DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 July 1924, Page 3

DOMINION ITEMS.

BV TELEGRAPH—PRESS ASSN., COPTRIGHT,

SIX SHOPS DESTROYED.

A UCKLAND, July 28

A fire at I’a pa tog toe nt 1 o’clock on Sunday morning totally destroyed a block of six woollen shops in the centre of the township, together with the whole of the stocks. The names of the occupiers and businesses arc: Hawthorne am! Mniiro, Butchers; Mr 0. Mahoney, grocer; .Mis Knight, fruiterer; Mrs Morrison, draper (two shops); Waldo Smith, plumber and ironmonger. The* latter owned five of the shops, the sixth being owned by Hawthorne and Munro. butchers where the outbro-aks apparently occurred.

The fire was discoveied by Smith who, with his wife and family, oceu--1 ieil tin* only residence in the block tit Mahoney's store.

The lire spread rapidly and the onlookers were, powerless, there being no water supply. The damage is estimated at £7,1)011. Tiie insurance on the six shi i] s is C2,00d, the insurance on the stuck being about £2OOO. A SUICIDE. AUCKLAND. .July 08. Lionel Stuns, single, 23, wu.s found d0;..1 in bis room in an apartment house at Sentinel St., l’onsonby, on Sunday, with his head wrapped in pillow cases and gas c.si aping from a tube, near lii.s mouth. He had apparently been dead since Friday. At an inf| ue.st the Coroner returned a Verdict of suicide by gas poisoning. Storrs at one time was a steward on the lonic and latterly had been doing casual work lor a city land agent. WE I. I. IX (; T() X SENTENCES. WELLINGTON, July 28. At the Supreme Court to-day. Sir linhcrt Stout sentenced Percy Arnold Mortensen, agon 17, to two years' reformative detention on two charges of carnal knowledge. Albert lloiiey Hughes, on charges of indecent assault on a male and a female was sentenced to two years and three years respectively, and declared an Imhitiial criminal. His Honour said it was a sad ease. In 11)12, prisoner was sentenced to twenty years for rape, and the Prisons’ Hoard had released him alter the sentence had half expired, and now lie was before the Court again. There should he an institution between the gaol and the asylum lor such eases. EAILM HAND KILLED. CAKTEKTON, July 2*b Frank 11. Huston, aged about 2.'!. a farm employee, was thrown from a horse yesterday, and died in tin* hospital. Huston came from Springfield, Canterbury. APPEAL .COUKT DECISIONS. WELLINGTON. July 2S The Court of Appeal this morning gave judgment in the ease of Cleave against Wairakei Ltd i.Jidy l(itli). The appeal was allowed and judgment entered for the appellant on the till, nth and Cull causes of union, with costs according to scale as on a claim for ClidCO. for respondent lor U207>7, on first muse anion with costs according to scale.

Tin- Court also judgment iu Cleave v. McDonald (.1 tilv gist). The appeal was 1 111111 n decision ol Justice ('ll a pin au, who let used :i now trial in McDonald again-l Cleave, in which the jury awarded plaintitf i-'2onil damages lor Iratidiileni luisiepresent.itinn :t> it I-. Mill ol’ which plaintiff look shores in \V;ii raliei I,til. The Court hold that. the jury had I eery lolly and lairIv directed hy .luslicc llerdtnan on the point and was entitled on tin* evidciie.e hel'ore it to iiu.'ird till’ damages it did. .Ml! VKITCII. M.l’. \VANCANT I. duly gS. Mr W. A. Veitcli. M.l’.. who has not heen in good health t illce Ihe last election. was success!illly operated on this morning lor appemlieiti . lie c- improving, Imoiirahly. .vlt) I t tR-I.WRK V DESTROYED. 151 .IvNI i KIM . duly 21. A thirty Jnindivdv.cight motor lot ry which had only heen in Use hy .Messrs ( nllaghaii and Raynor on the Wairall \‘-il|ev service I’o: a matter ol’ iihotlt eight nionth.s was destroyed hy lire on Tuesday morning. ahoiit two miles on the liloidioim side ol the Wailc-

| at. 'PI,,. liury was proceeding to the Wail-ail Valley with a load consisting

cf ten cases of benzine and general cargo for the settlers. Mr F. Callaghan driving when the engine backfired through the catlmcrettor and the machine hurst into Haines. 'I wo men ha!.pelted along in a ear at the ino-n-ent. and. realising that ii "as im- | e.ssiblo to save the vehicle they

turned their attention to salvaging the load. It was a dangerous luisiiiv.ss as the Hallies (-rent closer to the benzine. However, every thing was shifted, except one ease ot petrol, which led m lie left owing lo the risk, and it went to feed the greedy lla.mes. which .soon enveloped and completely consumed the lorry. The destruction of the lorry "ill be a .severe blow to the owners, because the £tGO for "hull it was insured will not fully cover their losses. A D UDF AWAKENING. DAXNKVIRKF. July 2.4. Ilerlioi t Harold I’.iync. wlm was found asleep in the Hawke.< Bay- I'itrmors Assoc nation's premises, "as convicted lor trial on a charge- of burglary. In a statement to the Police, Pay-lie said he did lint know how he get there. He thought he went gambling and woke up in the police station.