DOMINION NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 September 1927, Page 3

DOMINION NEWS.

(By Telegraph—Per Press Association.)

STRANGE TRAGEDY. AVHAXGAREI, Sept. 27

A death of tragic suddeness occurred at Tikipunga quarry'this afternoon, when Herbert Chisholm Plaisted, a team driver, met his end. According to a statement made to the police, Air Plaisted arrived with his team at Hardie’s Quarry at 12.45 p.m. He worked till 2 p.m. when all hands stopped for a few minutes for a smoke. After talking and laughing for a time Plaisted left the company. As he Tailed to return after some time, his mate, Mr Charles Gilbert, called out several times, and on no reply being forthcoming, all hands went down to sec what was wrong. After a few minutes’ search, Mr T. Hnrdic discovered the missing man lying face downwards in a shallow creek not more than 15 or 18 inches deep. His hack was not covered by water. His lint and vest were found on an adjacent bank. An attempt at resuscitation was made, hut without avail.

Plaisted was a middle-aged man of 46 years, and he loaves a widow and one son. A brother is Air E. K. Plaisted, of AATiangarei. LOCOATOTTVE STRIKE’S MAN. CHRISTCHURCH, Sept. 27. Soon after mid-day to-day, G. A. C. Pickford, shipwright, of Lyttelton, was struck by a shunting engine, while crossing a railway line at the dockhead at Lyttelton. He suffered injuries to his right hip and a compound fracture of his left arm at the elbow. GISBORNE FLOODS. GISBORNE, Sept. 28. Cyclonic conditions have prevailed for the last twenty-four hours. Heavy rain fell over-night, the gauge at Tekaraka showing 4.45 inches. The rivers are in high flood, the water being 4ft deep at Puha railway tunnel. This position has not occurred for 11 years. Flats about Puha are submerged, but so far the extensive Poverty Bay flat lias not been affected though the river is reported to Tie rising rapidly further back.

THE DRINK BTI.L. AA’ELLINGTON. Sept. 28. According to the New Zealand Alliance figures £8,425,051 was spent in the Dominion in 1926 on liquor, compared with £8,533,111 in 1925. The estimated expenditure per head of population, including Afaoris was £5 19s 2d, a decrease of 4s lOd. TRAIN AVAL ON DERAILED. AVELLTNGTON, Sept. 28. A wagon in a mixed goods train from Tnumnrunui to Afarton ran of! last night and tore up half a mile of line between Overton and Cliff Roads. Gangs wore sent to repair the rails and passengers were taken on by motor Inis. The afternoon express and Limited were held up at Mnrton and sent as one train and probably will reach Auckland at noon to-day. Southward trains will not be much delayed.

CLAIAI FOR DA AI AGES. AUCKLAND, Sept. 28. The Supreme Court was occupied with a claim for £I,OOO damages by AA'. H. AA'ac-krow, of Tnumnrunui, the owner of the racehorse Boomorday. arising from ail accident on the second day of Taknpuna meeting, December Ist. Owing to heavy rain on the first day, an alteration was made in the course, part of which was fenced b,v flagged posts. A liorse in front of Boomerday struck one of these posts, which broke and a fragment struck Boomerday in the eye, the sight of which was destroyed.

Plaintiff alleges negligence in fencing, which the Chili denies.

MANSLAUGHTER CHARGE. AUCKLAND, Sept. 28. AV. S. Baghy was before the Police Court charged with manslaughter, arising from the death of Airs Elizabeth Short, knocked down by a motor-car on Monday evening. He was remanded on bail of £2,000. The police have taken possession of his car. BODY IDENTIFIED. AUCKLAND, Sept. 28. A body found in the harbour on Sunday has been identified ns Thomas Whelan, about 05 years of age, lately an inmate of the City Afission dosshouse. FAIRNESS IN POLITICS. ATTRIBUTE OF SIR, JOSEPH. AVAIUKU, Sept. 24. In the course of his address here Inst evening Sir Joseph Ward said that throughout tiis political career iie had never been involved in political intrigue, and lie always played fair with his opponents ill the field. Evidence of this was had on his arrival ill Waiukn curly yesterday afternoon. <A supporter of an opposition faction wns addressing the electors at the time, but when Sir Joseph appeared on the scene the speaker found that the policy he propounded was not so magnetic as the personality of llic staunch old Liberal. The crowd flocked round the latter, and, in addition to cheering him dustily, demanded in no uncertain voice that he speak to them. Sir Joseph, however, declined to address the crowd at the moment.. and, after acknowledging the cordial reception accorded him, quietly lctired to his room.

LEAGUE TEAAf. CHRISTCHURCH, Sept. 20. The following League team will represent Canterbury against Buller at Monica Park on Saturday:—G. Blnzey, P. Smith, J. Alundy, Clark, J. Sanders, Amos, C. AVoods, AVoodgate. Sisson, H. Blazev, Wakefield, L. Farrell and Adams.

A BURGLARY. PALAIERSTON N.. Sept. 28. At the Police Court, this morning, Aliehael Hannah, a Syrian, twentythree, was charged with breaking and entering by night the counting house of the Government on the railway deviation works. Senior-Detective Quirk told the Bench it was alleged the accused had broken into the office at three o’clock in the morning of September 21st this being the place from where up to then the men on the deviation had been paid. The evidence of William Rell (engineer in charge of the works) stated that acting on . information received, lie and Constable Boyd secreted themselves in the building on the night of September 20tli. Early next morning they heard a. noise of someone brenking into the building and moving about inside. They heard a footstep and someone running down the road and five minutes later accused wns seen in company with Detective Bailing. A big iron box. usually padlocked, was found broken open and the contents disarranged. The sale contained five pounds in cash. a cheque and some stamps. No efforts had been made to open the safe. Detective Barling deposed to keeping the deviation office under attention. On the morning of September 21st he caught accused after a chase, .near the deviation office. Accused at once made a statement that he had done the job eptirely alone, and was after

the men’s payroll, but got frightened and ran. away. At the Police Station he said he would not have gone to the deviation hut for it being suggested to him. Accused was shown gelignite on September 23rd that had been found near the office and admitted it had been taken there for the purpose of blowing open the safe, adding that another person had been concerned, one who claimed to he experienced in the use of explosives. AA”!tncss lielieved this and had suspicions who it was. He did not believe the gelignite was placed where it was found by the accused. Information. that an attempt wns to be made to break open the office came from several sources. Accused pleaded not guilty and "as committed for trial on bail of £.»00. HEAVY FLOODS. AVAIROA, Sept. 28. One of the biggest floods for mainyears occurred early this morning.** Owing to an unprecedented deluge during the last twenty-four hours resulted in the river being bank high. The water was almost up to the docking of the town bridge. Both wharves were covered. All the town flats weio a sea of water. Launches and boats wore washed out to sea, also timber and goods stored on the wharves. There is no sign of the heavy sea' abatin'' Arore damage is feared, with loss of stock.

FOUND DEAD. AUCKLAND, Sept. 28. M rs Afeiiues, residing at Campbell Road, Onehunga. was found by her husband at 3.30 this morning in the kitchen, dead, with a gas tube in her mouth. Deceased was sixty years of age and leaves a grown-up family.