FIVE MEN MISSING.

Hokitika Guardian, 11 February 1926, Page 1

FIVE MEN MISSING.

FEARS FOR THEIR SAFETY

DUNEDIN, February 9

Though lengthy stays in the West Coast sounds region are not infrequently made, fears are entertained for the safety of a party of five men who left Elfin Bay during October last for the Martin’s Jlay district, to bring out a herd of cattle, and have not been heard of since.

The missing men are Messrs Mai via and Hugh M’Konzic, a man named Foxeroft, of Auckland, a gold prospector from Dunedin and a musterer from Lumsden.

inquiries have been made from set tiers in the surrounding country, but no trace of the men has been found. The latest reports from Glenorchy state that a search party lias been organised by the National Mortgage and Agency Company, and that the Police Department in Wellington is sending out parties from Westland and Southland. The fact that a tourist party which spent nearly a month in the .district during Christmas visited the M’Kenzie homestead and the camp at Big Bay, and found no trace of human life, gives further reason for uneasiness.

The country is in its natural state. There arc no roads or bridges, and the timber growth is exceptionally heavy. An idea of the nature of the country in which the APKenzie Brothers live may he gained from the fact that in the ordinary course of events they arc visited only twice a year by a Government steamer, and that the Great War was in progress for eight months before news of it reached them. THE MISSING MEN. A HOPEFUL ASPECT. ’By Telegraph.—Special to Guardian). OKURU, February 10. No information whatever is available here regarding the M’Kenzie Brothers reported missing. It is customary for them to be absent for months at a time without reporting themselves.

FOXCROFT AN AUCKLANDER

HEARD FROAf IN OCTOBER

AUCKLAND, Feb. 10. There is little doubt that the Foxcroft, who is reported to be one ■ of a part of live men missing in the West Coast- Sounds region, is Charles J. Foxeroft, of Trafalgar St., Onehunga. He is a tinsmith hv trade and was formerly employed by the firm of R. and Al. Hellab, Ltd., in their meat canning works at Westfield. Ho lived for about ten years in Church St., and latterly in Trafalgar St. Ho lived for about ten years in Church St. Being out of regular employment, he decided last October to go to Dunedin, partly to inspect property, which ho had recently inherited in the back country of Otago. Tie was well provided with funds, and intimated his intention of joining a prospecting party, starting from Lake Wakatipu. The last Mrs Foxeroft heard from her husband was a telegram from Glenorchy. on October 23rd, advising that the party was then starting on its tour. From that ,],ny, there has been no word from Mr Foxeroft. When the weeks grew into months. Mrs Foxeroft became exceedingly anxious about her husband’s welfare, and left for Dunedin last Thursday evening to make personal inquiries. Foxeroft. and his family are adherents of the Onehunga Presbyterian Church, and as the Minister of the Church, Rev. T>. D. Scott was going to Dunedin last month, he promised to make all the inquiries lie could. Mr and Mrs Scott could find out nothing in Dunedin, but when they were at Queenstown, a fortnight ago. where Foxeroft ’s party had stayed for a time, they ascertained that a young man bad arrived then* from Martin's Bay about the end of December, and lie bad seen tbe, parly a slinrt time previously. This is the only news of the party that has reached civilisation since the party set riff from Olenorehv on October 2.3 rd.

Afr and Airs Koxeroft have a family of two, their sou, William, an electrician, aged about ?d . being engaged in the country at present, while their young daughter is at school. The Onehunga police have also boon making inquiries. and from what they can gather, the party was intending to make ArcKenzie’s farm its liendi|uniters. hut no regular eommunieation is over expected from that distant locality.