DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 12 July 1926, Page 3

DOMINION ITEMS.

[by TELEGRAPH —PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.] I UNEARTHED BY DREDGE, i Gisborne, July 10. 1 During dredging operations for the new harbour the dredge, Korun, unearthed the prow of a wooden sailing vessel, buried in the sands of Waij kanao foreshore. This is believed to Ibe portion of the • harqentinc, Rio Grande, driven ashore over forty years a go. FOUND WOUNDED. DUNEDIN, July 12. Robert Johnstone was found at 6.30 last evening at the corner of King and Frederick Streets with a severe stomach wound. He was taken to the hospital and operated on at once but beyond delirious muttering that he had been stabbed, no information was obtained. further. (Particulars. DUNEDIN, July 12. Johnstone, the victim of the stabbing is married and aged 30, and was a motor mechanic. It is stated that ■ ho went out in his shirt sleeves !:,st night to get the meat frtJni the washhouse for the family’s persian cat ai d did not return.

MAN ELECTROCUTED. INVERCARGILL, July 12. John Arthur, married, aged 5-1, an employee of the Southland Power Board, was engaged on Sunday at Lochiel taking in the slack of a wire 'Alien the motor lorry moved suddenly forward with the result that tho loose wire flew upwards and came in contact with tho overhead wires, Arthur receiving the lull force of the eleven thousand volt current. Death was practically instantaneous. WELLINGTON FOOTBALL. WELLINGTON, July 12. One of the features of a series of Rugby football on Saturday that every side that expected to win lost, though i:i no game was there a margin of more than three points. In two eases defeats wore easily traceable to the absence of AH Black men. Another feature was the number of accidents, live men being taken to the hospital one with a fractured leg, and the others mostly with injured

AN ADDRESS. PAIIIATUA, July 12. Rev. Doctor J. Gibb of Wellington who has been filling the pulpit in the local Presbyterian Church for some weeks, addressed by request after tho church service, a largely attended meeting in the theatre on the subject of the League of Nations. The Mayor presided. Dr Gibb gave an eloquent informative exposition of the aims and purposes of the League. UNEMPLOYED. DUNEDIN, July 12. There were 278 men on the unemployed register, and 19 of to-day’s registrations married. Tlierc is reported to he much distress among seamen, 8 of whom are sleeping at the gasworks and another 5 at the wharf sheds, while one party of 14 have been oceuljying a small hut at Waver ley. existing on potatoes from the fields. They had no blankets or table utensils’. The Salvation Arriiy reported to a meeting to-day that they could provide sleeping quarters for men. hut in the event of being insufficient the Harbour Board may provide straw lor bedding in the sheds. The wharf labourers position is also reported to l>e critical, best men earning less than 30s a week.

PROMISING BORE. NEW PLYMOUTH, July 10. Some twenty years ago, an oil bore was put down at Vogeltown, a southern suburb of New Plymouth, but was abandoned for want of capital. Recently investigations were made by Mi- J. A. Spencer, a. petroleum geologist, aid, on the strength of his favourable reports, drilling operations are likely to be resumed shortly by allied Auckland and Californian interests. DISPUTE OVER ESTATE. AUCKLAND, July 10. One of the leading figures in what is known as “the Thatcher case” died yesterday, just one day after his solicitors iiad filed the defence in an action against him bv bis son, to have beau heard in the Supreme. Court. The son, Pereival E. Thatcher, recently figured in a ease at the Magistrate’s Court in which bis stepmother claimed £Bl 5s for board. The father (deceased), the son and the stepmother

had been living in a house oil ail estate which was half owned by the father and half owned bv the son. In bis evidence in that case, the son said that lie received only £336 from the’estate, while his father had received six thousand or seven thousand. The action in the Supreme Court was to have involved allegations by the son that the father had not ac'•ounted for certain moneys coming from the estate. To-day, Mr Poynton, S.M., enquired into the circumstances of the death of the father, Thomas Clifton Rowley Thatcher. Dr Murray, who made the post mortem, said that in his opinion, death was due to syncope, following on a fatty heart. There was no external evidence of any poison having been taken. Witness bad secured the internal organs for analysis.

■ 'l’be enquiry was adjourned pending the analysis. PNEU.A I ON 1C INFLUENZA. CHRISTCHURCH. July 12. Twenty-seven eases of pneumonic influenza were reported to the district Health Officer for the week ended noon to-day. There were five deaths. CLAIM FOR DAMAGES. DUNEDIN, July 12. At the Supreme Court the ease of S. H. Shale of Christchurch versus ,T. N. Samson of Dunedin, for damages in respect of the exchange of farm properties entered the fifth day this morning. Plaintiff claims rescision of the contract and £ISOO sterling in respect to fraudulent representation, or in the alternative £6.400 warranties. Defendant claims for £3200 as damages in respect to alleged fraud and misrepresentation. The case for the defence is proceeding.

A BURGLAR CAUGHT. AUCKLAND. July 12. In the early hours of Sunday morning Cueksey, proprietor of the Prince Arthur Hotel was awakened and saw a man in a corner of bis bedroom, where be kept bis clothes. The intruder bolted downstairs with Cueksey in hot pursuit to the end of the passage where he tackled his man and threw him down. A boarder and the night porter arrived and took charge of the prisoner, until the police were summoned and took him in charge. Cucksey’s clothes had been ransacked. Andrew Robert Mclntosh, 24. was charged at the Police Court with being a rogue and vagabond, being unlaw fully on the premises of Prince Arthur Hotel and stealing £3 15s belong to Cueksey, the proprietor. He was sentenced to six months on the first charge and three on the second, to be concurrent.

A BUS SMASH. AUCKLAND. July 11. Flying glass and timber caused in*

juries to nine passengers when twobuses, belonging to the ProgressiveBus Coy. collided on the Great North Road at Avondale shortly after midday to-day. Two of the passengers, M. McKenzie (New Lynn), and Hardley (Newton) were detained ,in the hospital the former suffering from a fractured right arm, end the loiter from injuries to the head, which are not regarded as serious.

Tho remainder of the injured passengers sustained cuts and bruises, which were amenable to first aid treatment, given on the spot and in tho Hospital casualty ward. The force of tile impact was sufficient to rip out the sides of the buses. One bus pulled up against an electric line pole carrying high and low tension wires, but the impact v as not strong enough to break’ the poles, or the wires. It was raining at the time- of the accident.

TWO HOUSES BURNT. GISBORNE, July 11

The Fire Brigade here had a. busy time in the early hours of this morning, when two calls were ‘answered. The first was at 2.35 o’clock, when a fourteen-roomed house in Deiautor Road, owned and occuoied by Mr F. E. Gaddum and family, was totally destroyed, the occupants having a narrow escape. This fire was beyond the confines of the Fire Board area. The insurances are stated to be £3OOO on the house and £SOO on the furniture, but in what offices is not known.

At 3.55 o’clock, the Brigade ag-iin turned out to a call in Lvtton Road, where a six-roomed house was burning firecely, and, with a high wind, it was destroyed quickly. The occupants had lalso had a narrow escape, making a hurried exit in their night clothing. The house was owned by the David Shaw Estate, and was occupied by Mrs Augustine and family. The house land outbuildings were insured in the Fanners’ Co-operative Insurance Coy. of New Zealand for £2Ut). The furniture was also insured, but tho hmount is not known.