DOMINION ITEMS

Hokitika Guardian, 9 May 1927, Page 1

DOMINION ITEMS

[BY TELEGRAPH —PER PRESS ASSOCIATION

HIS SECOND ESCAPE. AUCKLAND, May 8. An escapee from Rotorua Island, Charles Marshall Fyfe. has been located and sent to gaol for three months. He got away in a dinghy in the early morning. Fyfe is a qualified ' chemist and is addicted to drugs. He escaped once before, going to Sydney, but being deported back.

JURY DISAGREE. AUCKLAND, May 7

After five hours’ deliberation in the Supreme Court yesterday, tlie jui\ empanelled to try William Jenkins, oil a charge of committing an offence against a young girl, announced that it could not agree, and anew trial was ordered for next week. Accused is an elderly farmer living at Glenficld, Birkenhead. The case was peculiar in that the girl in her evidence in both tho Magistrate’s Court and Supremo Court had _ repudiated a written statement given by her to a detective. Accused had also repudiated a statement given hv him. admitting he had attempted to commit tho offence. He accused the detective of fabricating the document.

INCENDIARISM

CHRISTCHURCH, May 8

Two old houses, one of two storeys and ono of one storey, in Moorhouso Avenue, were burnt on Saturday evening. Tho houses had been taken over recently by the Technical College Board, which intends erecting a new building on the site, and the old houses had been partially demolished. Tho outbreak occurred simultaneosuly in the two bouses, which were 50 led apart, and the Eire Brigade authorities state there was every indication tlie houses had been wilfully fired. There were no insurances.

Alt A W A’S LM MJ G R ANT S. AUCKLAND EAST, May 0

Of the 20!) immigrants arrived by Arawa from London on Sunday, 103 were children and a great majority of these are under 12 years. .including the Arawa’s list over seven hundred immigrants arrived during the past week. Those for southern ports left by the express last evening. DEAD IN POLICE CELL. CHRISTCHURCH, May 9. William Henry Forsythe, 38, single, arrested the previous day on a charge of being a rogue and vagabond, was found dead in liis cell at the Central Police Station late on Saturday. Tho inquest was adjourned for a post mortem. BLAZE AT HOTEL. PALMERSTON N., May C.

A second and more disastrous fire ocoured at three-thirty this morning when the Brigade was called to an outbreak of the Occidental Hotel, a large two storey structure standing at tlie corner of the Square and Fitzherhert St.

The flames had a big hold on a portion of the building on tlie corner, and appeared to have broken out in tho bar. This part was soon a roaring mass of flames, and tho clock tower fa feature of tho building), was soon enveloped. Fortunately there was little wind, and what was blowing, was from the east. T his assisted to keep the flames from the main block, and as a result, this part mostly escaped serious damage, but a good portion of the- building was totally destroyed. The building was owned by the Borough Council, and leased to Divan. The licensee was Bradley, whose lease had expired, and lie bad advertised n clearing sale of furniture at an early date. Those on tho premises were the licensee, bis wife, and live employees, and eight boarders who had considerable difficulty in making their escape, so quickly did the flames spread. A Chinese cook was severely burned about tlie face and hands, and was taken to the hospital.

The wing of the building, saved, runs along the square, over some shops. The brigade concentrated on saving these, hut the contents were damaged by smoke and water. The promises affected are: Messrs Chrystall (tobacconist), Just (nurseryman), AA’orrall (bootmaker), and Beyers (confectioner). The Hook of D. M. George, drapers, also suffered from water. The insurances arc not vet available.