DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 10 November 1924, Page 4

DOMINION ITEMS.

BY TELEORAPU—rKESS ASSN , COPYRIGHT, | coxvict fatally shot.

AUCKLAND, Nov. 8

A notorious convict, Joseph Thomas Christie, made a- last attempt at escape yesterday afternoon. In making a dash for liberv from .Mount Kden- prison. he refused to stop when challenged hy a warder who bred wounding t uristie. one shut entering his arm and another his leg. When Christie was admitted to the hospital at midnight his condition was rather serious, and he. died at 92)9 this morning. Christie was sentenced in Dunedin last Xovember to 11 years’ imprisonment on two charges of breaking, entering and theft at Dunedin and Alosgiel, and to one year’s imprisonment commencing at the expiration of the other term on a charge of escaping from legal custody. He was also declared an habitual criminal. The prisoner had a long record, lie was well-known in Auckland where he twice escaped from the mental hospital. On the latter occasion, in 1917, he went to Sydney and was deported from Australia, lie disappeared on the steamer and it was afterwards found he had returned to Melbourne. He subsequently returned to Xew Zealand and committed the offences which led to lii.s present sentence. On it previous occasion Christie escaped from custody hy jumping into Lyttelton harbour, when being taken from Wellington to Lyttelton, and m October 1921), while awaiting trial at Dunedin he unlocked the door ol his cell with a key made out ol pieces of wire and reached the railway station wheie lu> was recaptured.

AfAll ANA’S FUFW

AVF.I.LIXOTOX, Nov. 8

Xo men were signed on at Wellington to till tin* vacancies caused by the imprisonment of certain members of the crew Maliana, as the vessel still had a legal complement.

Dll VS AND W FT'S

AV ELLINGTON', Nnv. 8

The Xew Zealand Alliance has received a cable stating tlie drys gained lour Senators in the Congressional eleotional elections in l .S.A. and tuelce in the Lower House. '.I lie Alliance ligttres state the A\ ets will only lane |L| out of Tiu members in Congress ami 21 out of 9(i in the Senate.

j HOSPITAL PATIKXTS ACT

CtlltlSTCl I I'iK’lf. Now 8. I Ad:i Kmily Line, need 10. a iiisirrif'l woman of 12111. Hostings St.. r\vdeiili;iiii. jll in!>i‘«l over tlio Imlrony :iL (lliristflmroli Hospital yestereve mid 101 l forty loot to tho ground <lyin<i Inter. Slie lmd Ifoon iiinlor trontinoiit for n thyroid ohiiid mid wns prooressiiio Invournhly.

TRAM. CAR ACFIDFNT. AUCKLAND. Nov. 8,

A description of tlio perilous situaton of throo o:*i'Upnnts of si motor <:n\ A. A. Donald. .Mrs Donald and .Mrs Alorley. was given l>v l.ewis, a motorist, one of the first/ to reach the wreckage. Lewis said at the first glance it looked as if the three people must have .boon killed instantly. Donald was jammed in the midst of sheet metal, semiconscious. The wreckage was raised anti working bv the light of an electric torch the others extracted Donald and laid him on the footpath. Mrs Donald and Mrs Motley were lying practically underneath the splintered platform of tin' tram car. One of the stldefers was moaning and the rescuers experienced considerable difficulty in extricating her and relieving; the pressiiie of the shattered met:d. which threatened to crush both women. Lewis sttill he lifted Mrs Donald from :t space in the midst of wreckage into which a child might h.artlly have been expected to crawl.

I'UST SOD OF I! \ lI.WAY. WAIIII. Nov. 8. In connection with the ceremony of turnin'; the first soil of the railway contract of Armstrong Whitworth iiml Co. of portion of the Fast Const Main Trunk railway between Tuapiro anti Wairon. river near Taurnnga. a party of gnosis consisting: of Hon •!. ('■ Coates t u ho pcrlornis Jin* ceremony at three o'clock this afternoon), Mr and Me, I'll in lie tln iii-.lt Trade ('ommi' sinner I Mr and Mrs Utley. Mr anil Mrs Bennett (I’resident ol the M ellinglnn Chamber ol Commerce). Miss Skerret t, Mr MacMillan M.l’.. and Miss MticMillan. Air Alt-Ken/.ie (assistant engineer of the I’lthlic Works Department). Afr Sterling (nssistanl-Oen-eral .Manager of Railways) left A\ellinglon by the Alain Trunk" yesterday. Special carriages containing tfie Minister and guests were brought on trom T'rankton to Wailii by a special train, the party being joined at I’aeroa by Air Roland AI.R.

