DOMINION NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 6 September 1928, Page 1

DOMINION NEWS.

(By Telegraph—Per Prese Association. KY Ell URN MURDER. NASEIIY, September 5. The preliminary hearing of the charge against William John Hnrdio, n young man of 23 years, of murdering Joo Leung Shum, at the Kyebiiin Diggings, on July 17, was begun before Mr 11. J. Dixon, S.M., here to-duy. Mr F. B. Adams appeared for tho Crown, and Mr A. C. Hanlon for tho defence.

The local interest was intense, Hnrdio paid the full price of notriety, being the cynosure of curious crewds at the railway and the Courthouse.

The two principal witnesses, Dr W. S. Endoy, and Sue Poe, the Chinese employee of Shum, wore heard this afternoon.

Sue Pee was in the box for E-J heirs, and an interpreter was necessary, The doctor gave evidence that five bullet wounds were suffered by Shum, and Sue deposed to having seen tho accused on the claim on the day of the murder, and also that Shum told him who had killed him. The case is proceeding.

A LARGE HOSTEL. FOR TONGARiIItO NATIONAL PARK, WELLINGTON, Sept. 4. A special meeting of the Tongariro National Park Board to-day completed arrangements by which a- syndicate will have a lease of certain areas of Tcngariro Park, and in return will erect a hostel to cost, with furnishings, approximately £05,000. The Government has approved of the general policy; tho Prime Minister expressing himself entirely in favour of private enterprise being given nn opportunity of establishing and conducting hostels in our national parks, as in Canada and the United States. Tho syndicate would have experience behind it, the managing director of the Mount Cook Motor Company (Mr It, L. Wigley) being one of the syndicate.

The syndicate contracts to erect a building costing, exclusive of furniture £40,000 minimum, with an obligation to go to £OO,OOO. A start will he made about December, and it is hoped to open the building about December, 1929. The building will be two or three storeys high, of concrete blocks reinforced with steel and the basement under tho building. The accommodation will include a large lounge GOft. l>y 40ft. and dining room 40ft hv 50ft. Hot and cold water will he laid on to each bedroom. The number of bedrooms will he between 75 and 100. The building will he fitted with steam and electric cooking plant, a hot water service, central heating, electric lighting, etc. The basement will contain a billiard room, a cinema, a playroom for children, a bakehouse, a pubfin store and an extensive drying room.

The site selected for the erection is Whakapapa.

MISSING CHILD. SKELETON FOUND. CHRISTCHURCH. Sept. 5 On January '22nd. 1927, Irma Lorraine Timms, aged 8} years, disappeared from her parents’ home at New Brighton, and. although a diligent search was made, the missing child was never seen again. On July 31st. 1928, a party of boys found the skeleton of a child partly covered by drifting sand at an Isolated spot about a mile and a half from tbe beach. At the inquest the evidence tendered satisfied the Coroner that the remains were those of the missing child, Irma Timms, a.nd be gave a verdict, accordingly, adding that there was no evidence as to the cause of death. Identification was proved by a lock of hair and by a malformation of the teeth. The child bad been delicate and subject to fits, and it was not unusual for her to stray from home, returning later. This day she did not return. No clothes wore found on the skeleton, but it was suggested by the Coroner that this sub-normal child might have tqken off her clothes at night The medical evidence was that there were no injuries apparent to show the cause of death.

TNTOX rCATFD MOTORIST. AUCKLAND, Sept. .5

A Roman Catholic Priest. Father Joseph Huffy, aged 41, of Papakura, was fined £5 by the Magistrate Hunt at the Police Court to-day for being intoxicated while in charge of a motor-car in tho City on Tuesday afternoon.

Sub-Inspector P. J. McCarthy said the City Council Traffic Inspector was sitting ill his office in the Town Hall, and when looking through a window lie saw a motor-car travelling down Grey’s Avenue in a zig zag course Tile driver apparently, intended to turn round when lie reached the foot of tbe Avenue, ’but lie ran the ear on tlic footpath and crashed into a tree. An endeavour was then made to hack the car on to the road. An accident ’with, a passing vehicle was narrowly averted. The Traffic Inspector found tho accused, who was driver, was not in a proper state to ho in charge of a car. With the assistance of another man from the Traffic. Office the Inspector took accused to the Police Station, where he was examined by a doctor. In the opinion of the doctor, accused had lmd too much to drink. Tficre was no serious features about the case. It appeared as though tbe accused had some trouble with his gears in trying to turn the car. Counsel for the accused, who pleaded guilty, referred to tho difficulty of changing the gears of accused’s car. Accused had lunched in town, and as he was suffering from influenza, ho had one drink after lunch No doubt in bis weak state it affected him.

The Magistrate said that nobody who was going to drive a car should have any liquor at nil. There was always a danger. In imposing the fine the Magistrate added that the case was the least serious of the kind which he lmd been called upon to deal with, and therefore he was imposing the lightest fine that had boon inflicted by him for such an offence. Suppression of the name was refused, tho Magistrate saving that lie was not going to make any class distinct ion.

CHILD INJURED. CHRISTCHURCH. 'Sept. 6. As a result of being run over by a motor car in Colombo St., Sydonliam, yesterday, Eric Jones, aged ]1 years, of Dunn St. Spre.vdon, received injuries to bis head and leg, and suffered internal injury. He is in the hospital in a, serious condition.