The Sun.
London, England, 1869-03-22 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF

E SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, MARCH 22, 1869.

Affairs on the west coast had been quiet, but Colonel
Lyon was preparing to take the offensive with 400 men.

LAW AND POLICE.

THE INCOME TAX REPEAL ASSOCIATION.-At the York
Assizes, before Mr. Justice Hayes, John Whorlow and
Walter Gringer were indicted for obtaining money by
false pretences. The prisoners professed to hold the post
of secretary and collector to the famous " National Income
Tax Repeal Association." Two other persons connected
with the scheme were tried at the last 'Warwick Assizes
and acquitted. Whorlow and Gringer were less fortunate,
being found guilty, though with a recommendation to
mercy. Sentence was deferred.

A FORGER.—At the Mansion Rouse, on Saturday, a
well-dressed man was charged with forgeries to the
amount of £470. He obtained a cheque-book from Messrs.
Barnett, Hoare, and Co.'s bank, in Lombard-sereet, by
means of a forged order, purporting to be from Messrs.
Neumann, Sons, and Co., merchants, whose pass-book he
also procured. He afterwards presented a cheque for
£397 10s., and, on being arrested, was found to have on
him other orders for cheque-books, addressed to different
banks. He refused to give his real name, as ho said it
would disgrace his family. He was remanded.
A MELANCHOLY DOWNFALL—At the Southwark Police-
court a careworn-looking man, named Gilbert Pell, was
charged with stealing a clock. It appeared that he was
the original " Bones " attached to the first company of
Christy's Minstrels, and was formerly a prominent
member of the company, having had a gold watch presented
to him by her Majesty. The prosecutor said he wished to
withdraw the charge, as he understood the prisoner was
of weak intellect. His friends having promised to take
care of him he was discharged.

THE RIGHTS OF FRIENDLY SOCIETIES.—At the Liver-
pool County Court a case of considerable importance has
been heard respecting the rights of friendly societies. In
1864 John Jones was the treasurer of the Minerva Lodge of
the Oddfellows'Society in Liverpool, and resigned the office
in December, having then in his possession more than .-.1.73
belonging to the society. In the month following he made
a deed of assignugent for his creditors without having paid
over the money belonging to the society. Jones has since
died, and the trustees of the society claim payment in
full. After hearing the case, Mr. Blair decided that they
were entitled to full payment before any division of the
property.

FRIGHTFUL COLLIERY EXPLOSION IN MONMOUTH-
SHIRE.--Information has been received by Mr. W. H.
Brewer, coroner for the Western district of Monmouth-
shire, of a frightful colliery explosion which had occurred
Pt the Staple Pit, Nantyglo, and that nine men had been
severely burnt, one of whom had died shortly after, and
three others were not expected to live out the day. The
accident occurred through one of the doorways having
been left open long enough to allow a large quantity of
gas to accumulate, and which exploded with such serious
and fatal results.

ALARMING ACCIDENT ON TEE GREAT WESTERN
LINE.—On Sunday a gang of workmen were employed in
clearing away the ditris of an accident which occurred on
the Great 'Western Railway on the previous evening.
It appeared that about a quarter before eleven o'clock th•
mixed (Bristol) train passed the Haswell station, and, it
being a thick and foggy night, the signalman, not
observing the danger signal on from Southall, put on
the white light (meaning " Come on.") In consequence
of this mistake the second goods train ran into the rear
of the other. Seven carriages were broken to atoms, the
engine of the succeeding train being very much damaged.
The engine driver and stoker, seeing that a collision was
inevitable, jumped off, and thus saved their lives. George
Barnes, the guard of the train which was run into, had
his leg broken by the concussion, besides a number of con•
tusions on the head, and as soon as possible he was taken
to St. Mary's Hcspital, Marylebune. He was not on
Sunday night expected to recover. An investigation is
being made into the circumstances of the occurrence by the
rail way authorities.

THOUGHTLESS TEMPTATION.—Mr. Spurgeon, at
the annual meeting of the friends of his college, men-
tioned one circumstance in connection with that institu-
tion which reflects great honour on his housemaid. Some
unknown friend one evening dropped bank-notes to the
amount of R. 2,000 into the letter-box of Mr. Spurgeon's
residence at Clapham, which notes were found next morning
lying on his oilcloth. The reckless generosity of this act almost
leads to the conclusion that the donor had been dining out
in the neighbourhood, and was acting under the influence
of the hospitality for which Clapham is proverbial. Under
any circumstances, he should be more careful in future
when dispensing his charity ; for, though he has been
instrumental in demonstrating the probity of Mr.
Spurgeon's housemaid, he was unquestionably an occasion
of temptation to that good young woman ; and, moreover,
the world would never have known but for him that the
reverend gentleman's letter-box needed repair.

