Word has been received in Malta of the trial of George Ball across the line for the killing of “Black” Bill Long a month or so ago, which brought the news that Ball had been given life sentence in the penitentiary and his hired man, who was the only I witness to the killing, had received a sentence of twenty years. The con-1 viction came as a surprise to the peo-!ple on this side who knew the parties (concerned and who expected an acquittal.—Malta Enterprise.