On arrival at Wailii the party wei met by Air Walnut (.Mayor) and Com ci lln r.s and entertained at breaklnst : tin' Rob Roy hotel, the special on riages containing the party, being ru on to Alhi-nree over the Public Mori line, being the first- passengers entire; ed over that section. At Atlienre Armstrong and Co. had motor eai waiting to convoy the party to ll

scene of the oeivmimy near Tauraiiga. Colonel Green Nougli (the Coy’s N.Z. representative) meets the party at At fie nice. A celehra t ion dinner takes place at Tauraiiga to-night. The contract is for 18 miles 18 chains of railway, costing about half a milliy:ii, and is to lie completed by about Ale.reli 1927. The weather is ideal. Afr Klmslio took the oppoi'tuniy to pay a hivisit to AVailii mine.

RHODES’ SCHOLAR. AUCK LANDER SELECTED. M’KLI.IXGTOX, November 7. Air J. A. Dunning, 7!.50., of Auckland University College, lias been selected as New Zealand Rhodes Scholar for 192-j. RUNERfX, November 7. Mr J. A. Dunning, the new Rhodes Scholar, is an Otago representative in both cricket and hockey. Ife obtained bis If. Sc. degree in Auckland in 1922. and this year be will sit for bis Al. Se. at the University of Otago. He is at present science master at John AlcGlasban College (Dunedin) and has also recently been appointed assistant to tbe Professor of ALithomal ies at tbe University of Otago. AUCKLAND Nov. 7. The new Rhodes Scholar, Air .7. A. Dunning B.Se., who was also nominated its the Auckland candidate last year, is 21 years of age, and has had it brilliant career both as regards scholastic and athletic achievements, at .Auckland Grammar School, Auckland University College, and in Dunedin.

In 1919 he won a Junior University Scholarship and a Gillies Scholarship. He is a first-class cricket, hockey, and tennis player. Ife played cricket in the Grammar School and Auckland University College first elevens, and now plays for the Carisbrook Club. Tie is an Otago representative, being included in the last Otago Plunket Shield team.

TOO .MUCH RAIN. DUNEDIN, November 7. A few months back farmers never anticipated the continued wet weather the country has lately been experiencing. Owing to rain supervening on the long dry spell, the growth of grass and cereal crops throughout tbe country has been abnormal. AA’hile up to a point vain was welcome—even indispensable—that point has been passed, and to-day farmers are complaining of too much of a good thing, while the temperature is also low for November. The result is that the feed lacks nourishment, being too watery. Crops are already beginning to lie down, more

especially on the heavy land, and some farmers have been forced to put stock on to eat off growing crops to strengthen the second growth. This is bound to affect the yields, and it has been noticed in the last fortnight that some of the crops are beginning to turn yel-

low, indicative of want of sunshine. In the matter of too much rain Central Otago is the exception. On all hands this is declared the most favoinablo season within memory. There is abundance of crass and crops tiro looking remarkably well.

INCOME TAX FINES. AVELLTNGTON, November 7. Charges Of failure to furnish incometax returns for the year 1921, 1922, 192,1 and 1921, and land tax returns for 1928-21 were preferred, against Norman Leslie Giitr, of North Auckland, at the Magistrate's Cottrt today. Fines totalling £20(1 were indicted.

SINGAPORE RASE NECESSSARY. WANGANUI, November 3.

A visitor to AVangantli from Calcutta holds the opinion that the Singapore base is absolutely necessary, lie relates how an Indian regiment mutinied there during the war, and how the German raider Fmden entered Penang, poured a broadside into a Russian man-o’-wltr and sank her. Other damage was also done by this raider. The gunboats in the harbor tit the time were totally unprepared for the raider, and did not even have steam up when she entered Penang. German officers went ashore in the previous night and found out all they wanted to know.