IN THE DOMINION.

Waipukurau Press, Issue 301, 29 August 1908, Page 5

IN THE DOMINION.

The railway station at Mount Albert, Auckland, was totally destroyed by fire on Thursday night. The loss is estimated at £2OO.

James McLean, a railway guard attempted suicide at Dunedin by swallowing two doses of match heads. He is now making good recovery.

At the Wairoa Magistrate’s Court, W. J. Vickers, charged with failing to account for £46 10s, the property of Jessie Jefferson, at Nuhaka, was committed for trial at Napier.

At the Auckland Supreme Court Thomas Fitzgerald, charged with arson at New-market, was found guilty. Mr Justice Edwards said he must sentence the prisoner as a sane person convicted of a serious crime. If he were not really sane he would not be kept in prison, but would be sent to a place where insane people were kept. A sentence of five years’ imprisonment was imposed.

At the Christchurch Magistrate’s Court Mrs Amy Winny, an old lady of 81, was awarded £6O damages against the Christchurch Tramway Board for injuries suffered by reason of a conductor starting a car before the plaintiff was properly on board. The plaintiff fell and broke one of her legs.

At the Wmganui Police Court Letitia Broad was charged with having abandoned an infant under the age of two years. The evidence showed that a young woman gave birth to an illegitimate child in Dunedin. In response to an advertisement asking for some person to adopt the infaiit, Mrs Broad offered to take it for £4O. That sum was eventually paid, together with £lO for legal expenses. Mrs Broad took the child to Wanganui, and deposited it in a coal-box. The accused was committed for trial, on bail.

A disastrous fire occurred at Ashburton on Thursday night, and besides destroying the main poitionjof one of the principal brick business blocks, was responsible for the loss of two lives. The fire broke out in two-storey premises occupied by A. L. Zouch, and, after utterly destroying it, spread to the adjoining shops on either side, some of which were gutted. Zouch, tw’o assistants and a servant girl escaped safely, but Mrs Zouch, mother of the occupier of the shop, who was bathing at the time, evidently jumped from an upstairs window at the back, after being fearfully burned. She was taken to the Hospital but expired later. A boy three years old, son of Zouch, was asleep upstairs, and was burned to death, his charred remains being discovered after thefire was subdued. G. Heffordand Co.’s drapery establishment was completely demolished, nothing being saved. Jas. Mellor’s boot shop on the other side of Zouch’s and the adjoining painters’ shop of A. and R. Terris were both badly damaged, the stock being destroyed as much by water as by fire.