road, and a store belonging to the same person, and having stolen from those places a dark lantern, a silver watch, geld chain aud pendant, a razor, $ sharpening stone, cigar case, comb, door key, packet of tea, tent fly, and some fruit. Henry Hooper, market gardener, Alford Forest Road, said that at 9.30 p.m. on March 17 he went to bed, locking up the house In the morning about half-past four he heard a noise m the kitchen, aa if the kitchen utensils were being moved about, and he knew by the noiae that there were some persons m. He also heard whispered talk between two persons. They attempted to come into the other room by a bolted door, and the noise woke Mrs Hooper, who called out " Who's there ?" Witness got up and went to the kitchen, and found that the kitchen tinware had been scattered about, and several articles of cloth ing shifted. The doors were all open and one of the win lows, all of which had been closed the night before. The articles pro duced were his property, and were those he had missed from his kitohen and store. His store was locked on the night of March 17, and m the morning he found it open and pertain articles missing. The door, locks had been either broken or the staple drawn, ana weather boards had been removed from the wall. A large clothes box m the store was carried dub to the yard, the contents taken out, aud the articles mentioned m the charge stolen. Could not say how much fruit had been carried away, but there waa a fair quantity. The watch had not been found.— W. I). Fox said that after leaving Lewis's stables on the. morning of the 18th March, young William?, to get to Mr Smith's house on the Alford Forest Road, where he was employed, would havo to pass Hooper's place. The Williams left* the stables after three o'clock m the morning. —Constable Eade found the articles stolen frpm Hooper Js m the camp m the riverbed. Both accused .admitted having been at Hooper's. Priso ners were committed for trial on this oh»rge also.

INTERPROVINCIAL NEWS.

Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—

Gunpowder Accident.

Invercargull, April 2 On Thursday night several children of Mr R. Sinclair, Dipton, while examining a tin ot gunpowder got) it near a light, and it exploded, seriously burning foar—three boya and a girl; one, a nephew of Sinclair, very seriously.

River Conservation Scheme.

Navier, April 2. Steps are being taken by a strong com mittee to collect funds for temporary pro tection of the Western and Southern Ahuriri Plains, which are subject to floods, and to. promote legislation giving power for the union of all local bodies interested m the carrying out of a comprehensive scheme of river conservation. . v > ;

iouiut Deac|t

A man, name unknown, was found dead at Ormond'a Plough Camp, Wanßfcead.

THE ASHfitflttON OUAKBIAK. SATOBDAI, APBIL S, 189?.



prvgtgM and InviqoratingiimNw Vewt%



We hava sometimes heard it remarked that Messrs Craighead and Berryman charge rather high prices for their suits. It: is evident from the number of hands m their employ that they do by far the largest tailoring business m Ashburfcon, and as they employ the best workmen and pay the highest wages their customers do not expect their clothes at "sweating" rates ("cheap and nasty,") By insisting upon first-c'ass workmanship iv every garment, combined with good fit and best quality linings etc. Messrs Oraighead and Berryman have earned their reputation for giving satisfaction and their reduction of about 20a per suit referred to m their new advertisement is sure to dray a fresh rush of customers.—Aovt. 2 17i Only a few days more of the'great clearing sale at McDonald and McDiarmid*e Boot Depon The saje definitely closes on April 3 mats. Meanwhile, the bargains are better than ever, There never has been suoh splendid value offered, and those who want foot wear of any descripUoa should uot miss this last yhancß.^Apvi, 4 %



| Foa Indigestion* the best remedy is un dojbtedly .Norton's Camomile Pjlls. THey crd confidently be recommended as being mild m operation and absolutoly free from injurious drugs. Acting atonae as a splen did tonia and a gentle aperient, For nearly 100 years they have proved utequallec" fop Indigeation, Dyspepsia, sick Headache and for Liver and Stomach complaints. Sold m bottles Is l£d, 2s 9d, and lls, by all J^edl eiae y&ndora throughout! the wwli*, Aj $implo, i«?« *9<S o»jrt»in reawi'v I



NOTICE TO SUBSCRIBERS. MESSRS W. & J. SHANNON have been appointed Agents at Chertsey for the Ashburton Mail and Ashburton Guabdian, and are authorised to receive Advertisements and take Orders for Printing. Any complaints made to them te irregular delivery of papers will be attended to.



Business Notices i NEW ZEALAND Clothing' Factory. /OPENING UP NEW GOODS EVERY WEEK. €5O Empty Packing Cases For Sale, Cheap. II o KH wo W * I s pL, g O jg*^ 05 W:. » •< qs H-> ss§ §§g {><" @Hf3|;§l3: •!-. © *^ (#7 EH &j w |s3H g Qj THE "~^ ENCHANTED SWING. THE GREATEST SOIKNTIFIO ILLUSION OF THE AGE. mHE ENCHANTED SWING has beea JL erected on the site opposite the SALVATION ARMY BARRACKS, OPEN K^UY SATURDAY AFTERNOON Atf 2.30| Admission —Sixpekck.



