A MAN MISSING.

Hokitika Guardian, 1 April 1921, Page 3

A MAN MISSING.

FOUL PLAY SUSPECTED

(by telegraph—PEß press association]

AUCKLAND, April 1. i Tin* mysterious disnpapenranec of Patrick Richard Elliott, about 54 years . of as l *, a platelayer employed by the Taupo-Totnra Timber Coy., on the railway from Ongaroto last Sunday is heintr investigated by the police. Foul play is feared. Ongaroto is a, small milling township about seven miles from Otiamurin. Elliott lived in a whare near the station. A young Maori, Hakaraia Teakahu, a returned j soldier and platelayer employed by the same Company, occupied an adjoining | whare. On Sunday both men went _ shooting along the banks of the Wpi- | kato river. They called at a farm and borrowed a sporting dog. Elliott, it is stated, promising to return for tea. During the afternoon several shots _ were heard in the vicinity of the river, j Elliott did not call in for tea, as promised, and ns he was not seen by Tuesday morning the neighbours become anxious and a search ws instituted. The country is wild, rugged and diffi- j cult to search. No trace of the miss- , ing man was found, until a dog, wit 1 one of the party discovered a dead wild duck on the bank of the river, a short distance above some rapids. Closer investigation revealed bloml on stones near"the water, also on a titree, Tor over twenty yards on the bank from the river. Dragging operations have been in progress without success, and will be resumed to-day with appliances shited for deep water. The. Maori states to the police that he and Ellioatt returned homo after being out shooting. Next morning he saw Eliott in Elliott’s whare. The Maori then went to Mokai, and returned to Ongaroto on Tuesday morning. o was asked where Elliott was, and stated'he saw him last in the whare lieforc : leaving for Mokai the previous day. Elliott is reported to have had a large * sum of money in his possession. He ’ suffered from neuritis. There is a uost sibility of suicide,'or that he accidentally shot himself and had fallen into the' river, but the police view is that 5 there has been foul play. Some of the 5 titree is to be examined by experts to ) ascertain whether the blood is hupmii or animal.