DOMINION NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 27 January 1928, Page 1

DOMINION NEWS.

(By Telegraph—Per Press Association

TRAGEDY PARTICULARS AUCKLAND. Jan.

Investigation of the Pori Chcvilier tragedy shows Peter Gloss, aged about 32, was discovered just before noon lying in a bade doorway in his pyjamas with his head shattered by the discharge of a single barrelled sporting gun which lay across the body. In a front bedroom was found the corpse of his wife. Maliel Gloss, whose skull was blown almost completely away. The gun lmd evidently been fired r.t her from behind, as she. lay in bed. When found, the body of Afrs Gloss was dotlu'd in a nightgown. Her bail- uas about her shoulders, suggesting that she. was .shot in her sleep.

There wore twin beds in the room. Airs Gloss oceupiug the one nearest the window. The second bed, which had been slept in, was unoccupied. The police have formed the theory that the woman was shot by her husband as he sat on his -bed. Gloss had evidently left the bedroom, passed through the sitting room emptying and reloading the gun us ho went. An empty cartridge case was found lying in the middle of the door near an open gramophone in the sitting room. Gloss’s body was found huddled at the back door, with the gun lying across him. A loop of string tied to the trigger, was evidently the means by which lie had discharged the weap-

on STOREKEEPER’S IMPRESSIONSAUCKLAND, dan. 20. No reason can lie assigned for the tragedy at Point Chevalier. The house, a modern bungalow, was comfortably though not expensively furnished. The couple appeared to ho in fair circumstances, and tradespeople say that they always paid their way. The clean but untidy interior oT the house presented the appearance or having been left unsw-ept for at least a couple of days. 'I lie gramophone was open in the sitting room. and there were records lying about and music littered on top of a piano. (.’loss was last seen alive yesterday afternoon, when lie called at flic grocery store of Mrs Malker. and obtained a bottle of ltovril. Ilis manner was peculiar and Mrs Walker was particularly struck by the fact that he (lid not wait for a, docket.. Only tlk* previous day he called at. the store to pay the family grocery Hill and on that occasion also he bad made a similar purchase. ‘‘T thought he seemed very quid yesterday.” said Mrs Walker, “lie walked in with a vacant look about him and simply said, Give me a bottle of Bovril,’ took if, and walked out again. I said. ‘Won t you take a doelcd?’ but be bad gone almost, ho fore Ti had got the words out of my mouth.” In common with the majority of people living in the. neighbourhood, Mrs Walker knew little or nothing about Gloss, lull she was on friend:,, terms with Mr- Gloss, who often told her little domestic details, and who was in the habit of coming in every Tuesday afternoon for a chat. “Pin: often talked about ner daughters,” said Mrs Walker, 4 and once she said it was not the same lor Hem now that thev bad a stepfather; In I never asked her about her first busband. and T know nothing about bin..’ Mrs Walker said that Gloss paid bis bill on Tuseday with a £5 note, all the .couple owed for now being a few sui.d ties.

SAAfOAN ItOVCOTT. AUCKLAND. .Tan. 25. “So far as this firm is concerned, tlioro lias lieen no falling ofi in orders from Samoa.” saiil an Auckland morflinnt. to-day. when asked by a reporter if the reported boycott of New Zealand poods had affected his business. The merchant said that his coin pane sent larpe quantities of soap to the Islands of the Pacific, and had done so for many years. The re had been no diminution in the orders during the past twelve months. Ii would be a hip loss to the firm if soap orders were pivoti to Australian firms. “Next month should toll a tale.” he said, “because February is invariable our busiest month. AVe usually receive larpe orders from Ti.ii and Samoa. “Strangely enough Febvuray is also our busiest period for New Zealand orders. Perhaps it is because the school holidays are over, people are back in town, and there is a great deal of washing and cleaning. ’I his ac.tiv tv is reflected in the soap business to an extent which anyone outside the trade could scarcely credit.” PILLAGED CAP GOAY ELLINGTON . Jan. ”<i. Nine firemen from the Tairoa were charged to-day jointly with having received a bale of dress material and a box of snap, of a beta! value of £lO. knowing the goods to be di-dionostlv obtained. They pleaded guilty. A. charge of breaking and entering a shod and stealing goods valued at £127 was withdrawn. When the shed was opened, it was found that the goods were misting, and a search of the vessel’s forecastle revealed the goods nintioned in the charge.

