Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Tuesday 6 February 1855, page 6


DOMESTIC INTELLIGENCE.

ROBBERY BY A FELLOW SERVANT.-James Fisher a man in the employ of Mr. Crossley, butcher, Bourke-street east, was charged at the City Court on Friday with having broken open the boxes of his fellow-servants, David Thomas, and William Linnell, and stolen therefrom £62, the property of Thomas, and £4 and a coin the property of Lin-nell. From the evidence adduced, it appeared that the prisoner and his fellow servants were in the habit of sleeping in the same room. Linnell said he went into the room about four o'clock on Thursday afternoon, and found the prisoner, who was intoxicated, sitting on a bed with witness's purse in his hand. Witness's box was then open. Prisoner asked the loan of a pound, and witness said he would lend him two if he wanted it, but told him be ought not to have opened the box. Witness took the purse and found the money was gone. Mr. Crossley was called, and he sent for a con-stable. Constable Jameson, 18 C deposed to the

arrest of the prisoner, and to the finding of £65 10s. 9d., stowed away in divers parts of the room, which amount was produced by him in court. Thomas, hearing of the disturbance up-stairs, went up into the room, and found that his box had been pillaged of £62 in notes and gold, which was found as already stated. The prisoner said he had not taken the money, but reserved any further statement, and was committed to take his trial upon the two distinct charges.

CAUTION TO SHOPKEEPERS, - Thomas Ellis was charged at the City Court on Friday, by Lazarus Isaacs, with stealing a pair of boots from the shop-door of Joshua Cowell, his neighbor. Isaacs stated that he saw tile prisoner take the boots and walk off with them, whereupon he collared him and took him to Cowell, who gave him in charge to Constable Bourke, 60 C. The Mayor reiterated the oft-repeated remonstrance against the practice of exposing goods at shop-doors, and told the prosecutor that more stringent measures would soon be adopted for putting a stop to the objectionable custom. The prisoner wished to be dealt with summarily, and was sentenced to two months' hard labor in the gaol.

CREATING A NUISANCE. —Peter McKenzie, re-manded from Wednesday to give time for the removal of some offensive matter he had deposited in an improper place, to the annoy-ance of the citizens living near, was again brought up at the City Court on Friday, when it appeared he had removed the nuisance, and he was there-upon fined in the mitigated penalty of £5.

MORE STICKING-UP. — W. Jolly and T. West were charged by John Mason, general dealer, Mel-bourne, with stopping him on the highway be-tween Flemington and North Melbourne, on Thursday night, between nine and ten o'clock, and robbing him of about a pound's worth of silver, amongst which were two fourpenny-pieces, one of them being much worn. Prosecutor stated that Jolly, to whose identity he positively swore, seized him round the throat, while another man ran-sacked his pockets. He returned to the Bridge Inn, and shortly after the prisoners entered in company, and he gave them both in charge to trooper O'Connor. Upon the person of the pri-soner West some money was found, amongst which were two fourpenny pieces, one of them much worn. Mr. Fawssett appeared for the prisoners, and applied for a remand, that he might have time to prove an alibi. The bench thereupon granted a remand till Saturday, and a summons

was ordered to issue for the landlord of the Bridge Inn. The prosecutor, upon being called upon in the usual form to sign his deposit on and engage to appear the next day, told the Mayor he had a wife and family to look after, and wished to be excused from another appearance. His Worship asked him if he had no duties as a man and a citi-zen to perform to the public. The ignorant man replied indignantly that he was a citizen and had been for years, but he still doggedly objected to sign his deposition and engage to appear; where-upon he was ordered to sign immediately or be locked up. He then felt his position, and obeyed. The trooper was instructed to take his address and look after him.

