MISSING FROM METHVEN.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume III, Issue 668, 21 June 1882, Page 2

MISSING FROM METHVEN.

Our Methven correspondent wrote on Monday: Yesterday the real, dents o£ Methven were thrown into a state of great excitement owing to a re' port that Mr Hugh A. Anderson was missing. It appears that Mr Anderson and Mr Grant went away to the Hills pig. hunting on Friday last, and all went wel\ till yesterday morning, when Mr Anderson got up and left his tent or hut, and nothing further has been heard of him. Search parties, to the number of about twenty, are out looking for him. In all probability the poor gentleman is dead, as in such a night as last he could not live. The surmise is that his mind is affected, and he has wandered away, his dog having left him and returned to Mr Grant, who made a search, but not being able to find any traces of the missing man reported the matter at Methven. The weather is still very unsettled, heavy showers falling. At 2 p.m. (the time of my writing this) there was no trace of the unfortunate gentleman. Further particulars received by us today state that Mr Anderson and Mr Grant left Methven on Tuesday for Pudding Hill, intending to camp in a hut at the foot of the Hill during their stay in the locality. It appears from all that can be gleaned that on Friday last the two friends, having previously shot a small pig, went to fetch it home. The pig hung from a cabbage tree, and while Mr Grant cut it iown he saw Mr Anderson suddenly fall backwards, and roll some 40ft downhill. On going to his assistance, Mr Grant found Mr Anderson in a kind of fit, but after a time he seemed to get the better of it—or at least well enough to get back to the hut, but since the fall he appeared very unsettled and wandering in his mind. His friend became much alarmed, and tried to persuade him to go home, but could not prevail upon him to do so, and at last he was determined to go and get some assistance. On returning to the hut with the parties ha had got to help get him away, they found Mr Anderson gone, and not a trace of him could be discovered. .As soon as the state of affairs became known in the township some energetic men of the place set themselves to work to organise a search party, which was responded to most cheerfully, and yesterday morning between 5 and 6 o'clock, above 30 volunteers from the township were ready to assist in the search, and by six o’clock were en route for the Hills. Nearly all work in Methven township is suspended, and search parties are out in all directions. The p;dice appear to think that the missing man has fallen into the river and is drowned. Mounted Constable Neill, of Ashburton, is hunting high and low for Mr Anderson.