BACK FROM THE BUSH.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1627, 19 December 1912, Page 4

BACK FROM THE BUSH.

KAIPARA MYSTERY SOLVEfI,

BANK CLERK FLEES WHEN FRIEND

IS KILLED.

A STRANGE STORY,

(By Toloerapli.-Press Ass6dation.)

Auckland, December 18. Alter search parties had scoured tho country and dragged the river, lMaur, the bank clerk wno disappeared from the. inw the county clerk, air. Savers, was lound dead on the road, as the result of a tali from a horse, apjieared at the National Bank, Paparoa, last night; Hβ had undergone much hardship in the brief period, and was in a tnoroughly exhausted condition, bordering on collapse. No coherent account can bo yet obtained as to his strange actions, but probably more light will be thrown oa the matter at the adjourned inquiry on., alonday into the circumstances surrounding the death of Mr. Sayers. Dufaur is etill in bed, and will have to remain quiet tor a few days. Although tiie details are meagre, it can be gathered from the few scraps of convorsation uttered by the patient that he experienced great hardships during his sojourn iu the bush. His memory an. pears to bo almost a blank at present in regard to recent happenings. It ap. pears that he must havo come back to the Pahi Hotel soon after tiie fatal accident, but owing to the great shock he had received he was apparently unable to indicate to anyone what had happened. After speaking to one or two peopio near the hotel on Saturday night, it can be gathered that Me, went to Pahi wharf, which is only a few hundred yards from the hotel. When Dufaur got to the wharf h'e placed set of keys just above the steps, realising that they would bo required at the bank. Then he states his hat blew off into the water. Thinking that if his hat was found floating it might be taken as evidence that he was drowned, Dufaur, who is a very powerful swimmer, jumped, fully clothed Eβ he was, from the wharf, with the object of recovering his, head gear. The hat eluded him, and he swam to the wharf again, and during most of the night kept wandering about in the vicinity of' th* hotel. Before (lawn of Sunday morning broke lie made for the bush.

From this point no particulars can as yet be glear.ed. He must have hidden in the bush, which is very dense, throughout Sunday, and either that night or on Monday evening made his-way to.Paparoa. No food passed the unfortunate man's lips during the period of his absence, and not finding any fresh water, he drank salt water. All this, together with the fact that he slept on the ground in his damp clothes, combined to bring about the pitiable plight in which he was found.

Young Defanr was hiding in. the bush! last evening when he saw a light shining from the bank window, It dawned on him that he could not pass another night of exposure without dire consequences, and he made up his mind to seek assist ance, with the result already related.