EXCELSIOR YOUNG MEN'S SOCIETY, RICHMOND. — On Thursday evening a public meeting and soiree of this society was held in the Free Church school room, Bridge Road. The room was very tastefully arranged, and nothing seemed wanting for an evening's enjoyment. The lamps in the centre were decked with green boughs, and the further end of the room was gaily decorated with flags, one bearing that strange device, "Excelsior." The attendance was exceedingly good, and the number of ladies who graced the occasion with their pre-sence must have been highly gratifying to the members. At half-past seven tea was served, and for nearly an hour the hum of mingled voices denoted the business which occupied the meeting. After tea had been removed, the chairman, Mr. Henry Henty, in a few remarks pointed out the objects of the society and the advantages which it offered to young men. Their name sufficiently expressed the principles by which they wish to be guided, " Excelsior," upwards and onwards, being their motto, like the Apostle of old they would press for-ward to the mark of their high calling, and emu-late the deeds of other similar societies, which had proved useful in their spheres. He then in-troduced Mr. Bell, who delivered a lecture on " Associations." After showing that man is essen-tially a social animal, and that he has always formed combinations and lived in associations, he traced in an able and lucid manner the history of the societies of Arabia and Persia known as As-sassins. He also give a sketch of the Jesuits, and the earlier associations of Knights-Templars and other religious orders. The lecturer concluded by observing that if combination could accomplish so much in these cases, it was capable of achieving far more when aided by right and truth. Several other members addressed the meeting, and the chairman announced that the usual fortnightly meeting of the society would be held on Thursday fortnight, when an essay would be read on " The life and character of Wellington." The usual doxology was sung, and the meeting dispersed

shortly before ten.

BIRDS OF A FEATHER.- Bridget Doyle, charged, with a man named Norris, on suspicion of robbery, some days ago, and discharged by Mr. Sturt, as we have reported already, was brought up again at the City Court on Saturday, charged by David Rourke, an official at the Supreme Court, with giving tobacco to some of her felon acquaintances there. The Mayor dismissed her with a caution.

STICKING UP.-John Miles, a person residing at the Exchange Hotel, Swanston-street, had been drink-ing too many nobblers on Thursday evening, and as he was going along Little Collins-street, near Elizabeth-street, that night about twelve o'clock, two men stopped him, and took his silver lever watch and a gold ring, engraved J.T.M.

GAMBLING IN A PUBLIC HOUSE. -Lieutenant Sadlier complained at the City Court on Friday against George Duncan, of the Market Tavern, Market, street, Emerald Hill, for permitting card-play-ing in his house. Sergeant Ivess proved the

delinquency, and the offender was fined £5, and

4s. 6d. costs.

LANDS FOR SELECTION. - Friday's Gazette con-tains a return of Crown lands which can be se-lected upon payment of the price affixed to each lot. The following is an abstract of the document, showing the number, class, and locality of the lots in question : — Fourteen special country lots, at North Hamilton, in the Grange Burn, about fifty miles from Portland ; thirty-eight at South Hamil-ton, and twelve at Bochara, north-west of Hamil-ton ; thirteen special country lots at North and four at South Hamilton; three at Bochara; seven at Warrayure, adjoining the township reserve of Hamilton; eight country lots at Woodend, Five Mile Creek ; four at Heathcote ; and six special country lots also in the last-named locality; six-teen special country lots and thirteen ordinary country lots, at Carisbrook ; twenty-three special country and twelve ordinary country lots, at Yar-ram Yarram, near the Tarra rivulet

CITY COUNCIL. — By a mistake in the weekly No-tice Paper of the City Council, the meeting of that body was set down for Monday instead of Tues-day. The meeting of the Council takes place this day at three o'clock.

THE UNGRATEFUL WOMAN. — Anne Graham, an old woman, was brought up at the City Court yester-day, charged by the superintendent of the Bene-volent Asylum with being drunk and assaulting one of the matrons, Bridget Ford. It appeared the woman had gone out on leave, got drunk, and

returned to assault the matron. It was a second offence, and the Mayor reprimanded her severely, and then sent her to gaol for a month, telling her at the same time that when she came out she would have to keep herself. The ingrate, who was extremely garrulous, seemed to care very

little about the matter.

LUNACY. — Robert Stocks, a man about forty years of age, who said he was a sawyer, was charged at the City Court yesterday with lunacy. He was adjudged to be a candidate for stonebreaking, and sent to amuse himself in that way for fourteen days at the Central Gaol. Richard Ramsay, a younger man, brought up on remand, was dis-charged as convalescent.

DRUNK AND DISORDERLY. — Denis Fitzgerald, charged at the City Court yesterday with being drunk and fighting in the street, was fined 20s. — Charles Grace, for assaulting the police in the execution of their duty, was fined 40s. — Michael O'Brien, for being drunk and fighting in the street, was fined 40s.-William Perry, for being drunk and disturb-ing the peace, was fined 40s.

