N.Z. TELEGRAMS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9101, 29 May 1908, Page 5

N.Z. TELEGRAMS.

| BV TBIjEOKAPIJ—FItKm ASSOCIATION.

ALLEGED MtfßDfiß.

WESfPORT,. May 28v One of the witnesses fo.tr the defence i» tite trial l of Olaf Halimen and Andamny on a' charge of murdering Erneafc John Bourke, on May Bth, accounted for accused at a Hah shop, and later at the theatre, cover* ' ing the time the murder was supposed to have been committed. Another witness described the knife and pipe found on Connolly . (chief witness for the prosecution) |as similar to those lie saw Bourke with when- the latter was in the hospital.

A SAFE BLOWN OPEN,

HOKITIKA, May 28. The local: police have been advised that the Otira railway station safe was blown open last night and over £IOO stolen. Detatils of the robbery show that ths stationmasler left the station at 11 o'clock last night, and returned at 8 to-day,, so that the robbery took place between, those hours. Entrance was effected by a. window, while mail bags and moss- were used to deaden the sound of the explosion. The amount missing is £lOl. There is no clue to the identity of the perpetrators. The thieves had evidently well planned the affair, and it is surmsed that the keyhole of the safe, which is a "Milner," was plugged up with gelignite and a detonator with a fuse attached thereto. Tfie keyhole was then covered with moss, and the whole smothered damp clay, and then mail bags, which were lying in the office, were piled in front of the door, and fastened down in a fashion with an iron bar or brake handle. The fuse was evidently then lit, with the result that the safe was very little damaged with the exception of the lock, which was smashed to atoms,, and the front cap blown off. This acomplished, the burglar had only to turn the handle, and the epoil, was his. As soon as the news was received in Grey mouth a special train was at once despatched conveying Detective Campbell, a constable and Mr Ashley, traffic manager. On the way up several swaggers were met with, being mostly Australians. The train was slopped on each occasion but in every case a satisfactory explanation was given, and tte men allowed to proceed. On arrival at Otira the police took every precaution to secure all ava'lable evidence. On one pane of glass finger prints were discovered, which may materially rssist in bringing the culprit to justice. GRASS SEED IN HAWKE'S BAY.

NAPIER, May 28. In consequence of bush fires during the summer, grass seed to the value of about £I,OOO has been supplied on promissory notes to Crown tenants in the Hawke's Bay land district —practically all in the Waipawa county, where, in addition, about £3,000 worth of grass seed has been sown on unoccupied Crown lands.

A FISHERMAN DROWNED.

INVERCARGILL, May 28. A man named John Cotter, fisherman, was drowned at Ruapuke Island on Tuesday, and the body was brought over to the Bluff to-night. No details are available. GiSBORNE RAILWAY. A REQUEST AND A REPLY. GISBORNE, May 28. An enthusiastic public meeting was held here last night, when resolutions were passed congratulating Ministers on the completion and ing of the extension of the railway to Waikohu, 234 miles from Gisborne, and urging the more rapid construction of the line to enable it to tap the timber forests at Motu. Th 3 Hon. J. M'Gowan attended the meeting, the Hdji. J. Carroll being absent owing to indisposition. Replying, the Minister stated that seventeen railways were in course of construction, and these could not be carried ort without money. He, however, would be prepared to fight for a fair share for the Gisborne railway. He defended.the Government's prudence in adopting a moderate borrowing policy, and rnent oned the fact with pride that for the present railway constructions the Government did not need to go to the Old Countvr for a single shilling. He recognised the need for more adequate rolling stock, and would make representations in favour of the line being supplied with a more powerful engine than the one which failed to pull the train up the slight incline that day till the people had got off to relieve the load.

CARGO HANDLED AT WELLINGTON. WELLINGTON, May 28. The tonnage of the cargo handled at the port of . Wellington during the year ended March 31st reached a total of 2.745,87. r > tons—an increase of 86,5r'8, over the total for the previous year.

STATE FIRE OFFICE. MR J. H. RICHARDSON TAKES OVER MANAGEMENT. WELLINGTON, May 28. Mr J. 11. Richardson, Commissioner of the Government Life Insurance Department, will also take over the management of the State Fire Oflice a position which Mr Brindioy has resigned.