MAN MISSING.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 352, 28 February 1902, Page 2

MAN MISSING.

Much anxiety has been caused by the non-return of Mr George Whies to his home. On Sunday Messrs Wiles and Lacrosse were out in a boat, and it being too rough to get back to the town river they went into the Waipaoa river, where they ran the boat on the beach near the mouth of the river, and then walked homo. On Wednesday evening Mr Wiles walked out again to secure the boat and bring it back to town. Ho expected that ho would reach home again at about eleven o’clock. As lie did not return that nigllt, Mr Albert Pierce rode out to the mouth of the Waipaoa river yesterday morning, reaching there at about half-past seven. No trace was to be found of either the boat or Mr Wiles. It is supposed that he must have got the boat, and in the moonlight crossed tile bar when some mishap befell him. A search party was quickly organised, hut nothing could be found along the river bank or beach to indicate the whereabouts of the missing man. The Maoris in the vicinity say that they neither saw boat nor man, while Mrs Wiles is confident lhat her husband would, if possible, have come home or sent her word. A crew under Constable Keenan went out in the pilot boat yesterday, but could not find anything that would clear up the mystery. There is a possibility tiiat meeting with an accident, Mr Wiles might have been successful in getting aboail one of the steamers outward board, in which ease he would soon communicate by telegraph. If he managed to reach the Hawea, which left for Auckland at 7.30 yesterday morning, no word would come to hand until this afternoon. Mr Wiles is said to be a splendid swimmer, and a very capable man in a boat. The statement that he had had a capsize on Sunday is not correct, the boat having been run ashore for safety.