A TRYING DAY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 793, 16 April 1910, Page 6

A TRYING DAY.

THE FOXTON TRAIN AFFAIR. SnCEING-UP:'A CHARGE OF ASSAULT. Palmerston, April IS (midnight). To-day was another quiet day in con\nection with the search for Powelka, which, however, is being prosecuted ' with unabated vigour by' the police , 'throughout' the : district: It : was/ an i exceedingly trying day, with a bitterly cold wind,' heavy rain storms, and thunder and lightning, and the searchers ! in various directions 'had an extremely [unpleasant time. The rain is likely to tsend up the crooks in some of the higher i country. Tp-night, though the rain had ceased; the wind continued exceedingly cold, but had abated somewhat fiom the gale of the day. Such weather as this, while unpleasant to the searchers, must also be very trying to tho fugitive, ! unless, as seems improbable, he is being 'harboured somewhere. The police are still inquiring into the ; incident of the shot alleged to have been ! fired at the Foxton train tho night before last, but place no credence in it as, being in any way connected with Powelka. In connection with tho incident of the sticking-up of Mr. Layburne on Monday night, and Mr. E: Pratt, a summons has been issued against -a local resident on a charge of assault. The matter will be ventilated in tho Magistrate's Court. In the case of •Mr., Layburne it will bo remembered that he was stuck up outside his own "house by a man who, according to Mr. :Layburne's story, .claimed, to be Powelka, and who, he alleges, presented a revolver at him. In Mr. Pratt's story he stated .that he was' stock up by an individual with a re-' volver,. whom he laughingly, told to go hnffiTA ! ' „ ,'■ .., , , , The - inquest in connection with the death of the late Sergeant /Maguire will open at 11 a.m. to-morrow, before ■ Mr. A. D; Thomson, S.M., actingCoraner, and a jury. After the jury bis been sworn in, it: will be taken to Mr. Hampton's residence in Ferguson Street to the scene of the-tragedy,- and the inquiry :will resume at 2. p.m. There will be evidence as to statements made by the late Sergeant Maguire, but no depositions were taken, owing' to the very low state in which the sergeant was when, the ..taking of depositions would .have militated against his chance of recovery. The direct evidence' will be from Detective Quartermain and ; Mr. Hampton, and there will also, be the evidence of' Detective iSiddells and Constables Dunn and King. . Five Dominion Scouts, under Captain Dalrymple, regarding whom there has been so much controversy, re- , turned to 'Wellington to-day. They were somewhat disgusted with the .coolness with which they had been received here. '". '