[From Melbourne papers.] VICTORIA. - MACEDON, December 20. - The Mercury (Hobart, Tas. : 1860 - 1954) - 25 Dec 1888 (original) (raw)

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Tue 25 Dec 1888 - The Mercury (Hobart, Tas. : 1860 - 1954)
Page 3 - [From Melbourne papers.] VICTORIA.

During the past 11 months the Macedon

State nurseries have been under the control

of Mr. Firth, the Governor's head gardener

at Macedon.' Since that time Mr. Firth has

raised about 200,000 plants, to be distributed

amongst the several municipal councils in

Victoria, and in about two years hence Mr

Firth anticipates raising from 700,000 to

1,000,000 pleats annually.

MALMsnuKY, December 20. Two

very important mining items were

brought in today. The first item was

from the Queen's Birthday mine, that a new

line of reef to the west, showing gold, had

been struck. The second was that in the

North O'Connor's mine at the 150ft. level a

rich shoot of gold had been met with in the

reef, such reef being 18in. thick, with the

gold showing in centre of same.

Twelve more foxes have been caught in

the Ripon Shire during the last 10 days,

making 28 caught in six weeks.

At a meeting of the city branch of the

Australian Natives' Association to night Mr.

Heaney moved that the meeting expresses

approval of the action of the Queensland

Government in connection with the appointment

of colonial governors. The majority

were against the resolution, and a motion

that the meeting proceed to the next business

was carried almost unanimously.

There was a large muster of the Ballarat

battalion to-night to take an official farewell

of Lieutenant-Colonel Sleep, who has resigned

the command. After the parade,

Lieutenant Colonel Sleep briefly referred to

his retirement, and bade the members good

The impostor, John P. Simpson, who

created some sensation by representing him

self as an engineer sent from the United

States to fit up engines ordered from America

by the Victorian Government, was presented

at the police court to-day. He pleaded

guilty to obtaining money by misrepresenta-

tions, and said he was in liquor at the time

he offended. He was sentenced to 14 days'

jÀ Mrs, Harrison narrowly escaped being

burned to death early this morning, Her

house took fire when the inmates were in

bed, and she was, roused by the heat of the

flames as they caught the bedclothes She

seized her baby and managed to get out of

the burning building, but both she and the

child were so severely burned that they were

taken to the hospital. It is feared the baby's

injuries will prove fatal. The

directors of the Australian Natives'

Association were entertained at dinner by

the members of the city branch this evening

In responding to the toast of his health, Mr.

J, L Purves, the president, said that many

troubles had arisen in the association owing

to persons bringing matters forward to suit

their own end For himself he would say

that if he believed that the association would

become a mere political body, to fulfil the

pressure of a few persons, he would sever

connection with it-Separation from the

Umpire was the furthest from their intentions,

and even the most republican of

«nttwisb^ts would not dream of it at this

v " Kilmore, December 20. The

attempted murder case which occurred

at Wallan Wallan on November 20 was

heard at the Kilmore Police Court to day,

when Edward J. P. Rice an elderly man, a

commercial traveller in the employ of

Messrs. Sargood, Butler, and Nicoll, of Melbourne,

was arraigned on a charge of shoot

lag one George William Burnett with intent

to murder. It appeared that Rice entertained

inspector of misconduct on his wife's

part with Burnett, and visited Wallan,

where his wife keeps an hotel, on the 26th

ult. He found Barnett there in a semi

dramas condition, and when the latter

approached him in front of the hotel, Rice

told him he was going to shoot him But

nett regarded the threat as a joke, and told

Rice to fire away, whereupon the accused

drew a revolver and" P. fired three

shots at him, two 'milling, but the

third entered his right breast just below

the nipple. Rice was secured and

brought to the police station, where he

admitted the offence, and added he was sorry

he did not shoot his wife as well so Burnett

At the hearing of the charge to-day it trans

Sired that Burnett had been living with

Mrs. Rice for some time, and Rice declared

his wife was of immoral character. Burnett

was admitted to the Kilmore Hospital on

the following day, and has been under treatment

since, but the surgeons failed to extract

the bullet. The evidence showed that Rice

was fully determined upon shooting Burnett,

and had visited Wallan for the purpose, no

less than 80 rounds of ammunition being

found in his bag. Accused, who was undefended,

was committed for trial.,]