NEW ZEALAND- NEWS ITEMS

Otago Witness, Issue 2813, 12 February 1908, Page 28

NEW ZEALAND- NEWS ITEMS

AUCKLAND. Mr Fred. T. Bruce wae waylaid by tvo men with revolvers on the Mauna road, Whangarei, when proceeding home. One muzzle was pressed against his face and the other against his neck. His money or his life was demanded. Bruce handed out all he possessed, and was then allowed to depart. From information received, the police set out by motor car on the 4th, and 1 overtook the men at the store at Otaika. Both were searched, and found to have revolvers, ammunition, and sheath knives. They admitted the offence, and also admitted breaking into and robbing a store, at Waiapu a week ago. Evidence of the rapid increase in the value of property in the environs of Auckland may be gained from the fact that a property of 388 acres, part of the One-tree Hill Estate, has been sola for £78,000 by Sir John Campbell to a Wellington syndicate, who intend to subdivide it for building purposes. Two young men, Daniel Dempsey and Richard" Fisher, had an exciting experience and miraculous escape from death at the Tauno Totara Timber Company's mill, Onehunga, on the 4th. It appears that \a large stack of timber standing at the Lower Albert street approach to the mill required propping up, and the pair were told off to attend to it. Fisher decided to test the stability of the stack, when suddenly with a loud crash it toppled over. One piece of timber caught him, and, acting as a catapult, threw him yards away into a swamp. Assistance was quickly forthcoming, fend he was pulled out. Then a search was made for Dempsey, who was calling out from beneath 10,000 ft of 6 by 1 matai boards, aggregating in weight some 25 tons. Willing hands lifted away the timber, and released the victim, Dr H. Tresidder being called in the meantime. Dempsey was found to have been badly bruised and crushed, especially in the region of the hips, but no bones were broken, although he was suffering acutely. He was removed on the Aehford litter to his home. Considering the quantity of timber and the weight of the stack Dempsey had a wonderful escape, and it was owing solely to the manner in which the timber crossed and rested in falling that he was not crushed to death. Delegates from the Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin Branches of the Seamen 6 Union meet in conference representatives of the New Zealand shipowners at Wellington at the end of this month, to endeavour to arrange a working basis to follow on the present arbitration award, which expires on April 30. The Hon. J. A. Millar will probably be present. The French warship Cainat arrived at Auckland from Tahiti on the 10th, and on entering the heads fired the customary salute, winch was returned by the garrison at Fort Cautley. The visit to Auckland will extend over 12 days, after which the vessel leaves for Hobart, Sydney, and Melbourne. Among the applicants for old-age pensions at Waiuku was a Native named Eparaima Rairari, aged 104 years. The old man was one of Dr Mauneell's missionaries.

TARANAKI. | The grisoner Joseph Thompson, j»h<}

escaped from New Plymouth Gaol on th 3 4th was captured on the 6th inst. by Constable Hickman and "Warder Dowries near Mania, having traveller over 60 miles o£ rough country, principally at night. On the occasion of his previous escape fro a Waiotapu prison camp he got away a distance of 70 miles in two days and one night Thompson Jras serving a sentence of three years for breaking and entering at Feilding and one of nine months for escaping from the prison gang at Waiotapu. Although there have been only two slight falls of rain since the last day of last year Taranaki is still green, and prospects of fair winter feed are by no means gone. Milk returns are, however, falling off very quickly, with consequent decreases in the output of butter and cheese. A fact which has been much remarked upon at present is the presence of southern land-buyers in the province.