DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 October 1924, Page 4

DOMINION ITEMS.

BT TELEGRAPH— PRESS ASS.W, COFTRIGHT

A MURDER. AUCKLAND, October 10. Louis Short, a motor mechanic, employed by E. (!. Ward, not a barman as stated, died in the hospital aiPhom after he was admitted as the result of a knife wound in the groin received at Aurora Hotel, Victoria Street West, at nine o’clock last night. According to the first account of the tragedy Short, who was well-known at Hie hotel, called to see a friend. Ho was heard in argument with a stranger carrying a bottle of liquor which the stranger asserted Short sold to him and which Short denied. A struggle followed and the hoarders heard a scream of agony, and found Short bleeding from a wound in the groin. A man in grey clothes was seen rushing down the stairs. Short called out:—‘‘There he is,” and collapsed in a pool of blood.

Two young men gave elia.se and overtook the stranger who took refuge iu a doorway and lunged at them with a bottle till an opportunity enabled him to dash into the street and disappear. Later they saw a man walking leisurely towards them and believed he was the man they wanted and detained him. This mail admitted to the deleteives that he had been in the Aurora Hoot!, yesterday hut denied all knowledge of the atlray. He said ho had been in company with another greaser on a vessel in port.

At the Police Court this morning, .Malcolm Nicolson Kilpatrick and Benjamin Harrison Shiites, were charged that on October ltltl), they did murder Louis Short, and were remanded. The story so far does not explain wlio was the second man arrested. Short died after an operation without regaining consciousness. ACCUSED’S STATEMENT. AUCKLAND, October 12. The inquest on Reginald Louis Short, tell victim of the Aurora Hotel tragedy was opened yesterday before Air Boynton, S.M. Evidence of identification was given.

Chief Detective Cummings Laid that Shutte.s, who was arrested on hoard the steamer West Islip, had made a statement. No evidence would he offered against Kilpatrick, the charge against whom was withdrawn.

Kilpatrick, accordingly was discharged. In his statement, Shutte.s admits indicting a wound on the deceased, hut says that it was accidental, as the result- of a scuffle. The inquest was adjourned. EIRE IN GRANDSTAND. AUCKLAND, October 10. A fire in llie grandstand at Victoria Park completely gutted the dressing room. The whole structure had a narrow escape. The damage is about C.iul). The building is the properly ol the City Council. The cause of the tiro is unknown.

LORRY GOES OVER BANK. WELLINGTON. Oct. Hi

A motor lorry, returning from I’aekakariki to I’limmertou. toppled down a steep hank near the latter place. The driver, E. O. Garland, of Wellington, aged 21. was badly injured and died in the train on the way to Wellington. Tin •ee others, single men. were considerably knocked about. One, ,1. O’C’oniioi*. a civil servant, only recentlv recovered from a serious operation and G. Tinney. another civil servant, dislocated a shoulder. All are recovering. SWEDISH I'INF. FOR. RUTTER HONES. RARGAVILI.E October 10. The Northern Wairoa Dairy Company has landed ‘_’;l3 tons weight of Swedish pine for use for this season’s output of butter. This is the first time foreign timber has been used for but-, ter boxes locally. It is expected the qn iotitv "dl I".’ •oillicienl for the t c.ison’s output ol ‘2OOO lons. I In' imported timber is whiter and lighter than white pine, and the cost, is considerable loss.

MAORI NAMES. GTSROR-NE, October 10. AL the ollieinl opening of the Kahiitia Howling (‘lull’s green, the opportunity was taken fornudy to inept a beautifully carved archway at the entrance, the gilt to the elnh of il.s Ariki (Sir James Carroll). The Mayor, who expressed the club's thanks, said the carving was a.s tine a one as was to he found in New Zealand. In the course of his reply, Sir James said Kahiitia was a name of which he was proud, because of its association with Lady Carroll’s ancestors, and the archway would serve as a monument to the name, lie regretted that other ilanvling (dulls (lid not adopt names which would serve to perpetuate distinguished Maori names. It was

through such clubs as Kahulia that men could get together and help to forge the Jinks of the Empire. If men formed associations and aggregated common thoughts, they could not fail to serve in this direction. They all knew that at the present time the world was astray. There were Bolshevik tendencies in existence, and a growing spirit of revolution, which could be counteracted by the formation of institutions such as lie had mentioned; bowling not the least. Three cheers were given for Sir .Tames and Lady Carroll, and the gathering dispersed with farewells in Maori.

MAX’ FOUND SHOT. GISBORNE, October 11. The police received information that a young man. named Ralph Edward John Gibbs, a farmhand, on Mr Hull's station, at AVikohu, was found dead in a wliaro this afternoon, with a shotgun (reside the body. There are no details to hand. Air Bull's station is about thirty-live miles from Gisborne.