PAPAKURA.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 48, 22 June 1915, Page 3

PAPAKURA.

A shilling lund, 'Collect-d locally by IVir 1. Luwe for "a memorial for "Fallen Heroes" baa already realised £3.

News has come to hand that

"Guss" Bond (Augustine), son of Mr J. i>. Bond, of Hamilton, is amongst the list of wounded at the Dardanelles. Mr Bond, junr., i? well k'-.own in the district, having served tor two years in the local branch of the Railway Department. Mr Jack Francis, of the local branch of the Railway Department, is spending his annual leave in the South Island, and Mr Hodo'inott. of the Relieving Staff, is actmg in his st;ad.

Mr <J. Waterman, li:er.see of the Pacakura Hotel, met with a painful accident last week. He was handling a battle wten it exploded, the broken glass making Ceep gashss in has hand, which necessitated the attention of Dr Brookfield. A meeting of the local branch of the National Reserve was held last week, 41 members parading. Messrs A. Richardson and P. Holt. were elected to the committee and Mr A. Willis was elected president with Mr E. D. McLelUn vicepresident. Mr S. Waterman kinldy offered to lend the drill hall free of charge I'or chilling purposes, and a similar cri'erha3 also been made in connection with the Orange Hall, Mr D. W. Jnnep, late lieutenant of the oIJ Auckland Mounted Rifle Volunteers, was elected lieutenant, and it wks decided to hold fuiure meetings on Thursday evening, between the hours of 7.30 and 8.30. It was arranged to order 50 National Reserve badges. Word had b:en received by tae relatives of Private F. Whittaker, who was wounded in acticn at the Dardan.lle?, that ha is seriously ill. Private Whittak=r, left as a Q.M.S. with th2 Main New Zealand Expeditionary Force, but on bis arrival in Egypt he joined another company, along with a cousin, as a private. Previous to bis depaiture he had been fanning in the district for two years.

MERCER.

A SEAMAN'S DEATH

BODY RECOVERED FROM KIVER

An inquest was held on Thursday evening last, in the Mercer Court house on the body of a seaman who:e name and identity are unknown. The deceased had recently been employed on the b.p. Freetrader, pljiugon the Waikato river, and he wai supposed to have fallen overboard off that boat on the 3rd intt, his body not being recovered until 'lhursday last. Mr H. S. Valentine, J.P., acted as coroner, and the jury consisted of Messrs P. N. King (Foreman), J. T Barron, S. Carter and R. Wright. Dr Charles Hcreward Wake, medical practitioner, of Pukekohe, stated in evidence that there were no signs to show that deceased had received injuries, nor was there a fracture of the skull. All the appearances went to show that deceased met tis death by drowning. Captain John Ragg, of the s.s. Freetrader, who employed deceased to work on the boat, deposed to having been in his cabin on the evening of June 3rd up till 8.15 p.m., and heard deceased come on board and walk into the enigneer's (Schultz's) cabin and when witness left the boat at 8.15 p.m. to meet carpenters who were arriving by the 8.20 p.m. train he could still bear the talking io the cabin. On his way back to the boat he met Schultz, who said: "I believe Joe has fallen overboard." They forthwith prosecuted a search amongst the piles of the wharf, but without avail. On the following day, June 4th, in company with Constable Bevan and others, dragged the river, but could iind no trace of deceased. Deceased told witness that he had twice tried to get away with the main body of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, but had been "turned down'' on account of his decayed teeth.

William Schultz, engineer on the g.9. Freetrader, deposed that deceased came into his deck cabin after lea on the evening of June 3rd. They conversed together unt ; l about 8.30 p.m., when deceased remarked that he was going to bed and left asking lor the loin of an overcoat which was in the ios'cle. From five to fifteen minutes afterwards deceased had left witness's cabin he heard someone call out "Bill, quick." Witness went out and asked: "Who is calling - .'" but revived no reply. He lit his hurricane lamp and went to deceased's quaiters but could not lind him, and making lurther search in the fos'cle found deceased's lamp unlit. He went up the township and found Captain Kagg and informed him that he believed that the deceased had fallen overboard. 'Jhey searched jr.der the wharf but cculd not find any trace of deceased. Constable Bevan stated that on June 4th he dragged the nver for decuased'B body in company with Constable Watson, of Pukekore, and others, but found no traces of it. Dragging operations proved difficult, two drags being lost. The river bed on the side of the river on which the Freetrader was moored on the night ot June 3rd was covered with snags. that (Thursday) morning a boy, C. LSilderbcck, onie to him and told bim that he had been on the river in a and noticed a corpse floating in the waPr. Witness went duwu the river in a launch and found the body floating 1.1 the river about 10'J yards on the Tuauau side of the ferry. Ths jury retired, and on returning stated that they had arrived at the following verdict. viz.. : "that deceased was drowned in the Waikato river on June 3rd, there tieing Ino evidence to show how he got ! into the river."

