INTERPROVINCIAL

Dunstan Times, Issue 1040, 24 March 1882, Page 2

INTERPROVINCIAL

A foot-race (200 yards) for Chinamen was one of the features of the St. Patrick's Day sports at Lawrence,

On Saturday last a boy found the body of a man lying on the sea beach near Hokitika. It was fully dressed, and there was no tl 'sh whatever on the head and the eyes were gone. Tho body hail evidently been there for some days. Iu the coat pocket was found a post office savings bank hook iu fie name of Bernard Ileslin, depositor. Tim hook showed that Hoslin had drawn out of the hank on the 11th March. £5 was in one of tho trousers pockets, and £5 Or in cash was found in the other Throe revolver cartridges and a small revolver, quite now, was found close to the body. One of tho chambers was loaded, and another had boo discharged.

An inquest was held this afternoon, and the jury returned a verdict that the desoased Bernard H»slin came by bis death by a pistil shot, whether by accident or othorwisi there was no evidence.

Nows was received yesterday afternoon of an acci lent on the New River, a few miles from Invercargill, resulting in the loss of three lives. A party, consisting of a voting man n»med Henry Ackers, bis sisttr (ag‘-d 14), his brother (aged sevin), and a man named William Smith, went out in a sailing boat. They intended to go to the ferry.

two or three miles distant, but had not gone fur before the boat was caught by a gust of wind and turned over, going down in 20ft. of ■water. As soon as the boat rose S. Ackers, •who is a good swimmer, made for bis sister, and carried, her to the boat, telling her toj cling to the mast. He then did the same with his brother. Smith had hold of the boom, andt he weight of the four caused : the boat to go under. At this point the «;ident was noticed from the shore, and a at put off propelled by a hoy named Colin Brown. H. Ackers todk his brother and sister, one-under each arm, and endeavoured to keep them afloat by treading water, but 'the wind rising made the water rough and he ovei balanced and sank, the children going down under him. They slipped their hold, ■and although.Adkera dived after them he could not reach them. 'On regaining the .surface he observed Smith twenty yards away, and told him to float-on his back. Smith replied “ I can’t. ” By this time young Brown’s boat had reached Ackers, "who told him never to mind him but to go ■and save iSniith- He managed to pet the bow of the boat up to Smith, when the latter sank and never rose again. Acke's was then persuaded, with difficulty, to enter tire 'boat. The bodies of fhe girl and Smith were subsequently recovered

Tbe exhibits are now being received in the Exhibitionbuilding