A SHARP THEFT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2056, 17 April 1907, Page 3

A SHARP THEFT.

Press Association. AUCKLAND, yesterday. A particularly skilful tlicft was committed in Goldwator’s pawnshop, Victoria street, last evening. A young man asked to be shown diamond rings. One valued at £65 was shown him. After he had carefully handled and scrutinised it the young fellow went outside, informing the proprietor ho was going to bring a friend. The friend never came, and ’ ■ Gold water.’s suspicions were aroused. ; He looked at the case containing the ring last shown the visitor and found i that a valuable ring was missing. Another ring valued at about £1 bad been substituted. The police weie informed, and the detectives arrested Robert Black, alias on a .charge of stealing the ring. The ring was not in his possession, but was' subsequently recovered by the police. Blade was. charged, and remanded for pight days.

SHORTAGE OF TRUCKS. AUCKLAND, last night. Referring to tho shortage of trucks, at a meeting of tho Harbor Board this afternoon Mr. C. C. Dnc.re said that he understood the Board could hardly get sufficient coal for its dredge. Tho Chairman of tho Board (Hon. E. Mitcholson) said it would appear from information ho had received that tho cause of tho trouble was that ’ tho Railway Department had not got the trucks required in tho colony. Mr. Massey, M.H.R., has wired to tho Minister of Railways stating that tho shortgo of trucks has now assumed a serious aspect, as the Huntly coal mines have boon practically suspended owing to the want of waggons. The Minister replied stating that ho would onquiro into tho matter. that howould enquire into the matthat there be no reasonable delay.

SEDDON MEMORIAL. AUCKLAND, last night. At a meeting of tho Auckland Seddon Memorial Technical College Committee, it was reported that £ISOB had beon collected and a furthor £l5O had beon promised, whilst £SO was paid direct to the Education Board, making the total £2308. A number of subscribers gave £IOO each, their donations totalling nearly £2OOO, leaving only £3OO as subscribed by the general public. It was stated that tho Auckland branch of tho Liberal and Labor Federation had collected £OS towards tho fund, and it was reported that two canvassers appointed by tho committee had collected £B6 and £36 respectively. The canvasser who collected tho lattor amount said he had never had a more difficult task than in collecting for this fund. The Mayor (Mr. A. XL Myers), who was in the chair, said this was extraordinary. He was disappointed at the amount subscribed, but in view of the fact that other cities had not been more successful, they must accept the position with equanimity. The Auckland public bad always been very good in supporting movements of this kind, and he could not understand why the matter had not been taken up more seriously. On his motion it was re- I solved to call in all lists at once.

ANOTHER RAILWAY ACCIDENT. Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, last night. The list of accidents which have recently horrified the Christchurch public during the last few weeks bad another added to it this morning, the identity of the victim being more or less surrounded in mystery. From the facts available it appears that the man evidently boarded the second express for the South at noon today at Christchurch. The train was passing ‘ through the Addington Station when Mr. Corbett, a station examiner, who was a passenger noticed an object lying on the line ,and as the express ran past the station he called out to Mr. Schrader, a signalman, and several of the porters .who wore standing on the platform “Look back” ajrd pointed in the direction

of the Lincoln Road. The railway officials immediately grasped Mr. Corbett’s meaning and went along

the line in order to ascertain the cause of his remark. When near the junction of. the North line with the main line the railway officials noticed a man lying near tho metals with his head towards the line. On picking him up he was found to have a large wound in his head from which the brain protruded He was not completely dead at this time, though ho was sinking rapidly The parties instantly communicated with several doctors and the police, but "before they had arrived he bad expired. Constable McKeefry, stationed at Addington, was quickly on the scene and the only injury he could locate on the body was the one before mentioned. An examination of the man’s ppekets revealed the return portion of a railway ticket to Rakaia and two full bottles of beer which, strangely enough were not broken in the fall. Nothing was found which would give the slightest indication of his identity, but probably enquiries whch are to be made at Rakaia will establish who he is.

THE OHURA ROAD. STRATFORD, last night. At a meeting of representatives of all public bodies in Taranaki here tonight, to consider the Minister of Public XVorks’ attitude re handing over the Ohura road to. Stratford County, the following resolution was carried: ‘ ‘This meeting, representative of dairying, pastoral, and commercial interests in Taranaki, very earnestly advise the Minister for Public XVorks to delay vesting the unmetalled portion of tho Ohura road until he has made a personal inspection by himself or the Minister for Lands has been made as to the ability of the district affected to undertake responsibility, and this meeting reluctantly informs the Minister that practical experience and unprejudiced opinion declares the contmplat.e action to bo unjust financially, unfair,

and such if carried into effect as will establish a clear instance o f the inequitable government in regard to the back country, where settlers have been precluded from fully sharing with other sections of the community in the advantages of the general prosperity onjoypd by New Zealand through the colony’s long continued default in furnishing these State settlors upon waste lands with adequate transit facilities by rail or road” It was stated that the cost to Government would he £2OOO per -year to maintain the road, as at present, and the revenue from the district to the county was only £BOO.