FOUR "GENTS." — Four young men, who gave the names of Charles Paget, John Thompson, James McDonald, and Daniel McCrorie, were charged at the City Court yesterday by Richard Morgan, Fire Brigade Superintendent, with taking away the lamp suspended at the excavation going on at the junction of Bourke and Swanston streets, and with breaking the same Constable Mullin, 64B , heard the smash of the lamp opposite the Town Hall, about midnight on Saturday, and arrested the pri-soners. Mr. H. Stephen defended these disciples of the Waterford school, who denied the charge in toto. The bench, however, relied upon the evi-dence produced, and after lecturing the culprits

upon their folly, whereby life and limb might have been jeopardised, fined them 50s. each.

A SUSPECTED FORGER.-Tobins Stapleton, a de-cently dressed person of middle age, was brought up at the City Court yesterday, charged on sus-picion of being concerned in forgeries upon the Bank of Victoria. There are some forged £5 Bank

of Victoria notes in circulation, and the detectives have been endeavoring for some time past to de-

tect the issuers of the spurious paper. Last week the prisoner went into the shop of Mr. Hall, chemist, in Bourke street, and asked for some-thing with which to take ink impressions out of

paper, presenting at the same time a £10 Bank of Victoria note, and requesting him to try the vir-tue of some acid upon it. Mr. Hall objected, but

gave the prisoner some hydrochloric acid. He re-turned a day or two after, saying it was too strong, and Mr. Hall having meanwhile commu-nicated his suspicions to others, who advised the arrest of the prisoner, he gave information to the detectives, and prisoner was taken into custody by Senior Detective Sergeant Cummings. There being no other evidence against him, the bench did not consider there was any ground for holding the prisoner in custody, and he was discharged.

PUDDLING-MACHINES.-The notice of the Commis-sioners with reference to the removal of these machines from the various creeks involves a

larger pecuniary loss, and immediately concerns a greater number of people, than would be at first supposed. The number of puddling-machines working in this district that will be affected by the edict has been estimated at 200. The cost of erecting a machine, including labor, is seldom less

than £100, and if we allow three men to each machine, it will be a low average. It follows then that by the new regulations, property to about the amount of £20,000 will be rendered valueless, and 600 people identified with the loss. The reasons

assigned by the Resident Commissioner for the

removal of the machines are so valid that we fear there is little help for the proprietors of the works.

The deterioration of the supply of water to the township, and the obstruction of the drainage of the flats, are great objections to the machines ; and in providing that the works now erected on the creeks shall be permitted to remain, perhaps the

Commissioner has done all in his power for the protection of the interests of all parties. At the same time we cannot help regretting that the objections to the machines were not discovered before so many of them had been erected. A ge-neral meeting of persons interested in the matter will be held in Market-square. — Mount Alexander Mail.

SUSPECTED VANDEMONIAN.—William Wild, remand-ed from last week on suspicion of being a prisoner of the Crown illegally at large, was again brought up at the City Court yesterday. The detective prayed for another remand, as the communications

with the authorities in Van Dieman's Land were not completed, and the prisoner was therefore remanded till Monday next.

CHARGES OF EMBEZZLEMENT. — Matthew Thomas Pierson was charged at the City Court yesterday, by Mr. Solicitor Hoskins, with embezzlement.

Mr. Fawssett, appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. Cope, the barrister, for the defence. It appeared, from the statement of Mr. Hoskins, that the

prisoner entered his office as clerk and bookkeeper about the end of 1853 or the beginning of 1854, and on the 4th or 11th of last September he was received into partnership. Prosecutor alleged divers embezzlements, but specific mention was made of a sum of £16 or £17, being the amount of a verdict, with costs, obtained in an undefended case, Strange v. Wright, decided in the County Court, and which had been paid by Wright to the prisoner, and never accounted for by him, but the receipt thereof repeatedly denied. Cross-examined by Mr. Cope, the prosecutor stated that he had never received money from the prisoner without accoun-ting for it. He had, no doubt, said to Mr. Ainslie that the prisoner had embezzled moneys. Was not afraid of losing Ainslie's business, whom he had saved from ruin by advancing him £1600, for £600 of which he now had a suit against him. Had been always told by prisoner that Wright had not paid, and as Strange was anxious to get his money, he had sent for Wright, who came to the office and pointed out the prisoner as the person to whom he had paid the money. Mr. Cope endea-vored to get the prosecutor to admit that he was frequently absent from his office through drun-kenness, but prosecutor indignantly repelled the insinuation, stating, however, that he was fond of occasionally going into the bush for recreation. Mr. Wright, the material witness, was not present, and the case was remanded to this morning. Alfred Scott was charged by Samuel Simon, man-aging clerk in the office of Mr. Marshall, solicitor, with having embezzled, on the 2nd February, the sum of £29, received by him as bailiff

