A STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 179, 20 November 1886, Page 3

A STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE.

Wellington* Nov. 18. The " Post" last night cays : Another ca*e of mysterious disappearance of an insured person somewhat similar to the * Severed Hand' case has recently become known to us. Fortunately, no violation of the giave lias occurred in this instance. The facts are these, however : A young man named Henry Batty, eon of a respectable farmer at Coal Creek, near Greymouth, had his life insured in the Government Office for £400. He was 23 years of agre, and engaged to be married on the 23 id January last. He had a tumour from the eye, and about 10 that night he called at a grocer's and purchased a package of rice, paying it was for his mother. He left in he direction of Greymouth. He had to cross Cobden Bridge, which was then in course of construction — the flooring,however, not being laid, and only a footway being left by an 8-inch plank to reach the house. He never did reach home, but next morning some rice was found on the bridge, and his hat picked up in the river. jGvery search wad made for him, alive or dead, and advertisements were inserted in the papers, but no further trace could be found of him. An unsigned will was found, and his father as heir-at law applied for letters of administration and payment of the insurance money. The Department did not consider the proof of death sufficient ; but after some difficul j the father obtained letters of administration from the Court, and a substantial bond being given as security the Insurance Department ultimately consented to 1-ay and sent a cheque to their Greyinoutb agent to hand over to Mr Batty. For some reason or other Mr Batty did not get the choque for some time, and when on the eve of applying for it he received a letter from a friend in Melbourne informing him that his son Henry was alive, and in that city. He at once made the fact known, and he has since received a letter from his son, but so far as we can ascertain, no explanation is offered of the mysterious departure of the writer. Tbis, however, is now generally attributed to certain circumstances which rendered young Batty ■anxious to avoid fulfilling his marriage -engagement."