BULLFINCHES VERSUS FRUIT Runs.—The precise
motive which actuates the bullfinch in its attack on the
buds of fruit trees has long been a subject of dispute. One
party has stoutly maintained that the bird feeds on the
healthy buds, and thus does damage to our orchards and
fruit gardens; the other as firmly maintaining that the only
buds destroyed by the bird are those which are being de-
voured by larvae, on which the bullfinch really feeds. Mr.
W. B. 'regetmeier gives in the Field the result of his exa-
mination of the crop of a bullfinch, shot in the act of feeding
on the buds of an apple tree, and placed' in his hands for
careful microecopic examination :—" Oh placing small
portions of the contents of the crop under a 1-inch object-
glass, with the lowest eyepiece, the nature of the contents
was immediately seen. They consisted of numerous
grains of quartz, and of the partially-developed stamens
and petals of the flower-buds of the apple. No trace of
any insect structure was evident, although searched for
with higher powers, and viewed under every mode of
illumination, viz., with a dark ground, with transmitted
light, •as an opaque object. As one who is much more
of a zoolo: - than a botanist, I regret to state that I
think the case is le- against my little friend. I would
much rather have . ..id evidence for the defendant, but I
am compelled to e• :ak the truth, though it grates harslAy
%WC

DECESIVE VICTOBY IN NEW ZEALAND.

On the sth of January the New Zealand troops, under
Col(mel Whitmore, captured the Te Kooti's stronghold at
Po.verty Bay, with a loss to the enemy of 136 killed. This
de feat is considered decisive to the war on the east coast.
Te Kooti, the mrost formidable of the Maori leaders, has
lbeen rendered virtually harmless. The story of this en-
counter is as followa:—Te Kooti, after one or two repulses,
retreated to the Ngatipa fortress, where he was surrounded
on the 26th of December, by the troops under Colonel
Whitmore, comprising 300 men of the Ngatiporos, sixty
of the Arawaß, and $OO of the white constabulary.
The pa was a very strouf one, and was defended by 200
men, who had with thentia.number of women and children;
birt the enemy had not provisions enough to stand a siege,
and they made two unsuccbssful attempts to break through
the besieging force. Colonel Whitmore made preparations
to carry the place by assault, and on the 6th January
the outer works fell into his hands. The advance
was pushed on by rifle-pits and sap under coveq of
the darkness, and such preparations were made by
daylight that the storm could not have been resisted.
" Under these circumstances," writes Colonel Whitmore,
in his despatch to the Defence Minister, "Te Kooti shot
the most influential of his prisoners, and escad down
the cliff, which was very high and steep. The women were
first lowered, then followed the men, To Kooti himself,
wounded in the shoulder, and still lame of kis wound at
Ruaketure, apparently having been one of the last. This
was effected from one to three a.m., during which time
Major Fraser, who was the nearest of the force, fired
heavily, and with some effect, on the place whence
the sound came. The last native had barely escaped when
our people entered, and however formidable the work
looked outside, it was still stronger to look at from close
by. The Ngatiporo and Arawa division, who have
behaved splendidly throughout, started at once in pur-
suit. Te Kooti's followers spread out into the bush in
small parties. The pursuit was carried out in the same
way throughout the day till after dark. The friendlies
then returned with prisoners and plunder. The rebels
had engaged the Arawa contingent, and killed Rangiho,
a chief of note. Previously to that Nikora had been killed,
and his wife brought in. In all, more than 120 of
the enemy have been killed. These numbers are accurate,
the bodies having been exhumed from the enemy's ditches,
or found lying in or about the pa, stripped of their clothes
and arms by those who overtook and shot them. I think
very few women, and those only by accident, have been
killed, and no children. The cohorns appear to have
frightened the garrison very much, and killed some.
The number inside must have exceeded our estimate, for
the escort carrying Te Kooti must be some forty men, and
only eighteen out of the Uriweras were killed. I am
despatching fresh parties in pursuit, and still hope
to catch Te Kooti. Every man of note in his
band is killed except himself, and he cannot be far
off. I blew down a large portion of one of the walls, and
fired a royal salute in honour of the capture." The loss
of the attacking force was only eleven killed and nine
wounded. The friendly natives are in pursuit of Te
Kooti and his band, with the avowed determination of
exterminating them all, in revenge for the massacre of
their friends and relatives at Poverty Bay. It is now
Kooti,e
caused, byd Nay ho
notm
saoppmaurecnhtintlilsacthtiehfealn)adnad
number more than 250, though this was magnified at one
popf r me
heenn sui onnd ewr elr
time into a force of 700 men.