employed by the office to levy a distress upon a Mr. Hunter. Prisoner said in defence that he got drunk, "picked himself up" in that condition in Collingwood Flat, and did not know what had become of the money, but he was will-ing to work and make it up to his employers. The prosecutor admitted the prisoner had made the promise in question, and stated further that he

knew the prisoner was in the habit of getting drunk. The Mayor thereupon interposed and dis-missed the charge, holding that the prosecutor had got his proper reward for employing a person of that description in a matter of trust.

OFFENCES WITH HORSES. — Hector McKinnon and James Halley were each fined 5s. at the City Court yesterday, for having no name or number on their drays. — Duncan McKenzie for having left his horse and dray unprotected was fined 10s. — Benjamin Armitage, charged with a similar offence,

was dismissed with a caution.

DRUNKENNESS. — There were fifty new cases on the City Court charge-sheet yesterday, thirty of which were charged of drunkenness, the unusually large number being, perhaps, due in some measure to the "indulgence" granted by the Mayor to the Criterion and Imperial Hotels, on account of the fire opposite, on Sunday; where by the operation of the Sunday Liquor Selling Act was temporarily suspended. The following persons were fined in the usual penalties for drunkenness alone : James Weir, Ellen Whitehead, Thomas McCubbin, Charles Davis, John Long, William Nelson, Mrs. Nelson, William Kennedy, William Parley, John Jones, Mary McNamara, Thomas Calligan, John Bates, James Johnstone, John Hardy, James Kelly, Con-nor Tobindel, Thomas Doherty, David Cashmere, Mathew White, James Jones, Edward Simmons, Peter McIntyre, Benjamin McMahon, George

Brown, Jasper Jaffers.

TARRENGOWER. — We have received a letter "On the Prospects of Tarrengower," from a correspon-dent, who says- " The Forty-feet Hill is turning out well. All who are at work on the gutter can get from three to four ounces per tub, while the side of the hill yields from five to six ounces to the load. We only want numbers to prove this range of hills, which extend about three miles, and many of which I have no doubt will turn out equal to any on Bendigo. The quartz reefs are all yielding well. There is an opening here for more machines ; some that are in operation here have work on their claims for six months, and the deeper they go the richer seems the quartz. The returns of gold by escort do not afford a fair criterion of the riches of Tarrengower. It must be remembered that many of our storekeepers and other residents take their own gold to Castlemaine. To my own knowledge there are from 400 to 500 ounces taken there weekly by private hands, and which therefore escape being placed to the credit of the Tarrengower district." — Mount Alexander

Mail.

PILFERERS AT THE FIRE. — Joseph Ramsay was found guilty at the City Court yesterday of stealing sundry articles of wearing apparel from the fire in Collins-street on Sunday. He pleaded, in extenuation, that he had been working very hard all day, and that his wife was confined the same night ; but the bench did not hold that to be a valid reason for letting him go unpunished, and sentenced him to two months' imprisonment with hard labor. — Thomas Barnett, a young man just down from the diggings, was also found guilty of stealing divers articles from the fire, and was sentenced to three months' imprisonment with

hard labor.

DISCHARGED -Mary Gibson, the woman charged with robbing one John Basford of an amount of money, at her house in Queensberry-street, as re-ported in the Argus of yesterday, was again brought up at the City Court yesterday and discharged, their Worships holding the evidence was in-

sufficient.

FIRE AT FRYER'S CREEK. — On Sunday last a fire occurred at the store of Messrs. Ford and Smith, Fryer's Creek. The premises, constructed of wood and canvass, were burnt to a cinder, and the stock, valued at £1000, was entirely consumed. The fire spread to the adjacent grass, and in a few seconds the bush was in flames. A light breeze coming on, the fire rapidly extended itself, and it blazed with great fury until its progress was arrested in Cobler's Gully. The inhabitants of the neighbor-hood, alarmed at the progress of the flames, lighted fires around their dwellings, to counteract the influence of the bush-fire, and in this manner a very large extent of country has been burnt up. For-tunately, the wind did not blow in the direction of the diggers' tents, or a very large amount of damage would have been done. Two tents have been burnt, in addition to the store, but we have not been able to obtain any further particulars. Mount Alexander Mail.

