GENERAL NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 174, 22 January 1912, Page 3

GENERAL NEWS.

Fancy Hamlet passing Stratford—the town named after the birthplace of the immortal Bard of Avon! Here we have "Hamlet" street, "Portia" street, "Falstaff" street, and our whole nomenclature is Shakespearian, but "The world's greatest living Hamlet" passes us by. There are reasons, of course, but the pill is difficult to swallow, nevertheless. Herbert S. Priestley, undertaker, furnisher and cabinetmaker, who had been in business in Stratford for a number of years past, was found dead at his premises, Regan street, this morning. John Robert Haggie gave evidence at the enquest to-day that he called to see Priestley on Thursday twice, but there was no sign of him. On Thursday night he saw a light burning at his room at the back of the furniture shop. He again noticed the light next night. This morning he called again, with his son Willie, who suggested that they should try the back of the house. This they did. On opening the back door they found Priestly lying dead in an overturned chair. Deceased lived bv himself. Dr. Steven, who conducted the post mortem, gave evidence of the condition of the body, and said death was due to cerebral hemorrhage, and a verdict was returned in accordance with his testimony. Mr. John Leydon presided at the Coronial enquiry, and Sergeant McNeely conducted on behalf of the police. The Borough Council will hold a special meeting on Monday night to consider the purchase of a road roller. A representative of a firm has already been seen by the committee set up for the purpose. Several Stratford youths who went to Eltham when the Stratford Fire Brigade Company produced "A Dancing Tour of the World" there, seemingly got out of hand. In their own words they gave some of the performers "the time of their lives." Their names were taken by the police, and prosecutions will follow. Two ladies returning to their homes on Friday night ran into a bovine creature in Regan street, and declare it seemed inclined to molest them. Of course in the darkness, confusion and fright, it was impossible to identify the beast, which eluded our borough inspector's vigilance. Heavy showers to-day caused farmers to use language which I am afraid would hold up the linotypes.