DOMINION NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 25 July 1927, Page 3

DOMINION NEWS.

(By Telegraph—Per Press Association.) SERIOUS EIRE DAMAGE. WELLINGTON, duly 25. A Willis Street lire caused damage estimated al several thousands sterling. The building at the end of a blind avenue was a brick, three-store.v structure. The first floor was occupied hv Stokes Sign Service, the second b\ Elucnzol Proprietary and Harringtons, ai’l of whom lost heavily of sign writing gear and material, fluenzol and other preparations and wireless apparatus supplies. The building was owned by If. I). Bonnet, also one adjoining occupied by .Miss Phyllis Bates ami the Wellington Pleating Coy. This was damaged by lire and water. The fire had a strong hold when the brigade arrived and made a spectacular picture with flames and dense smoke pouring from the windows and through the roof nl the main building. The brigade concentrated its attention in saving the neighbuoring premises, in which design they succeeded. Two firemen had a wonderful escape. They were standing in the lift well working the lift, being then at the third floor. Suddenly they saw a blinding flash indicative of fused electrical switches and they jumped clear, just in time to he missed by the heavy lift, as it crashed down from the top to the button of the well. Insurances include .9400 on fluenzol slocks in Northern Office, and ,92.000 mi Harrington’s in Liverpool, Loudon and Globe, PALMERSTON NORTH, July 25.

The Eire Brigade were ca’cd to Boundary Road East early this morning where an outbreak of fire had developed in a house occupied by Mr Miller. There is no water main in the locality and ail attempt to link up with the main in an adjacent street failed, until further hose was secured from tho lire station. .Meantime an adjoining house owned hv llastelow caught alight and was badly gutted, before the Jlamcs were extinguished. The first house was practically destroyed. An effort to pump water from a well on arrival tailed, owing to the fire engine breaking through a crust of clay and becoming bogged, the firemen having a strenuous task to extricate the engine after the flames were subdued.

ASSAULT ON MOTORIST. AUCKLAND. Joly 22. Three men who attacked a motorist who had been courteous and foreboaring to them yesterday in A’iftoria street learnt their lesson in the Police Court to-day. The three men George Wells, aged William Pallia! Aitehi.son (29), and William Laurence Bowler (37). They were charged with assaulting the motorist and his aged mother. Wells alone pleaded guilty. Complainant said that when driving down Victoria street the throe men stood in the middle of the road and made no effort to got out of witness’s way. He had difficulty in avoiding them. AY hen he hail pa.s.-dd them they ealleil out, and thinking that one might have walked into the hack of the car ho pulled up and went hack lo see. The men became abusive, and AA'clls, -who wanted to fight, knocked him down, lie got up and pinned AYolls bv the arms, hut one of the othoi men felled him again.

The old lady, who examined accused losely in the box. identified Aitehison is t(ie man who had struck her. Bowler, the only one of the accused

o give evidence, said that he was sober nit the other two were drunk. Wells altered and the car nearly struck him. ‘I thought the motorist came back to pulogi.se, but instead of that he was ike Jack Dempsey, looking for tight,” aid witness.

Aitehison, from the hack, admitted hat lie and his companions were a ittle hit noisy.” “AVotild you make he line light'” he asked.

Hie Magistrate (Mr AY. R. McKean, LAI.) : There might not he a fine. Wells, who had a list, was sentenced o one month's imprisonment, and the ithor accused were each fined £5. in lefault one month’s imprisonment.

FIXED £lO. GREA'MOUTIT. July 25.

Cecil Jones. 24. and AYilliam AA'ebber ,21, convicted of unlawfully converting to their own use a. motor car from outside tho Opera House, were lined £lO each, in default a month’s imprisonment. Tho sentence was received smilingly.

MOTOR CYCLE COLLISION INVERCARGILL. July

Three voting men AYilliam Pope, J. McNntv, and dins. Atkinson, while riding a. motor cycle on Saturday night collided with a telegraph polo. Atkinson’s skull was fractured and his condition is critical. The others escaped with slight injuries.

.INSURANCE DECISION. CHRISTCHURCH. July 2d. Mr Justice Sim on Monday gave judgment in a. test ease in which Lane, AValker and Rudkin claimed dG67 3s Id from .the (Yorkshire 'lnsurance Company, the balance of a refund duo bv defendant to plaintiff in respect to policies taken out with defendant and afterwards cancelled, pursuant? to a clause in the policies. The on So u‘nV brought again?* de-. fondant in order to obtain a ruling on a very narrow question of construction of a clause in the policy when the insurance was effected. His Honour said short period rates .had been fixed. The rates were altered ou December Ist. 1920 and plaintiff cancelled the policies on December l”tli, 1920. The question was what was meant 'by “customary short period.” His Honour thought that what was meant was the rate which was adopted by the Association and which was in force when the policy was terminated. There was no right to have the rates retained unaltered if rates were altered. Ihe altered rates became the rates for the policy and piniutilT was not entitled to recover anv sum from detendant.

FALSE PRETENCES CHARGE. DUNEDIN. July 20

The hearing was continued at the Police Court of charges of false pretences against Alexander C amphell, manager for James Shaw Campbell (draper). Samuel Campbell (draper), Charles James Thomas. Alexandei Lowery (valuer). Frederick A\ illinm Bamfield (accountant), and Cliflord Peel (salesman). The defendants all of whom were directors of the New Zealand Motor and Engineering Coy., were alleged to have obtained from Southland Finance Corporation Ltd., and Traders Finance Corporation Ltd., various sums by falsely representing that they or clients had purchased cars and paid deposits on them. Iheie were six charges against the five first named involving an aggregate ot £1875 and all six were jointly charged cm three informations aggregating £llBO. All the accused reserved their defence and were committed for trial.

\ CHARGE AA'ITHDRAAA'N. AUCKLAND. July 25. Joseph James Ritchie. "4. charged at the Police Court with the theft of £34 as Town Clerk of AVaibi Borough Council. Chief Detective Cummings stated Ritchie had been in the hospital for some months very ill. He would not offer any evidence to support the charge. Mr'McKean, S.M., dismissed the charge for want of prosecution.

MERCHANT’S DEATH. CHRISTCHURCH, July 25. Obituary.—Harman I*. Kinemorc aged 07, a well-known merchant. NEGLIGENT DRIVING. INVERCARGILL, July 25.

At an inquest on Desmond Keith, who died from a fractured skull through the capsize of a motor-car driven by Andrew MofFatt, the Coroner found that the fatality was caused by negligent driving at a high speed. Mollatt, who is a member of the Australian Flying Corps, and was oil a holiday visit to his parents, was charged with negligent driving, causing the death of Keith, and was remanded for a wecit. FINGER BLOAVN OFF. DUNEDIN, July 25. Through the accidental discharge ot a rifle Ted A) ilson, of Lander, had his linger blown off. train damaged. OTAKI, July 25. I lie Auckland down express fouled the rail one hundred yards from Otakl station this morning, capsizing an engine. postal van and second class ■smoker. No one was injured. A deni of damage was done to the line. A rail penertated a portion of the engine. Ninety passengers wore on the train and seventeen in the second carriage. The smash was heard a quarter ol a mile away. 'The Napier bound passengers transhipped and Napier mail train returned to Wellington, while the engine from Palmerston will take Auckland passengers north. The cause of the accident was probably a defective rail, possibly duo to cold frosty weather. 'The train luckily was travelling only about 20 miles an hour, owing to repairs in progress mi the line.