CASTLEMAINE. — Up to the present time nothing has been done towards the full development of the resources of this district. A most able and experienced engineer has declared that the proper application of steam machinery would raise more gold from the worked-out grounds than has been yet extracted from them. But the ground is not all tried. It would be most unreasonable to sup-pose that the diggers have been enabled to pitch upon all the spots containing gold as completely as if the divining-rod were a reality instead of a fable. Horse-machines have been found to answer very well, and their reproduction on a larger scale would no longer be an interesting experiment, but would be a positively profitable under-taking. The expense of a steam en-gine would not be so great in propor-tion to the amount of gold obtained by it, as the expense of a horse, and the rapidity of action would be immensely increased, It is the province of Government, not only to encourage and assist the search for new auriferous fields, but also to co-operate with the diggers in working them, by fa-cilitating the operation of such steam machinery as the diggers are ready and willing to employ. We hope the day is not distant when diggers will have the opportunity of working under better regulations than are at present in existence, and we believe that the amount of capital that diggers will readily invest in machinery will be as surpri-sing in amount as it will be effectual developing the immense treasures which lie hid in the various districts. — Mount Alexander Mail.

JIM CROW RANGES, January 27th, 1855.-There have been few fresh arrivals this week, while many persons have left the Wombat for the new rush to the dry diggings, Shepherd's Flat. From the best information, which I received this morn-ing, but very few are making wages, and out of about four hundred diggers, all, with the excep-tion of ten to fifteen, regret having left their old favorite spots. I visited the Wombat diggings yesterday, and followed the creek up to the falls, close to the " great dividing ranges." Those ma-jestic cliffs and hills of lava, quartz, ironstone, and rotten slate, are standing monuments of great volcanic eruptions. I never witnessed anything equal to the part of the country I travelled over yesterday. In my opinion, the whole of the creek, a distance of eight miles, can be worked to advan-tage. Part of it has already been worked, and nuggets of nearly a pound weight found here. The men working there left about a month ago for England. When they had obtained what is com-monly termed their " pile," they made it known to others that it was a rich place, and a man with whom I am well acquainted told me yesterday that he would not take £400 for his part of the claim which they had surrendered. He is now making from one to two ounces to the load, and the digging is very shallow. I am of opinion that this part of the diggings will turn out so rich, that some thousands will be in-duced to start for the Jim Crow, particularly for Wombat Creek, towards the great dividing ranges ; and that, as soon as winter sets in, long-toms and sluices will be the order of the day. Se-veral puddling-machines are in course of building, some of them on a very large scale — much larger than any I have seen at Forest Creek. I was told by a person whose testimony can be relied upon that the Bank of Australasia is going to open a branch of their establishment on the camp at Jim Crow, which will be a great benefit to this neigh-borhood, I measured a gum tree this week

twenty-eight feet four inches in circumference. An Irishman told me this morning that he had not kindled a fire for four days, but tied his billy to a gum-tree, and the excessive heat of the sun kept the pot boiling equally as well as fire. — Cor-respondent Mount Alexander Mail

MEETING OF LICENSED VICTUALLERS. — A meeting of the newly constituted Forest Creek Licensed Victuallers Association was held on Monday, at the Prince of Wales Hotel, Castlemaine : Captain Trewartha in the chair. The meeting had been called for the purpose of receiving the report of the delegate lately returned from Melbourne. Mr. Cowper the delegate, stated that, on furnishing a copy of the petition drawn up by the licensed

victuallers to J. P. Fawkner, Esq., for presenta-tion to the Legislative Council, that gentleman said he would take the case in hand, and do his utmost to further the prayer of the petition. Mr. Cowper stated that he had communicated with the gentlemen forming the Gold-Fields Inquiry Commission, and, after duly representing the matter to them, the commissioners had expressed an opinion that the case was of great importance. The commissioners had further promised to give

such assistance to the cause of the licensed vic-

tuallers as might lay in their power. The dele-

gate also had an interview with the secretary of the Melbourne Association, and had, secured the co-operation of that body. The report of these proceedings gave great satisfaction to the meet-ing, and a committee of five members was ap-pointed to draw up the rules of the new society. After a vote of thanks to the chairman and Mr. Cowper, the meeting separated. — Mount Alexander

Mail.

