TELEGRAPHIC.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 2177, 22 December 1885, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC.

United Press Association.

Christohurch, this day, Tho mystery attaching to the dead hand upon which was a ring identified as Howard's, is becoming more complex, As formerly stated, the hand was found by Elisha Godfrey. This man, who is a storekeeper, was, together with his brother Frederick Godfrey, a cook'employed at Sunnysido Lunatic Asylum, arrested late yesterday afternqpp under» charge of conspiring to defraud the Government Insurance Department of £IOOO, flip Mutual Ljfo Association of Australia of £IOOO, a,nd the Agqitjqnfc Insurance Co, of £4OO, these sums representing amounts for which Howard had been insured in the respective companies, The police are reticent as to the particulars which have induced them to tako this action, but the natural inference as to the theory of the police is that the hand which Elisha Godfrey picked up at Taylor's Mistake, near Sumner, when in his brother's company last Wednesday, is not Howard's hand at all, but that of some other dead, person, and that it was " planted," with th,e knowledge of the two Godfreys. ' ' "" " : News has just been received of a fo!mendoua buaii fire 'raging at'Takapau, Drawer's mill and all the' workmen's jiouses have been destroyed. The insurances are nut'knbwn here.' Latest news sayg tljat the township is in great danger. ' % serious accident'to the faupo coach occurred yejaterday afternopn. While going down a steep cutting to tlje Moliaka river the coach No farther particulars are to hand, except that tho driver, Qrjfljtl)s, js peppi'M to be nearly dead, and several passengers serjonsly injured. Medici}! assistance has been sent up, PiwEDftt, this day.

A young man named William Carter, brother of a drapery firm in Dunotltn, was drowned near Lawrence yesterday, while bathing, The Premier has agreed that the request of members of Charitable Boards for free passes on railways was reasonable, and has wired recommending that they .be 'graiw, '.' !' ' Auckland, this day, HrMaguire, contractor of th'e Viptpjiian Arcade, having reduced carpeiltors 1 wages from 10a t'o'9s per day, 45 employed there pnt on strike yesterday morning, Carpenters on the Free Library and other works, whose wages have beep 9b and under forsome time past, have also struck, 100 are now on strike, Auckland, this day. A prospecting party is about to start for the' King Country, backed up by Auckland speculators. ~A free jight occured at the Otahuhu race meeting p.vor ihe running (jf jijnalte in the Railway Plate, Die rider, (jeopge Lang, was struck and Le Sueur, bookmaker, and Dan O'Brien, horse,owner, who were in til® scuffle, got roughly .handled,