It was explained that the- men eon stituted a complete watch on the vessel, and the master was concerned ns to the position if he. were deprived ol their services.

Remarking that the Act evidently contemplated some such positlm the Magistrate said iTiat, in the interests of the Dominion, it was not desit.ihle the men should remain imprisoned. He did not think it was, but be proposed formally to sentence the men to a men’s imprisonment, with hard labour, to Ik? placed on hoard the ship before she leaves Wellington. Ikthought that preferable to having the men landed bore.

The Tairoa goes to Napier, and then Home. TRAFFIC TX OPIUM. AUCKLAND, Jan. 20. For bringing opium into the i-oiintry iinlawlully, John Con-in, seaman on the Ulimnroa, was lined £SO Corrin tried to sell the opium to Chinese in an Auckland laundry. A NATIONAL GARDEN. WELLINGTON. Jail. 2(1. A national botanic garden for New Zealand was favoured b\ l)r A. W. Hill, Director of Kew Gardens, in n speech before the New Zealand Tnst.fitute to-day. The matter was raised by Dr .1. Thompson, who said that lie hoped that, the establishment of such a. garden would follow Dr Hill's visit to the Dominion.

The word “national” raised some of the difficulties and jealousies of the position (said Dr Hill). The position was indeed somewhat similar to what bad been established bv two cities, in South Africa, with rival gardens while a third place had a hotter herbarium than either. It had struck him that a southern garden might bo made in Dunedin, or a northern garden in Auckland; for in Dunedin, things could be grown which would ho impossible in Auckland, and vice versa. There might be a scientific head of the whole, and two first class curators—one ill each city. Whether these two gardens would meet the situation be did not know, for be bad not yet been in Christchurch, and did not know the position there, lmt ’Wellington was fortunate in the possession of Otari Reserve. The flora of the Dominion was remarkable and the country was fortunate in getting a, public which was becoming really interested in native plants. Already there was on foot an Auckland movement to establish a botanic garden, said Professor F. P. Worley, of Auckland. Ho did not- think that they aspired to having the finance provided .by the country, however.

DR HTLL TO VISIT WEST COAST. WELLINGTON. Jan. 20. Dr Hill. Director of Kew Gardens (London) left for Nelson and the West Coast to-night. At Nelson he will confer with the authorities of the Cawtlmm Institute, and then pay a visit to the Fra nr, Josef Glacier. He will return to Wellington before leaving finally for ilio North. FOUND- DEAD IN PADDOCK MARTON, .mo. 20. Alexander Ross, a prominent Bangitikei Scot, aged 03. was found dead in a paddock on a farm mat IlunterviUe last.- evening. Tie had gone out to attend to some animals, and tailed to return. A search was made, arid the body was found. Life was extinct. He bad not complained previously. In bis young or days lie was an athlete. He was a man of excellent build, and fornjerly was employed ns a. blacksmith. SUDDEN DEATH ON BEACH. GISBORNE. Jan. 20. The inquest on the death of James Old, 20. who died suddenly on Kaiti Bench. was adjourned, as the post mortem gave no indication of bow the baeniorrbages- which were the immediate cause ol death had occurred. The coroner desired a report of the Pathological Department on specimens of the organs. OBITUARY. DEAN REG .VAULT. WELLINGTON. Jan. 2d. The death occurred to-night at the age of 72 years, of Dean Peter Kegnault, Procurator of the Marist Order of Australasia. He was horn in Brittany and came, to New Zealand in 1886. For seven years ho was Provincial of that Order, and was one of the most eminent Boman Catholic churchmen in Australasia. He had lie on ailing for some months. Deceased was held in the highest esteem by members of all denominations.

lit 1 was responsible lor building many churches in New Zealand and did good work in connection with the lepers of Makogai Island.