MEN'S AND BOYS' HATS. HATS. HATS. *r\ DOZEN FELT HATS ALMOST GIVEN AWAY. A GRAND SUCCESS. MITCHELL & BRODRIBB'S TIABRIO AND PRINT SALE being such a Grand Succesg, we have decided to hold it FOR TWO WEEKS, A GREAT HAT SALE. Kf\ DOZEN MEN'S. Kf\ DOZEN BOYS,'. Men's Soft Felt Hats 2s 6d, worth 5s Boys' Soft Felt Hats Is 6d, worth 3s 9d Men's Soft Felt Hats 3a 6d, worth 6s 6d Boys' Soft Felt Hats 2s 6d, worth 4s 9d Men's Soft Felt Hats 4s 6d, worth 7a 6d Men's Soft Felt Hats 5s 6d, worth 8s 9d Men's Soft Felt Hats 6s 6d, worth 103 6d Men's Soft Felt Hats 8s 6d, worth 12s 6d EVERY ARTICLE m the Clothing and Mercery Departments equally Cheap, so as to clear the shelves for the NEW GOODS expected by the end of the month ; while the balance of general Drapery will b© still further reduced, so as to make a clean sweep before the New Season's Goods arrive. .. Printa Brilliants, Cambrics from 3s lid per dozen, worth double Flannelettes for Dressing Gowns and Home Blouses 4s lid dozen, half price Trimmed and untrimmed Hats, Aprons, Blouses, Veilings, Ribbona, etc., at half cost BOOTS AND SHU ES—the Best value m the trade DON'T FORGET THE GREAT HAT SALE AT MITCHFXL & BRODRIBB'S THE CENTRAL CASH DRAPERY MART, NJSXT tO J. ORR * CO., EAST STREET, ASHBUBTON,



Business JNotieea, LOOK OUT. i G. J. NEILL —IS SELLING— Table Damask at Is per yard Twill Sheeting, 2 yards wide, white or grey, 9Jd Turkish Towels, 6d each Cretonne 3|d Flannelettes, 2s lid per dozen] G. J. N EILL I s S ELLING- Men's Heavy Tweed Suits at 2 Is 6d, wonderful value] Boys Suits, Is lid Men's Tweed Trousers, 5s lid BOOTS. BOOTS. Men's Nail SHOOTERS 7s lid. Women's SHOES 4a lid Men's BLUCHERS 4s lid. Women's Lace SHOES 43 lid The Cheapest Boots m Ashburton are to be got at G. J. NEILL'S, ifRIEDLANDER'S CORNER, EAST STREET. AUTUMN AND WINTER SHIPMENTS—IB 97. GRAND DISPLAY. OUR PREMISES are stocked throughout with the most COMPLETE ASSORTMENT of USEFUL, SEASONABLE, AND FASHIONABLE DRAPERY To be found m South Canterbury. Splendid Stock of BLANKET 3, FLANNELS, and FLANNELET CES AT BED-ROCK PRICES. Ladies' and Cnildien's MACKINTOSHES a Specialty—guaranteed to keep out the rain French and English MILLINERS, FLOWERS, RIBBONS, to. j Handsome CAPES, JACKETS, and MANILES. | DRESS GOODS m Endlesa Variety. Everything NEW and UP-TO-DATE, and the BEST VALUE IN THE TRADE. W. H. CO"LLIER, "THE COBNE K." AUTUMN AND WINTER NOVELTIES. ' GRAND SPECIAL DISPLAY AT MITCHELL & TURNER'S. MAWTLE^— MILLINERY— TACKFTS WATERPROOFS rtoAKS FUR BOAS CAPES UNDERCLOTHING IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT 10 LADiES*,— IN PURSUANCE of our policy m keeping our Business well to the iront, we have decided to add a FIRST CLASS DRESSMAKING DEPARTMENT to our Kstablisnment, We have secured the services of Miss Hill, a lady of uDquestioued ability, who brings with her credentials of the highest order from MFSSRS W. STRANGE & CO., m whose Workrooms she has been engaged for over sevkn years. Our object is to Bupply our Cußtornera with Stylish and Well made COSTUMES at a Modi rate Pbice, and every possible effort will be given to make our NEW DEPARTMENT an unqualified success. We have already booked & number of Orders, and expect a very full season. Miss Hill will be pleased to receive m bending Pauona on and after FRIDAY, March 26. MITCHELL AND UENER, TANCRED STREET.