DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 3 February 1926, Page 3

DOMINION ITEMS.

[llY TELEGRAPH —PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.

FORGING AND UTTERING. AUCKLAND. Feb. 3. At the 'Supreme Court, Lincoln Evans Furncr. for forgery and uttering a cheque oT £2O at Dargavillc, received throe years' imprisonment and to return to the status of a habitual criminal. PRISONERS ESCAPE. AUCKLAND, February 2. Up to a late hour to-night no trace was discovered of two prisoners, AVahle Rattray, who escaped from the huts at Rangitoto. It appears that just after midnight, the two men crept silently from their lint, and made their way to the water’s edge. A bright moon assisted them to find a dinghy, and in this craft they made good their escape. They fitted this boat with an nut-hoard motor, taken from another boat. It was not until some hours later that the warders found that the total of twelve prisoners had been depleted.

After a hurried search bad been made no time was lost in acquainting the authorities on the mainland of the prisoners’ escape from captivity. Tt was twenty minutes past seven this morning when the eagle eyes of a signalman on duly at Mount Victoria observed a signal on Rangitoto. This conveyed the information from the prison warders on Rangitoto that two prisoners had got away. After acknowledging receipt of the message the signalman telephoned Sergt. Rowell of the Devoiipoi't police. At nine o’clock. Deputy-Supt. Leggett, of .Aft Eden Prison, -and Constable Maltnbond left in a launch for Rangitoto to search For Rattray and AVahle. However, this search proved fruitless, so idle two officers returned to Auckland.

VICE-REGAL TRIP. AUCKLAND, February 2. The Governor-Go Horn I. accompanied by Her Excellency, proposes t*o pay an official visit to Cook Islands. Nine and Samoa. in May of this year. Their Excellencies will leave Auckland on or about April 2(1, in the Government steamer Tutanekai. visiting first the islands of the Cook Group, and then proceeding to Niue and Samoa. They expect to return to AVelliiigton towards the end of the first week in .Time. The last visit by a Governor-General lo New Zealand’s dependencies and the mandated territory of Samoa was made in 191!). DAIRY CONTROL BOARD. HON. II AAV KEN RESIGNS. WELLINGTON. Feb. 3. Following on bis acceptance of Ministerial rank, the lion O. .1. Hawkeu lias resigned bis position on the Dairy Producers’ Export Control Board. The appointment of a successor will be made before next Board meeting. AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. WELLINGTON. .lan. 3. A conference of representatives oT Auckland University Colleges was held yesterday to discuss matters related to the establishment of an agricullural .college for the North Island. Deports will be submitted to the Governors of the two institutions. DROWNING AT AVAIROA. AYAIROA, Fob. 3. William Aubrey Fletcher, aged 75, formerly postmaster at Nubaker. went fishing ai the AYairoa beads yesterday afternoon, and on bis failing to turn up al the hotel late at night a search was made early this morning. The body was found in a fisherman's net and it is presumed lie fell off the punas Ik* was subject to heart attacks. AYOMAN SEVERELY INJURED. AUCKLAND. Fob. 3. A young "oman who was found on the railway crossing at Mount Albert, at midnight with seven' injuries to her bend, was removed to the hospital. She bad escaped from th? Woolf Home at the Mental Hospital. AUCKLAND MAN MTSSTXG. AUCKLAND. Feb. 3. George Angus, aged 32. oni] loved by the Milne and Clioyce Company. as upholsterer, has boon missing since noon oil Monday when ho left work at the Grand Hotel. AYOR.KPHOPS It ECO XSTR COTTON. BRITISH MATERIAL TO BE USED. WELLINGTON. Feb. The Hon. .1. G. Coates announces that tenders will be called at an early date for the first instalment of tho reconstruction of the railwav workshops in the four centres. The total will be £800.00(7 but with machinery and other items the cost will ultimately be one million and a half.

