A SHOT IN THE DARK.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 276, 22 November 1927, Page 8

A SHOT IN THE DARK.

NATIVE GIRL INJURED.

INCIDENT AT RAROTONGA.

TWO OF MAKURA'S STEWARDS

QUESTIONED.

JEALOUSY THE CAUSE?

(B.v Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, this clay,

Tlie calm serenity of a perfect tropic night at Rarotonga on Monday was suddenly disturbed by a shot from a revolver. The quiet streets of the village of Avarua are entirely unlighted, and this made investigation rather difficult, but a little later in the evening it was learned that a Rarotongan girl had been shot at and wounded.

As the result of certain allegations made by the father of the injured girl, two of the stewards of the Makura, .who, it is alleged, had been in the company of the woman during the evening, were apprehended and brought before Judge Ayson, Resident Commissioner, at a very early hour on Tuesday morning, and charged with having been the cause of the trouble.

It is understood that both of the stewards admitted having been in the company of the injured woman on Monday evening, but they emphatically denied having used or been in the possession of firearms.

After carefully sifting the matter, Judge Ayson dismissed the charge, and the stewards resumed duty on the Makura, which sailed for Wellington at 9 a.m. on Tuesday.

One theory of the crime is that a native admirer of the injured woman saw her in the company of the stewards, and, "seeing red," "fired a shot. The injury is not likely to prove serious.