DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 12 January 1927, Page 4

DOMINION ITEMS.

tSpg—[by TELEGRAPH —PER ritESS ASSOCIATION.! .EIRE ON REMUERA. WELLINGTON, Jan. 10. A fire took place on the Remuera during the recent passage irom London. The, outbreak' was discovered on .Dccemhei 23rd.. two days after the ship left Pa nania. On the afternoon of that day smoko was observed coming from one of the forward ventilators, and the fire was located amongst the Christmas mail in No. 2 hold. The outbreak was extinguished in a short, time. The extent of the damage to the mail had not been ascertained up to the time of arrival here to-day. No letters were destroyed, the mail matter in No. 2 hold consisting chiefly of packages. During the extinguishing operations the ship was stopped. The opinion was expressed by an officer of the ship that the lire was caused li.v the spontaneous ignition of some substance in one of the packages. Fine weather prevailed at the time and I here was no excitement.

A SUDDEN DEATH. BLENHEIM, Jan. 10. A tragically sudden death occurred at l’ieton yesterday ulxin.nl one ot the pleasure yachts in the harbour. The deceased was Air Thomas Foote, of Wellington, a brother of Air W. J. Foote, stationiiiaster in charge ol the local section of the railway. The late AH Foote, who was fiftyfive years of age, was a member ot a party who came to Pieton before Christmas in their yacht, ami have Iks? n holidaying in the Sounds since. Yesterday Air Foote was ashore, and returned to the yacht in a dinghy. After h<' had got aboard, another member of the party, .Mr Stevens, heard a noise, and, turning round, found that Afr Foote had fallen into the cockpit of the Imat. He went to his assistance and found that lie was dead. AN “OLD BIRD.” found work by the magistrate. NAPIER, Jan. 10. At the Napier police Court this morning before Air Dyer, S.AE, John Nelson, aged 34, was charged with Being an idle and disorderly person. He pleaded not guilty. Constable O’Hnlloran (AVaipawa) stated that he received a complaint that the man was on H. Al. Campbell's property at Poukuwn. The mail said he was “John the Baptist.” and was there to “do the work of the Lord in getting water for the sheep.” A hotel-keeper, the constable said, had been pestered bv him. Senior-Constable Rowell said accused was in gaol for a week and appeared to be well mentally. Accused said In- was not ordered off the station. He had visions from God and was told to publish them. Tie was told to go forth to Hawke’s Bay and do work there in feeding the sheep. Ho succeeded in breaking up the drought. He asked for rain at Otano and it came, and the same tiling happened at Hastings. His Worship: T think you are putt ing this up on me. Accused : No Sir, I stand by the Bitile. t have failed to get a job aliliough T have tried. His AVorsliip: i’ll find work for you. I think the religious business is for the purpose of escaping punishment. You are an “old bird,” You will lx- given three months’ hard labour. There is good solid work for you to do. -MISSING WOMAN. HAMILTON, -bin. 11. The name of the woman in the suppose'! Ngaruawahin, drowning is Airs Bhiekbiirn. of Auckland. She sent, a letter card saying she would he as'eep in the deep by the time her husband received it. AUCKLAND, -January 11. All’s Blackburn left her home at St. I ! Tier's Bay yc.slcr<lnv morning, stating that she was going to the store. When she had not returned by noon, a search was commenced, hut without result.

No reason can lie given why Airs Blackburn should have gone to Ngaruawahin as she had no relatives or friends here. She is 30 years of age. On the discovery of the hat and the handkerchief on the river hank, the police were immediately summoned, and dragging operations were commenced. A local swimmer, also dived in search of the body without success. The river is deep and sluggish at the '-ecu,, of the tragedy.

A NARROW ESCAPE. HAMILTON. Jim. 11. Railway surfacemen, Moyle and Sionnell wore thrown from a jigger over a bridge at Aforrinsville and fell sixty feet on a soft bank, having it miraculous osAipe. Neither was seriously hurt. GISBORNE, Jan. 11. Describing tho affray which led to Thewall’s (loath, John Roderick-, a. witness said Thewall struck the first blow saying to the accused '“how do you like that.” Until he was struck several times on the face, accused had not retaliated. Then AFcAfinn hit Thewall under the chin and he fell backwards. Accused also was sober. .Medical evidence was that deceased’s skull was abnormally thin. Further evidence of an eye-witness was that the men were striking wildly at one another.

Detective McLeod produced a states merit from accused which stated Thewull struck him without provocation, and ho endeavoured to avoid the blows, 3 having no reason to fight as they ail ways had been good friends. After backing away he bad finally to defend r himself, and ho hit Thewall on the , jaw, with the. result that he fell backwards. Accused was committed for ■ trial on bail of £2OO. The Aliagistrato as Coroner gave a verdict in accordance with tlie medical testimony. If 1X1)1' AND NEGRO. ALLEGED THEFT OP NOTES. AUCKLAND, Jan. 10. Because ho considered that 'a Hindu who swore lie would translate the English language into the Hindustani language and vice versa was unsuitable. Air !•’. K. Hunt. K.AL, at the Police Court this morning, stood down a case to secure the services of it better man. Tile case was one in which George Bottles. 22. n coloured man, was charged with stealing £7. the property of a .Hindu, by the name of Mima Khana. Through the interpreter, Khana stated lie worked at Pakuranga. and came into Auckland for the Christmas and New Yckir celebrations. On New Year’s Eve he was in a house in Grey Street. Accused was also in the house and there was some music and some singing, in which several Americans and accused took part. Bottles pulled witness out of the room, and down the ’‘house step-ladder” (meaning the. stairs), and took the wallet out of his pocket. Hut later replaced it:. That was about 8 p.nt._ At 2 a.in. the following day when lie looked in his wallet for the money he found tlti.it a five pound note and two singles were missing. He had no occasion to go to his wallet between S p.m. and 2 a.in. When Air Dickson, who appeared for Bottles, started to cross-examine Khana through the interpreter tilings became very much involved. “Stand the ease down till to-mor-row morning.” said Afr Hunt, “the interpreter is no good. 1 don’t know whether the witness or interpreter i- , giving evidence.” - Senior-Detective Hammond, who prosecuted, said he had a very good interpreter, but .he was a witness in the 1 case, and in fairness to Air Dickson ‘~ lie did not wish to call him.

I The ease was then adjourned until I to-morrow morning. In the meantime an effort will bo made to obtain the services of an ex-Indian Army officer, who speaks Hindustani well. "WESTPORT AIEN IDLE. "WESTPORT, Jan. 11. To-day Afr H. E. Holland ALP., communicated with the AJBlister of Public AYorks and the Alinister of Afarine stating that there are more than fifty unemployed men in the town of Westport. and that a. substantial majority of these are married, and have families dependent upon them. Air Holland urged that, in order to provide employment, the construction of the harbour walls promised by the Alinister of Afarine. he nut in hand at once, and that the remainder of the unemployed be found work on the Gorge Railway on which only a handful of men are now working, and on the Coast road, the construction of which is at a standstill. The figures relating to the unemployment were furnished to Air Holland by Air Fnirhall, of the Labour Department