PROVINCIAL NEWS

Kumara Times, Issue 2896, 16 January 1886, Page 2

PROVINCIAL NEWS

[united PRESS ASSOCIATION.! Auckland, January 13. The Grand Lodge of the New Zealand Independent Order of Good Templars opened their twelfth annual session at the Temperance Hall to-day Wellington, January 14. At the R.M. Court this morning Frank M'Dowell, charged with converting certain goods, the property of Janies M’Dowell, to his own use, was discharged. Subsequently he was anested on a chaige of having embezzled two cheques, valued at £34 and £39 respectively, which is it alleged had been paid to him by F. H. Wood of Grey town, on behalf of James M'Dowell. The case was adjourned until the 25th inst.; bail was allowed, which accused obtained.

Christchurch, January 14. Among the passengers by the Rotomahana for the north to-day were a dozen members of the Ballarat and Ballarat City Fire Brigades on their way to take part in the forthcoming fire brigade competition at Napier.

THE SEVERED HAND MYSTERY. Ellington, January 14. The police here have a suspicion that

the severed hiind was obtained from the body of a man bnried in Wellington cemetery about December 13th, and they have applied for a warrant authorising the exhumation of the body. Christchurch, January 14. It has transpired that the body of a female lunatic, Mrs Waddle, who died in Sunnyside Asylum early in October, and was buried in Addington Cemetery, was exhumed before daybreak on Monday last to ascertain whether the severed hand had been obtained from it. The corpse, however, was not mutilated.

Masterton, January 15 The body of Mrs Rayncr' was exhumed under the supervision of Sergeant Price last night, when it was found that the body was intact. It is now thought that the hand might be that of Israel Bassendale, who was drowned in the Rnanahanga, and buried in Masterton on 14th December last, that being the day on which Howard is said to have left Masterton. It is understood that authority to exhume the body has been applied for.