The first to he dealt with will he the Petone shops, a new site for which has been secured on the lliitt branch line, covering 05 acres. One of the conditions of the tender will he the use of material produced in the Empire. The. programme is estimated to take three years. BOY MIGRANT SUICIDES. DAXXEYIRKF.. Fob. 2. An inquest held at leuri, hv the coroner, Air \\ . Dobson, into the death of William James Little, aged 16 years, who was found dead on the hum oi Arthur Frances Dainpney, farmer, on Monday evening. The evidence showed the lad had been working on the farm since the Ist of May last. He was apprenticed to Dainpney. He was or a. qiliet disposition, and was not inclined to mix in company. Sometimes ho was left alone oil the farm. He had his meals in the kitchen. At Xmas time he was; left alone for a fortnight, hut he never complained of being lonely, and he had written to I homas ltowiev Rees. Managing Trustee ol the New Zealand Sheep Owners Fund, stating he was getting on very well, and liked being with Dampuey. He had intended visiting him this week. The lad was last seen alive on Friday, when he was left alone on the farm, and when another employee returned on Monday, lie was found dead in a plantation near the house with a rifle alongside. , The Coroner found that deceased died of a gunshot wound, apparently self-inflicted and he commented t.uit the indications pointed to the deceased bavin" become morbid through being lonely. He considered it not air that deceased had been lett alone dining the Xmas period, and said there should he a regular system of inspection of the lads so apprenticed.

IN explanation

DaNXEYIRKE, Feh. 3. I„ connection with the Coroner’s finding in the death of the lad, Tuttle, the Flo: k House authorities state that they have taken every care in the supervising of hoys on farms. A representative of the trust from London is at present engaged on a tour of inspection, and would next week have visited Hawkes Bay and Little would have lieen amongst the boys visited. PALMERSTON X.. Feb. 3. WTn. Thomas Little, a former Flock House boy, who was found shot at Teuri, near Dannevirkts, on Tuesday, was a son of Mrs Little of Birmingham. His father was an able seaman on the warship Natal, loosing his life when the vessel tvas ruined in 1915.

■Following his training at Flock House the deceased was indentured to his late employer, and spent the last eight months advantageously. He worked conscientiously and was thrifty, as his Post Office Savings Bank book showed a fair sum had been saved. Air T. 77. Lee, Managing Director of the Slieepowuers’ Debt to the British Seamen Fund, expressed bis doubts that deceased ♦committed suicide as .stated in the ccroner’s verdict. There was not the cause to commit such an act. The deceased had previously written Loos stating he was most happy itt his employment. AYELCOME RAIN. DAXNEVIRKK, Feb. 2. Farmers’ apprehensions on account of drought conditions have been finally dispelled by soaking rains. 1.21 inches having lallen in Dannevirke during 48 hours up to !) a.hi. In parts of the district the rain was heavier. EIRE ENQUIRY. TAUAIARUN'UI, February 3. An inquiry info the origin of a fire which devastated the major portion of Raurimti at about 3.30 o’clock on the afternoon of December 14th, was hold before Air S. Laird, J.P., at Rauriimt. yesterday. Sergt. O'Brien represented the Poliw and T. C. Kincaid represented .Tedialt Alartin, the owner of the spiral where the fire originated. Evidence of a lengthy nature was beard, at the conclusion of which Laird found as follows :—The evidence in this case is of a circumstantial nature and the conclusion hinges largely on the question of time. Certain points are not adequately or satisfactorily explained, but it would appear that Alartin was singularly unfortunate, if Lite fire were nit accidental one. His evidence was corroborated in some respects by other witnesses, but at the time immediately preceding the fire, bis evidence was in conflict with that of four other witnesses, who agree that the lire in the Spiral Hotel was observed within

a few minutes of AFartin leaving the building, yet Martin says there was no sign of fire when be left. I can only conclude that the circumstances are suspicious. The evidence, however, in m.v opinion, is not sufficient to warrant a charge being made and therefore I return an open verdict that the Spiral Hotel was burned under suspicious circumstances and that all the other buildings were destroyed as the result of the fire in llie Spiral Hotel.

.4 SMASH. 1M KEKOHE. Feb. :t. Two young men. Yictor Garland and •I. Cleave of Akaaka. met with a serious accident on Akaaka—Rukekobe road yesterday. They were proceeding to Rukekobe on a motor cycle and side chair and smashed into a cow grazing on the road. Cleave was liospitalleil a) AYaiika. suffering from a fractured skull and broken nose. His condition is serious. Garland was able to proceed home suffering from shock, bruises and abrasions. The cow died subsequently.