MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 161, 10 July 1922, Page 7

MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE.

i SUPPOSED DROWNING At WAIMARIE. (From Our Own Correspondent.) RIVERHEAD, Saturday. On Friday evening last, June 30th, Alexander Maitland, a labourer, of Waimarie, left there by pulling-boat, etati ing he was going to Riverhead. He was seen on Saturday at Riverhead by several people, and on Sunday morning the boat, which belongs to Mr. Stubbs, assistant railway traffic manager, Auckland, was found fastened to the Watmarie wharf steps and full of water. Maitland, who was in charge of the boat, has not yet taken it away nor has he been seen since. He is a single man, about 47 years of age, lives alone, and receives remittances from his people in Scotland regularly. He frequently goes Ito Riverhead for a few days, and little | ' notice is taken of his absences by his acquaintances at Waimarie, and being a single man has no ties. The strange circumstances caused the local postmaster to report the matter to District j Constable Roee7. | Mr. J. AtwooJ. of Parcmari'mo. and Mr.-T. Wake used tbe Harbour Board grappling irons about the wharf tonight, but failed to get trace of the I body. Maitland was supposed to have | lcftßiverhead at 3 p.m. on Saturday in j ■a, westerly gale for Waimarie, which he ! would reach about 4 p.m., an hour j below dead low water. All the lower steps of the wharf are always heavily ! coated with harbour silt, and it would ,be extremely difficult to mount them at low tide in a gale. It is possible ' therefore that Maitland slipped in there, as the 'boat was found fastened there 'next day with oars and rowlocks miss- I ; in?. The missing man has been many | years gum digging, etc., in the River- i 1 head district, and was for many year 3 I ■with the late Mr. Reid at Motutapu, and | with Mr. A. Sanford on Rakino Island.