PERSONAL ITEMS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 26, 25 October 1917, Page 4

PERSONAL ITEMS

The Hon. C. .T. Johnston, Speaker of tho Legislative Council, in a' letter read by Sir Francis Bell to the Council yesterday, states that lu9 health is improving. He was to leave hospital, in Minnesota, early this month. At the commencement of the Harbour Board's meeting last evening the news was conveyed to Mr. J. G. Cobbo (one of the country members) that his son, Lieutenant lirnest Cobbe, of the Wanganui district, had been killed in action. The board adjourned for ten minutes as a mark of respect for the bereaved member. On the board resuming the follow-ing-motion, was passed :—"That the members of the AVollington Harbour Board desires to convey to their colleague, Mr. J. G. Cobbe, and his family their sincere regret and sympathy of tho creat los? they have sustained through Mie death in action in France of his son, Lieut. l]rnest Cobbe, of which intimation has just been received." The motion wne passed in silence, all the members standing. News was received yesterday, says our Masterton correspondent, that Lieutenant Gerald Mawley, son of Mr. A. Mawley, of "Ditton," was killed in action on October 12. The decased was educated at Wanganui College, and was about thirty-one years of age. He was married to a daughter of Mr. AV. J. Hirochberg, of Masterton. Private Patrick Sheridan, reported to lie dangerously ill in one of the latest lists, is the eldest 6on of Mr. John Sheridan, merchant, of Gieborne. Private Joseph Sheridan, also reported to be seriously ill at the front, is an uncle of the above, and a son of Mr. Patrick Sheridan, of Patansa Crescent;, Wellington. Private Joseph Sheridan was lately in the employ of the Native Department. Auckland, and is an ex-eaholar of the Marist rothere' School, Wellington.

Dr. Fitehett. C.M.G., has received private cable advice that his son, Lieutenant W. B. Fitchett, has been granted six months' sick leave, and is returning to New shortly.

The many friends of Lieutenant Roy FitzGernld, M.C., of the Gloucester Regiment, will leai-n with pleasure that a • cablegram has been received from Sister Eileen FitzGerald (a sister), of Brockcnhurst, to say he has escaped from a German prison. Some five months ago he was wounded in the head and made prisoner. Lieutenant FitssGerald is a eon of the late Mr. W. C. FitzGerald, chemist, of Wellington, and grandson of Mrs. AV. James, He is an old Terrace School and AVellington College boy.

At the Veterans' Conference held in the Town Hall yesterday the resignation of Mr. S. Stidolph from the secretaryship was received. Mr. Stidolph had held the office for seventeen years, and the meeting, in accepting the resignation, did so with many expressions of rejret. It ivas decided that a letter signed hy all the delegates present should be sent to Mr. Stidolph, in recognition of his unselfish services to the association.

News has been received in Nelson that Lieutenant W. J. Stone, son of 'Mr. James E. Stone, of the Reservoir, died of wounds. The deceased, who was thirty years of age, was following,his occupation of carpenter at Murchison when he enlisted, He went away with the Fourth Reinforcements, and returned to New Zealand, leaving again with tho Nineteenths. The deceased soldier leaves a widow and child four years of age.

The injury sustained in action by Lieutenant Keith' Little, of ■Wellington, was a gunshot wound in the arm. He is now being treated at the Walton-on-Thames Hospital.

Mr. C. E. Daniell (chairman of tho Harbour Board) informed the members of tho board last evening that ha had received word that his son, Lieutenant H. H. Daniell, was dangerously ill, haying sustained severe gunshot wounds in the leg. As the hospital to which ho had boen removed was a hundred miles from tho front he was buoying himself up with the hope that if he could be moved so far that the wound might not be fatal. Mr. E. Fletcher moved a motion of sympathy with the chairman, expressing the hope that the worst would re averted.

Dr. Wallace Mackenzie, who has been Tccuperatin" at Eotor.ua, returned to AVellington last night.

It was announced at the meeting of the Harbour Board last night that news had been received of the death in action of Private Nelson F. Skinner (of the cadet accountant's department), and it was reported that the secretary had written a letter of condolence to the parents of tho deceased, ivhich isction was approved. It appears that when tho war broke out the deceased, who was just over seventeen years of ago, was ,keen to enlist, and was only prevented from doing so l>y tho action of his parents. When lie obtained his annual leave he left Wellington, presumably on a trip up-country, aiid the next that was hoard of him was that he was in khaki, domiciled in. the Liverpool Camp, Now South AVales. the youth having spent his holiday money on his fare to Sydney.

Mr. E. P. I'urness, proprietor of the Marlborpugh "Express," is on a business visit to Wellington.

"It is with tho deepest regret," states the annual report of the Hatattai Bathing Clnb, "that we hnvo to record the death of Mr. J. H. Harper, a life member, who always took a great interest in riic work of tho clnb, and sincere sympathy is extended to his family in their bereavement. , "