DOMINION NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 September 1928, Page 4

DOMINION NEWS.

(By Telegraph—Per Press Association. FIVE HOUSES BURNT. WELLINGTON, Sept. 11. Fivo houses valued at well over £6OOO were totally destroyed by a fire which .ynged in Orouu street, Muritai, between 4.30 and G. 30 this morning. A small cottage occupying only half of the section it stands upon prevented the destruction of nine other houses' close together in the same street.

WHOLESALE TIfEJiTS. NEW PLYMOUTH, Sept. 12. Pleading guilty to forty-four charges of theft of about £ISOO from Newton King, Ltd., and also to charges of milking false entries or, of concurring in false entries, Harley Hector Henderson, formerly the manager of the firm’s Kaponga. branch, was remanded to the Supremo, Court for scntcnco on Saturday. James Harold Adam, late accountant at the branch, admitted eighteen similar charges, involving a sum of £O6O. He also was remanded for sentence. Thirteen charges, involving £9B 14s, were laid against Morgan Whitaker Priest, formerly the firm’s stock agent, who denied liis guilt. The jury found him guilty on two charges of theft ol £4O and £2O. Ho was remanded for sentence. Charges of conspiracy amongst the three men will lie called to-morrow.

FARMERS’ UNION LEADER. STRATFORD, September 12. Mr W. J. Poison, the President of tlie New Zealand Farmers’ Union, opened his campaign for the Stratford seat at Toko last night. Mr Poison criticised tho Government’s' finance, land settlement, and taxation policy. He also traversed the events leading to tho rural credit legislation.

Mr Poison said that'borrowed money was being now used to keep up an appearance of prosperity.

MOTOR CYCLIST KILLED. CHRISTCHURCH, September 12. John 'William McKay, aged 35, married, residing in Beresford Street, New Brighton, when motor cycling from tho city to New Brighton, at 6.40 p.m. today collided with a trnmear. His head was badly smashed, and also both his legs. He died almost immediately.

MAN SUSSING. AUCKLAND, September 12. Fears are entertained for tho safe!' of Arthur James Stonhold, aged 69, single, who has been missing from a hoarding-house at Knrcknre since Sun day morning. Ho left before noon, stating his intention of walking alon; the beach. Tracks in the sand incate he carried out his intention, bu! neither tiie police nor search parties have found any further trace of him It is supposed Stonhold has been drowned.

MAN ASPHYXIATED. AUCKLAND, September 12. Tho circumstances; of the deatli o l’creival Hunt, aged 42, a widower, who was found dead alongside a gas heater at .liis residence in Park Ron' on Tuesday, wore investigated at the inquest to-day. Mrs Laura Florence Brooks, sister off deceased, said sir last saw him alive when she went to work on Tuesday morning. On returning in the evening she found her brother dead alongside the gas heater, it appeared perfectly clear he luu dozed off in the chair by the heater and that the flame hadm.boen extin guished by a breezo blowing through the winodw. The . inquest was nd joitrned.

GAMING HOUSE FINE. HASTINGS, September 12. Francis William Fitzpatrick was convicted and fined £IOO for keeping a billiard saloon in Hastings as a common gaming house. The evidence was based on a raid made on July 14th.

THEFT C^SES. WELLINGTON, September 12. William Joseph Forsyth, Ernest Basil Oxenliani, and Ronald J. F. Petersen came before Mr Salmon, SAL, to-day in connection with the thefts of goods from Derbyshire, Ltd., value £59 5s 7d. Two other charges of having received stolen goods valued at £lO os were made against Peterson. All pleaded guilty. It was stated that several months ago an employee of Derbyshire’s had been sentenced to imprisonment for theft of £SO worth of goods and another man given probation tfor thieving. Thefts from the firm had extended over a long period, and the loss suffered ran into fairly large figures.

In view of the ages of the accused and the fact that they were apparently led hy older men into lapses, the Magistrate thought he might be justified in extending probation. Tlie period was fixed at two years. Restitution in connection with Hie goods not accounted for already, is required.