FOUL PLAY FEARED

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 2258, 2 April 1921, Page 3

FOUL PLAY FEARED

MAN DISAPPEARS. SEARCH FOR HIM PROVES ABORTIVE. Auckland, April 1. The mysterious disappearance of Patrick Richard Elliott, about 35 years of age, a platelayer, employed on the Taupo Totara Timber Company’s railway, from Ongaroto last Sunday, is being investigated by the police. Foul play is feared. Ongaroto is a small milling township about seven miles from Atiamuri. Elliott lived in a wliarc near Ihe station. A young Maori, Hakaraia Te Kahn, a returned soldier and platelayer employed by the same company, occupied an adjoining whare. On Sunday both men went shooting along the hanks of the Waikato River. They called at a farm and borrowed a sporting dog, Elliot!, it is stated, promising to return for tea. During the afternoon several shots were heard in I lie vicinity of the river. Elliott did not call in for lea as promised, and as lie was not seen hv Tuesday morning the neighbours became anxious, and a search was instituted. The country is wild, rugged, and difficult to search. No truce of the missing man was found until a dog with one of the party discovered a dead wild duck on the hank of the river a short distance above some rapids, Closer investigation revealed bloodstains on stones near the water, also on teatree for over twenty yards hack from the river.

Dragging operations have been in progress, but without success. They will he resumed to-day with appliances suited to the deep water. The Maori stated to the police that he and Elliott returned home after being out shooting. Next morning he saw Elliott in Elliott's whare. The Maori then went to Mokai and returned to Ongarilo on Tuesday morning. He was asked where Elliott was, and stated Ihat he saw him last in the whare before leaving for Mokai I lie previous day. Elliott is reported to have had a large sum of money in his possession. He suffered from neuritis, and there is a possibility of his having committed suicide or of having accidentally shot himself, or fallen, into the river, but the police view is that there has been foul play. Some of the tea tree is being examined by experts to ascertain whether the blood is human or animal.