THE LOST MR. DOBSON.

West Coast Times, Issue 233, 18 June 1866, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE LOST MR. DOBSON.

Yesterday afternoon, Mr Eoohfort, tho engiueor of works, returned to town from Groymouth, whoro, during tho past weok, ho hns boon engaged in making onquirios and instituting a diligent search for Iho lost Mr Dobson. Vory regretfully do we announce lo tho publio that, so far, tho search lias provod ontirely unsuccessful, for not only is tho body of tho lamontcd gontlcmau yet hidden, but no traces of it can bo discovered. Much as wo desired lo hopefully account for his sudden disappoavanco, wo aro afc lasfc covnpcllod to admit'that vory littfo hopo remains of finding him alivo, for ovon had ho lost his way in tho bush (which is moro Ihan improbablo, tho soa boaoh boing so close to the ranges,) ho must havo reached in hi 9 wanderings soiuo ono of tho many Binall mining onoampraonts which stud tho coa3t from tho Groy to Bruce Bay. Mr Dobson, howovor, was not a man. who could easily mistako his position in tho bush, as from his boyhood upwards ho has been occustomod to tho intricacios of a Now Zealand forost, and had oarnod, and dosorvedly too, tho reputation of a ilrst-rato buslunan. Wo are, thoroforo, at last compollod to seriously ontortain the idea that ho has boon brutally murdered, and his body buried. All tho oiroumstances atlondant upon his disappearance pojnfc to this conclusion. Wo havo beon somowhat misinformed of tho movoments of Mr Dobson provious to that ovonfc, for according to Mr Rochforfc's statanient ho was en route for Groymoufch, via Arnold's Town, instoad of having, as wo erroneously supposod, orossed from tho Tcromakau to tho latter placo. On tho 28th of May, ho loft Maori Gully, and arrivod at tho Arnold, leaving that township Iho samo day for Groymouth, nnd at a point only one milo and a half distant from tho point of his lasfc departure was last seen, but boyond that not a 4race of him can bo discovored. As wo havo boforo Btated, Mr Dob. son was making for Groymouth, and as tliero nro only ono or two stores, or rather shantios, iv tlio lino of route, ho was almost suro to ha-vo callod in us ho pnssod thorn for " tv light of tho pipe," or povftdvontuvo a nobblor and ft f<w minute* oiiit chat to bmk Ww monotony

of so desolato a journoy. Tho first store is situated about six miles from Arnold's Town whoro tho track branohos into two, ono of thoni loading to tho junotion of tho Arnold and Groy Rivers. A inarriod couple named Mitoholl occupy this storo, and thoy state that Mr Dobson nover called in or oven passed it during tho hours of daylight. Our " special roporter" romojtnbors this couplo when their storo was situated 'on tho Still* water Oreok, "on tho samo lino of route, and " so brisk and spry a little body " n3 ho doscribes this woman to bo would hardly allow a pedestrian of Mr Dobson's appcaranco to pass without noticing him. But tho darkest part of this melancholy talo yot romains untold, and induces the belief that foul play has boon used. It had becomo bruited abroad that Mr B. B. Fox, a woll known gbld-buyor, would puss down tho track that day, and, hoping, it is supposed, to possoss themselves of tho treasure ho was oxpeotod to carry, two scoundrels, well known to tho polico, woro known lo liavo loft Arnold town that day with the inintontion of waylayinghim j and acting on tho old adage that dead mon tell no talos, thoy are bolioved lo hayo 1 carried a shovel wherewith to bury his body. Fox, howovor, gavo thorn tho doublo by proceeding down tho rivor in a boat, and as this hnpponod on tho day in question poor Mr Dobson with his suspicious looking knapsack, must havo boon mistaken for him, and victimised in his stead. Who tho two mon were is a comploto mystory j but it is bolievpd that thoy onco forniod part 6f Hiill and Gilbert's gang, which committed such depredations in Now South Wales. Messrs Ilavrann and Bond, aided by a party of nativo trackers and polico, aro still searching for tho body, aided by sovornl oxcollon dogs. Wo trust that ' success will attond (hem, for it would •bo at lonsfc satisfactory to givo tho lamented gontloman Christain burial, as well as to arrivo at a solution of this, ab prcsont, unponotrablo mystery. Tho father of Mr Dobson returned to town with M!r Rochfort, but his brother-in-law Mr Todd Iluutor yot remains at tho Grey.