DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 29 February 1924, Page 3

DOMINION ITEMS.

MAILS BURNT.

FAR CAUHHT IN SCRUB FIRE. A THRILLING EXPERIENCE. NELSON, Feb. 27. The passengers in one of .Messrs Newman Dios' mail ears proceeding from Westport to Nel-on yesterday afternooii had a startling experience wliih\ ascending Spooners' range. A-lout 1 o’clock a good deal of smoke from a scrub lire which was burning fiercely i:i a gully below was run into. There was a strong south-west wind Idow ing at the time. There were no signs ol (lames, however, near the roadway, and i: was considered that no danger wa- near at hand. Just at the spot known as Windy Point, however. the ear ran into thick smoke, and aimo't at the same time the strong wind blow the flames across the roadway. The smoke was too dense at the moment I'm tlw driver to see what was in front ol him. and on looking hack flames were leaping across the road, and had already caught the car. The pas-.eiioiT'. numbering about It. including women and children, hastily Ifi. the ear and sought safety on a ■ not from which the fern had been burnt in a p, rev ions fire. This was a part ieida rl.v fortunate eireuinst a nee. a- had it not been for the clear patch se: ions consequences might have re> 'idled to the passengers. The ear. one ol Newman Eros’ best, and in use for i nly ahum ten inouihs, was totally destroy,-I alone with seven out of ten hags of mail. FLA AI F.S RACK CP Till’. II ILL. Due enger ..tale,l file llaincK

leaped up the valley at a great rate, ami a-, b termed it, "faster than the la-ie t l.e••■horse could travel.’’ He i "lu -idered that the accident was a pure mi-ad vn tin . and that no blame i- aid he attached to the driver. Had ear passed the spot a minute or l ~: , r!i v of laier there would have ! lii) danger, hut ii appeared that both the (lame- and the ear arrived at Wiii,!,.. at the same moment, -p. i 1 1. pa -seng,el-' luggage on the iMaeing-hoards wa - -saved, altiiough a minor losses are reported. The luggage »:■' on lit,' lee side of the ear. and iim mail hags on the windward The latter could not he reached ...... to tile Hallies. The driver was • cverelv burned in endeavouring to start tiie car and cut away the luggage. The liio -extinguisher with which the vn: e plipped was used, hut the ) U■ re too liei'ee lor il to he ol mneli use AI AILS DESTROYED. 'i'.-u I a - ol mail - from AA i<stport. !: rcyinotit h, llcel'toii, and Alurehison nviv cn tli,. desl roved ear. ami seven ware totally de.-t ieyed, one partly, and tv,., were saved. All the mails for |-on were destroyed, those saved hern,. j,,.. tbe North l-laml. It is stated that the driver of the ear. Frank W 71ac' ad with a I deal of pluck : ,}q ( ... ip,, car was on lire. His hi-sl i11,'.: i:! was for the passengers, and 11,,,., he mad ■ strenuous efforts to save mails, uol leaving the ear until H,, j!::i", - made il impossible to work any longer \ miam- (he passengers were the iol- : All . Alavlin (Nel'on), .Messrs sj'iini ' iTI. AI , am! Airs Colrhnell, Mr ami \|,-s Hlenhill, Judge Drown (Natl, c la,ml < 7 nrl . Napier . and Airs I'rown, Airs Na-h Haunter an Atnerl(,e,rist). Al,'"!' Schwa s' (2). Mr IVbanMd i Ncl'Oii i. Mrs Hagustv iGlcnlion ami a l-ov. The destrueca I I' a lieav.v loss to V Newman Ibo'. D was valued ... <•-, Mm. and was uninsured. Judge Brown intormed Air !■ New„|Ol ill ' * 1:" oru’lurfliC'' 1’’ 5 ‘ <uu\ tin* Driver of car could :n no wav be held rer, t] im/. g, j ‘*. : 15 Hi ;AK DAL lur 'ittßA rn PAV |ay TM.ixtiiAi-ii ecu eui'.ss asmicutios.] LONDON. Fell. 28. I a ,i„. Harnett en-'.,. where damages ill-1 two official doctors for alleged ml del.mi inn of Harnett in an :is,.-!t:i■ i w"re i htimed, the plaintiff six'I T|.,. inrv an-wered t lie I'ollow"\Va- llano! t of uit'Oiind mind in D:. ~..idler of 1812':" “No." ■l)ht Dr pond honestly believe llnr- ,, 'it wa- then of unsound mind and not !h to he a I large h" Answer: “No." ..tp.) |y,. ii,m l take reasona'ilo cate «fo m'eei tain Au.-wer: “No. ~ p);,| !).■ ,\..!am I’oimtly believe 11ar- .... i ~,)! hi to l,v at large?” Answer: • £ V. VS. * ' "■•Hid Dr Adam lake rrasouubl* e-no" Answer: “No." After the verdict, the judge addressed th' iur.v on tin appointment of dr n i r ,|!,, j,. r v joioort i,■ nt*. 1 the damages , .’ q,. |! ■ 11 ■ 11 0 1 i a : fol-ow -: - -Dr Bond. (MT.rmO; Dr Adams, C7.n00. ). pslimated I hat the costs will total ten thousand pounds, whereas. ,w„ thousand will go for shorthand Wit'**--. ic,. Lush, in summing up, reeallone doctor, who gave evidence, | Uc.'uelt ha,,l a-ked him to spell p.-.rellel.'e'ram. as though this were a f of insanity. This had been used ns a test, for drunkenness. There was j retm;rkuhle in Mitrm'tt. asking r , p !| it. He (Judge Lush') db...i w ;tb li e Alloriiov-General’s o.litention that tiie jury should not take into consideration the laet that unlawful imprisonment had lasted for nine ~, t . vl op assessing damages, lie thought ilm jury could compensate Harnett for the whole lyriod. At, the end of the ease, the Judge ..: i h, ; - in-unity eases should I , 1,,. )-i!i,„t. No independent medical u-a< obtained to show whether mu'mi was sane or insane. Some judicial injniry might he held to provide fui'tlmr safeguard'. Tie -Daily Chronicle” -ays:—“Tiie ci-,, s. an enquire into the whole of dealing with the insane. It : . (',. 0 p,.-itish system does not jd<» adennnte safeguards against ;. n • irnner certifieation.