Page 4 Advertisements Column 5

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2003, 12 February 1907, Page 4

AN INTERESTING CASE. At the Dunedin City Police Court, Porcivul Commins appeared to aiiswer a elnirgo laid by tlio police of wilfully and falsely pretending to bo a doctor of medicine. Proceedings wore taken under section 23 of tlio Medical Practitioners’ Act of 1809. Defendant was represented by Mr. Hanlon, and pleaded not guilty. Chief Detective Herbert said that at about 8 p.m. on 23rd January, Acting-Detective Hunt went to Dr. Comm ins’s premises in Itattraystreot, and asked for “the doctor.” He was shown inside, and after waiting some time defendant came. Hunt asked him if bo was “Dr. Commins,” and defendant said “Yes.” The detective told defendant that he was not fooling very well. Defendant examined him, and made certain tests after which ho applied electricity to Hunt’s boots and lit a candle from an electric spark, winding up by saying that his fee was 7s Gd. This sum Hunt paid. Defendant also gave the detective a bottle of medicine, with instructions about taking it. Subsequently Acting-Detective Mitchell served defendant with a summons, and in doing so asked if defendant was Dr. Commins. Defendant again replied “Yes.” Over the gate of defendant’s premises was a board with “Dr. Commins, medical electrician,” painted on it, and on the door was a brass plate with the words. “Dr. Commins, D.M.C.F.F., Medical Electrician.” The Government Gazette of 10th January, 1907, contained a list of registered medical practitioners, and defendant’s name was not in it. Mr. Hanlon said the defence admitted all this.

Evidence was then given for the prosecution. Mr. Hanlon submitted that the case must he dismissed because tho charge was one of false pretences. Defendant had not wilfully and falsely pretended to be a doctor of medicine. A doctor of medicine held a particular diploma. Even supposing that any pretence had been made in regard to qualifications as a medical expert it was quite clear that defendant made no representations to bo a doctor of medicine. Tho letters on the brass plate, D.M.C. F.F., signed “Doctor of Magnetism College of Fine Forces.” That was a diploma which defendant held. Defendant had taken a course of study in anatomy, physiology, the general principles of pathology, and the “Science of Fine Forces,” and had passed examinations in these subjects. Pcrcival Commins, the defendant, was then called. Ho produced his diploma. Mr. AViddowson, S.M.; I will only admit this provisionally at present. 1 am not quite sure that it can be proved. Mr Hanlon (to defendant): It says that you are qualified in certain subjects.' Is that correct? Defendant: Absolutely. Witness made no pretence to bo a surgeon, but ho was competent to treat patients. Air. Widdowson: Where was tins diploma issued from? Defendant explained that it was from a Californian College holding charter from the State. Defendant further explained that he was not an American, and gave the history* of his life in outline, saying that lie was born and educated in Melbourne, and that ho went to England to study medicine, but bo gave up at an early stage, and took up pastoral pursuits in Australia. At this be stated bo made a competency sufficient to enable him to become independent, and devote himself to a study of “Pscliologv and Comparative Religions.” Ho took bis diploma in 1597.

Under further cross-examination, defendant admitted that there were other medical electricians in New Zealand, but they had no council or association of their own. He had not attended the college in California, but he had met its principal in London, where there was a branch of the “Fine Forces Association.” He passed examination not by correspondence but “by direct personal contact with the Board of Examiners sitting in London.” The papers set included galvanism, faradism, magnetism, etc. The magistrate said judgment would be reserved. Later on the case was dismissed.

MOERAKI SHARK TRAGEDY. Mil. HUTCHESON’S TERRIBLE DEATH. Further details regarding the unfortunate fatality at Moeraki on Tuesday last, whereby Mr. G. Hutcheson, civil engineer and surveyor, lost his life, show that the sad affair occurred about half-past ten a.m. Deceased was bathing with his son at what is recognised as the regular bathing place at Moeraki. It is off a sandy beach in a little bay. There used to bo a bathing enclosure ill this bay, but the concrete wall has crumbled away in places, and the enclosure is now never used by bathers. It was about 300 yards to the north of this that Mr. Hutcheson and his son wore bathing. They went for a swim about GO yards or 70 yards from the shore. Deceased’s wife and mother and his little son, three years and a half of ago, meanwhile were wading in the surf in shore. After swimming out Mr. Hutcheson and his son returned to shallow water, and the former stood up in the water, which reached to his chest while the son climber on his shoulders and dived twice. The boy had just climbed on his father’s shoulders m preparation for a third dive, when he felt the latter’s bodv give way, as though the father had slipped. Tho boy was thrown on his face into the water, and on recovering himself he noticed some commotion, while tho water became discoloured. He saw his father beneath the sur-

face mixed up with some object, which lie could not distinguish. Evidently Mr, Hutcheson was endeavoring to free himself from the shark. After getting his. head above water the father told his son to swim for the shore, striking out himself at the same time. After a few moments the lad observed that something was wrong with his father, and went to his assistance. The latter asked him to hold him up. This the hoy endeavoured to do, hut his parent began to collapse when a little more headway had been made, and the deceased’s wife was called on by the son for assistance. Holding her youngest boy .in her arms, Mrs. Hutcheson rushed into the water, and, taking her husband by an arm, assisted in getting him ashore not more than live minutes after the incident has happened. ? ea , in tlle Vicinity was crimson "'■til Mood, and before tile shore was reached it was discovered that the ealt or the unfortunate victim’s right log lias been completely torn away leaving the hone exposed. Mr. Hutcheson, who was in a state of complete collapse from shock and loss of blood, died almost immediateiv after the shore was reached. Mrs. Hutcheson had made a tourniquet of a bathing towel, and had hound the limb tigtlily above the knee, but deceased had hied so much in the water that first aid was unavailing. The son who was bathing with deceased states that when his father tell down _ m the water he observed a grey object like a shark swimming away. According to fishermen, sharks art frequently };e en in Moeraki Bay, tc which they are believed to lie attracted by fish discarded by the fishermen. They are often caught or Imos, ami measure from 3 feel up to 10 feet. The species frequenting tbe shallow parts of the bay are known as the shovel-nose, 01 ground, shark variety; hut anothei variety known as whip tail also frequent the locality. It is said that large blue sharks rarely, if ever, come near the shore. jC of the ground species, measuring about 4 feet, was seen swimming about next morning a few yards from the spot where Mr. Hutcheson was attached, the water being apparently less than a foot deep. There have been some 500 visitors to Moeraki this summer, and most of them have bathed in the very locality where the accident happened. F i slier men have long been in the habit of fishing with a sieve net in that bay, and in putting the net out they wade into the water over their waists, the end, or outside, men being up to their necks. Deceased, who was well known in local business and aquatic circles, had been engaged for some time by the Government on survey work in connection with the duplication of the Dunedin-Mosgiel line. Deceased’s family, who had been at Moeraki for some weeks, intended to return homo last Saturday, but it was eventually decided to spend a week longer, as Mj\ Hutcheson was able to put in a week with them.

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