BOMBAY. UrJATH 01'' MKS WAL'tJH, SUNK. The sudden death of Mrs Waugh, senr., at the residence of her daughtur, Mrs (lardmcr, f'onsonby, a lew days ago, has robbed the district ol one of its respected early settlers, the deceased lady had been residing lately in the south and had arrived in Auckland a few hours by the express Irani when she expired, mute unexpectedly. Along with other old settlers of the district she was a member of that sturdy band of pioneers who arrived by the steamship Bombay hall a century ago.

Deceased's mortal remains were brought from Auckland, the interment taking place in the Bombay Anglican Cemetery. A large family of sons and daughters, including Thomas, Walter, Jack and George Waugb, and Mrs John Sturgeon, of Paparata, and Mrs Gardiner, of Auckland, are left to mourn their loss.

HOSPITAL SHIP FUND BALL.A BRILLIANT SUCCESS.

The aims of the Telegraph party residing in the Bombay district were fully acßieved on Friday night last, when one ot the most successful balls held in the local public hall passed off in a triumphant manner. The Hospital Ship, to assist which the dance was organised, will as a result be augmented bv a handsome sum. The organisirg committee consisted of Messrs L). MucKenzie and W. Kos3, joint Eecretaries, ard Mes.-rs T. Carrick, H. Nicholls, M. Canary, C. Haugbey, W. Dempsey, W. Hutchinsan, H. Brown, A. Frew, G. Pellett. A. Johnson and M. Drake. The majority of the sixty couples present were dressed in fancy attire, and the meoley of colours as the dancers glided over a perfect floor added a further brilliancy to the already magnificent effect that emanated from the flags, buntin« and evergreens which were lavishly mranged on the walls. Prizes were donated for the bsst fancy costames and a vote was taken to decide as to the winners. The result as announced from the stage was as follows: Best lady's fancy dress, Miss N. McCoweD, "Christmas Crackers"; btst comic dress, ladies, Mrs J. Evans, "Old MUher Hubbard'*; men's best co9tume, Mr S. Uilbeit, "Highlander"; and best comic costume, Mr George Robinson, "Frog". A pleasant interlude in the proceedings was the rendering of songs by Messrs Barker, Forbes and S. Talbot, wih Mis Talbot as accompanist. The danc*. music wa3 supplied by Messrs Barker ard Forbes, of Ararimu, and extras were played by Mis Talb'it. A dainty supper was handed round by members of the committee. M.ssrs D. McKerzie and D. K. Ross did duties as M.C.'s in a manner that left nothing to te desired.

Good results taava been achieved by the committee appointed to canvass the district, tor subscriptions towards the Hospital Ship Fund. The amount collected to date is £7O. A further committe has been appointed to go into the circumstances of the men who left the district acd are serving in the New Zealand forces operating at the Dardanelles, with a visw of assisting them, if necessary, on their arrival back in the district. Up to the present the quota of Bumbayites serving in the ranks at the Dardanelles is 30. We understand that a motor car is likely to compete for the passenger traffic service oetween Drury and Bombay and Fapakura and Bombay. Parents should do their utmost to assist Mr Corbett, the headmaster at the local school, to obtain the services of an additional assistant teener. If daily average attendance of 81 children for a period of twelve months was recorded, or an average of 84 for tine months, the school would be entitled to the extra teacher. Tbe present roll number is 89 and the attendance for the ]:a'A four months has averaged 81, eo that there Bhould be no difficulty in gaining cither one of the two averages.

The boy scholars at the Bombay school are devoting their spare time towards making a basket ball court for th 3 girls in the schoolgrounds. An excellent crop of long red mangels ready for pitting may he 3een from the roadside on the farm of Mr Kamsay.

Mr George L. KobiriEon, of Wellington, Taranaki and Auckland experience, has oprned a blacksmithing acd farrier's establishment in the large business premises opposite the local pnst office and intends carrying on the business of the late proprietor. Mr Robinson is a first-class blacksmith, his experience extending over a period of thirteen years.

PATUMAHOE. A smoke concert was held in the Hall on Saturday evening last to bid farewell to the following who have answered the call to join the colours for King and country and left last week en route for Trentham viz ~ Messrs B. McLariD, H. Learning, J. Nicholson, G. Little, U. Talker and C. Vidok. A very enjoyable evening was sDent. Mr VV. Finlay was elected to the chair. The toast of the King was pruposed by Mr W. Finlay; tbe "Army and Navy," was submitted bv Mr W. Howard and replied to by Mr C. Sheppard; the "Nurses and Bed Cross" was proposed by Mr F. Kavanagh Benr., and responded to by Mr James McFadden. Songs and recitations were rendered by Messrs L. Davis, b. McLarin, W. Cody. B. Sharp. B. White and C. Sheppard Messrs W. Howard and F. Kavanagh, senr., kept the fun going with their stump speeches etc. Amusement was well maintained until late in the evening when all joined in singing "Autd Lang byne," and God Save the King, the guests being wished Good Luck and God Speed. Mrs Runciman. of Mauku, who purchased a property in I'atumahoe recently, intenda with her family taking up her residence here shortly.