DOMINION NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 12 September 1928, Page 1

DOMINION NEWS.

(By Telegraph—Per Press Association. INTOXICATED DRIVER, ASHBURTON, September 11. ! Before Justices William Wilson, a middle-aged man of Ashburton, was charged with having been in charge of a motor car while under the influence of liquor. Defendant pleaded guilty, and said he' Was prepared to take out a prohibition order.

He was fined £lO in default 14 days and his liconso suspended for tlq-ee months.

SUPREME COURT. NEW PLYMOUTH, Sept. 11. , Noel. Mark Fowler, an accountant, was sentenced to two years reformative detention for theft of - £27 and falsifying accounts. ! Herbert Thomas Seamark, aged 17, was admitted to two years probation J'or an indecent assault on two young girls.

: The Grand Jury returned no bill in the case of a. charge of negligence causing death arising from a service car accident in which John Lord, of Christchurch, broke his back and died. Arapera Kaiora Hndfiekl, wife of Rev. lvnlii Hadfield, of Waitara, was found guilty of. manslaughter in the Supreme Court to-day. She boat her foster child, a little girl, with, a broken tennis racquet, until, according to the medical evidence, the child’s body and limbs wore a mass of bruises. Sbe then put the child to bed, but it died shortly afterwards.

, Accused, said that the child had sworn obscenely at her, and she then stripped her clothes off. The naked body was beaten.

The application of the defence for a Maori jury was granted, and they found, their countrywoman guilty after two hours’ deliberation. Sentence was deferred till Saturday.

GAOLED, WITHOUT TRIAL. FOIt CROSSING MEXICAN BORDER AUCKLAND, .September 11. When Otto Schnell, described as a seaman, was brought before the police Court to-day, charged with deserting from the steamer-Kcrston Miles, Chief Detective Hammond said lie bad no evidence to offer. The warrant bad been issued in January last. Counsel said that in fairness lit thought the position sliouid.be made clear. Schnell bad resided in Mexico just across the border and was employed on a Mexican farm. Ho had , gone across the border to make a few purchases in the United States, and 'had been arrested, and without being brought before the court, lie bad been placed in gaol, and remained their,for throe weeks. Then the ship Kersten : Miles arrived and without any beg pardons or explanations Schnell was clapped on board the ship. He was never li member of the crow, and when the ship reached Now Zealand lie walked ashore. The captain had afterwards taken out a warrant for his arrest, but Schnell was never one of the crow, 'ibe Jewish Social Society had interested itself in the case and had placed the position before the Government; and a permit of permanency to reside in the Dominion had been granted. Tlie case'was dismissed.

ACCIDENTS. WELLINGTON, Sept. 11. James Cowie, a watersider,’ and a widower, who resided in St.' Mary’s Street, aged 63, was run over by a taxi cab ill Courtenay Place to-night, and died in the hospital'from internal injuries.

Two motor lorries collided in Petone and Cyril Eyles, of Ho. 22, Calmhurn Street, had his shoulder dislocated and injuries to the groin, and Robert Johnstone, of 2, Ventor Street, received a punctured wound oil the forehead, concussion and shock. Roth were taken to tlie hospital. Malcolm' Pcarse, a school hoy, of Lower Hutt, fractured bis left thigh whilst playing football this afternoon. R. H. Flood, a painter, sustained a compound fracture of the right leg through falling down a drain at Melling’s, Lower Hutt. He was hospitalled.

CREW OF PORT NAPIER, HOLD LIKE AH INFERNO. AUCKLAND, September 11. “Lucky to be alive” was tbe opinion of those on board the steamer Port Hapier, on arrival at Auckland this morning.

On August 24, the vessel arrived at’ Pago Pago in a desperate plight. For over twelve hours the ship’s company bail been engaged in a losing fight against a fire that bail broken out in No, 4 hold.

Buckled deck plates, blistered paint, charred hatches and a general scene between decks, gave an impression of an infer no.

Four thousand tons of water had been poured into the hold in tlie course of 24 hours before it was announced at 11 a.m. on the 2dth., to the great relief of all, that the fire had been extinguished.

It was impossible to-day to ascertain the full extent of the loss, but tlie opinion was expressed that this was not as serious as at first supposed. It was thought that the damage from water, anti to a lessor extent irom smoke, would ho considerable. All cargo in a condition to be re-shipped was placed aboard the Port Napier before sbe left Pago Pago, for Suva, a portion of it being carried on the deck as a precaution against further trouble.