WILLIAMSTOWN — INQUESTS. — An inquest was held on Wednesday, 31st January, before Dr. Wilkins, J.P., Coroner, at Mr. Hale's hotel, Koroot Creek, upon the body of James Morrison. It appears that Morrison was drowned whilst bathing in a water-hole on the creek. The depth of the hole is ten to fifteen feet, and about thirty yards in length. The deceased was a fine powerful fellow, twenty-four years of age, and stated to have been a good swimmer. He dived under the water and must have been seized with cramp, as he rose to the surface, struggled, and motioned for assistance. Mr. Dunn, a farmer, being present, and an indiffe-rent swimmer, plunged into the water and caught hold of the hair of his head and made for a branch of a tree close by, which unfortunately, was rotten and broke off. Mr. Dunn being much excited, let go the body, which imme-diately sank, and rose no more ; he afterwards made several attempts to get the body, but could not succeed. Mr. Dunn imagines that the body must have been entangled amongst the branches of the tree which had fallen over the water hole. Verdict, Accidentally drowned. — An inquest was held by the same gentleman on Thursday, Febru-ary 1st, on the body of James Richard Roberts,

at the house of the deceased. Roberts, who has been a very old resident in this town, and well known by many shipmasters as a stevedore, was unfortunately rather addicted to drinking. He has left a wife and six or seven children. A post-mortem examination was performed by Messrs. Field and Trotter, who found the right lung nearly destroyed, and an effusion of serum in the left cavity of the chest, the liver enormously enlarged, his heart about three times its natural size, and an effusion of serum into the pericardium. Roberts was going to his work as usual on the morning of his death, but felt very unwell, and whilst proceeding along Nelson-parade towards the Wharf he fell down in a fit, was taken home and died in the course of a few hours. Verdict : Died from natural causes. —On Friday, February 2nd, an inquest was held at the Prince of Wales Hotel, New Town, before Dr. Wil-kins, upon the body of Frederick Wittle Gilchrist. An inquest was deemed neces-sary by the coroner upon the deceased on account of two certificates having been sent to the Deputy

Registrar by his medical attendants, Messrs. Trotter and Story, differing as to the cause of death. The former certificate stated that Gilchrist

had died of delirium tremens, and the latter of

epilepsy, its origin being obscure. George Mercer

Gilchrist, a brother of the deceased, was examined, and stated that his brother was an engineer. thirty-two years of age, was in rather poor cir-cumstances; had seen him tipsy several times, but did not consider him a heavy drinker. Had always enjoyed excellent health till his present fatal illness. He walked out with him on Sunday, January 28th, during the hot wind, but had to return, as he could not stand the excessive heat. His brother was talten ill on Monday, the day following, and had a succession of convulsive fits till his death, which occurred on Wednesday, January 31 st. The fits lasted about five minutes, and his brother was in a state of stupor the whole time between the fits. He did not speak, neither did he recognise him. Drs. Maclean and Field, two disinterested parties, were requested by the Coroner to perform a care-ful post mortem examination, and they deposed as follows :-"We opened the head, and found the skull peculiarly thin, the dura mater was much congested, considerable and recent adhesion had taken place between the folds of the arachnoid membrane. The congestion and adhesions were mostly on the upper surface ; there were flakes of lymph around the membranes at the same part; a good deal of congestion had taken place over the whole surface of the brain, but principally towards the vertex; there was an effusion of serum in the ventricles, and the white substance of the brain was more than usually charged with blood. Tak-ing these appearances into consideration, and after making inquiry of his former habits, we concluded that his death was caused by (coup de soleil) his exposure to the intense heat of the sun on Sunday the 28th ult., well known as the hottest day we have had for years ; and we are of opinion that if proper steps had been taken the danger might have been averted " Verdict —Died of inflammation of the brain brought on by exposure to the sun (coup de soleil) ; and we consider that both Messrs. Trotter and Story were careless, and did not shew so much skill in treating the case as qualified members ot the medical profession should have done. — An inquest was held on Saturday, February 3rd, before Dr. Campbell, coroner, at the Albion Hotel, Williamstown, upon the body of Bernard Walker, a prisoner, who died at the Marine Stockade, Williamstown. The deceased was a long-sentenced man, and had been ill for several months suffering from dropsy, occasioned by a diseased liver; four gallons and a half of water had been withdrawn from him about nine days previous to his death. Deceased had received every attention from the medical officer Dr. Wilkins, likewise from the officials connected with the prison. Verdict-Died from

natural causes.