DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 19 April 1926, Page 3

DOMINION ITEMS.

[BY TELEOBAPH —PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.] GROCERY SHOP FIRE. ; BLENHEIM, April 13. This morning a fire gutted Moore’s grocery shop, in the centre business block of tlie town. The back portion of the building was practically burnt out. The front of the shop was untouched by the fire, but the stock was damaged by smoke. The brigade made a good save, and prevented the spread of the fire to tlie adjoining shops. The contents were insured in the Prudential Office for £SOO. The building is owned by Mr J. H. Costello, and is believed to be insured in the State Office for £SOO. The origin of the outbreak is unknown. It is attributed to rats. BLENHEIM, April 19. The building was insured for £7OO in the State Office. SUICIDE. CHRISTCHURCH, April 13. Charles Neilson, aged (iO years, a. single man, was found dead on Saturday, banging from a beam in his house, ABDUCTION CHARGE. TATHAPE, April 17. The Tailiape police arrested Clarence Amos Woods, aged 2], on a charge of having abducted a girl, aged 11 years and 9 months from her homo at Winiata on Wednesday night. Woods was seen riding a horse towards Tailiape late last night with the girl behind him and a large swag in front. No trace of the fugitives was found till early this morning, when they were found asleep in the scrub fifty-five miles from Tai-hape-nii the Napier Road, having covered that distance on horseback since Wednesday night. The police covered over one hundred miles of the district in tlieir search. STR ANG E Cl RCUMSTA XCE. CHRISTCHURCH. Ap-il 19. Charles Nelson, a single man who resided at Dublin St. Lyttelton, was discovered hanging from a- rafter In his cottage on Saturday. A strange circumstance in connection with the cnse was the evidence given !>v Dr Gilmour, who stated that death was not due to strangulation or a broken neck, hut probably syncope caused by the shock of an attempt at suicide. Tho inquest opened and adjourned for a post mortem. RESIDENT E lIE STR 0 Y ED. AUCKLAND. April 19. A five-roomed house at Avondale, occupied by F. J. Scott, was destroyed by fire at I a.in. on Sunday. Scott, who was alone at the time, escaped through the dense smoke. Nothing was saved. The house was insured for £550 and the furniture for .£l5O. A FOOLISH GIRL. CHRISTCHURCH. April 19. When a grief stricken girl of 18, was charged with attempted suicide this morning, the police said this was the second attempt, due to the father objecting to the girl’s lover. Previously she threw herself over a cliff. Last week she took poison. Ihe hearing was adjourned for a conference between the parties. N.Z. WIRELESS PROGRESS. AUCKLAND. April 19. An Aucklander, u lie has been in wireless communication with the Wilkins Arctic expedition in Alaska, is 1.. W. Edwards, of I’t. Chevalier. He picked up the call of Lieut. Messer of the U.S.A. signal corps at 9.15 on Monday night on a wave length of 33 metres, his receiver living an ordinary short wave two valve type. Though atmospherics were had .Messer and Edwards conversed in Mor.sc for an hour without a .single repetition living uecos:»trv. Messer reported the Auckland signals were strong. On Wednesday night .Messer and Edwards had a clear conversation r Morse for ‘H liouiv. Some months ago Edwards ohtaiweU communication "iih the Ross Sea .whaling expedition in Ihe A lit a retie. MISSING MONEY. CHRISTCHURCH. April 19. A man named Broad, a resident at Invercargill, alleges that he gave £BOO to the Purser of the Maori on Saturday evening and when he got the wallet hack yesterday it contained only £709. The police are investigating. The money had been won at the Wellington rfices. BOOKMAKER FINED AUCKLAND. April 19. At tlie Police Court Charles Oakley Clarke was fined £SO for carrying on business as a bookmaker. He gave a man a valueless cheque for the settlement of a double at £33 to one. It was stated that Clarke laid secured a position in Christchurch and bad decided to give up book-making. RESIDENCE BURNT. CHRISTCHURCH, April 19. The historic “ Hoi pi Hay,” a residence of fifteen rooms built by tlie Hon Ernest Gray, was destroyed by fire on Saturday, ft was untenanted at the time. It was insured for £1,200 in the South British. WATERSIDE TROUBLE. CHRISTCHURCH, April 19. The Canopus is still idle at Lytelton tins morning. There was also no response to call for men to discharge coal on tlie Coolana from Newcastle.