UNTIRING SEARCH

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 251, 23 October 1935, Page 9

UNTIRING SEARCH

MISSING CHILD. OVER 200 MEN ENGAGED. DISAPPEARED AT PLAY. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) WHANGAREI, this .day. A wide expanse of tea-tree scrub and undergrowth in the Waiotu, Hukerenui and Tapuhi districts has been covered by over 200 men who spent a fruitless day yesterday searching for Mary Agatha Jagger, tho two-year-old child who has been missing since Sunday afternoon. Tho .men formed chains and crossed and rcc:ossed area after area of scrub in a desperate effort to locate the child.

Tho missing child is tho daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Harold E. Jaggef, for many years of Taurikura, who took up farming at Waiotu a few years ago. On Sunday afternoon she accompanied Helena Johnson, an employee on the Jaggcr's farm, to Mr. W. Johnson's home two miles away. At 3 o'clock she was playing with tho three Johnson children, but half an hour later no trace of her could bo found.

Foul Play Not Suspected. Tho police think there is little likelihood of foul play. Mr. Johnson's reside/ii'.e. is on top of a. hill, and the road which runs past tho property is a remote one and used only by settlers. So far as can be. ascertained no strangers were eeen in tho district on the itHternoon of tho child's disappearance. It is not felt that any sinister inference can be drawn from the fact tha-t some of the girl's clothing was found lying on the ground in the enclosure, in which the children were playing, as the child had taken off her shoes and stockings and hat when playing.

The creeks in the neighbourhood have been dragged, it being thought that the child may have slipped into tho water. The task of searching tho streams has been difficult, as the water is discoloured and in some parts full of snags.

To-day settlers from all over the district are taking part in the search. Last night light rain fell and operations were suspended for tho first time, giving many the opportunity to have their first real sleep since Sunday.

Pot Holes And Broken Country. From tho Johnson house towards Tapuhi there is much broken, fern-clad country, full of pot holes left by gumdiggers. This area has been thoroughly searched. On account of the density of the growth it is not thought that the child could have got far in <hat direction. On the flat below Mr. Johnson's house there is a swamp, into which lead a network of drains, and Vto-day 6.0 men are engaged in digging ■op tho swamp from the drains into tho ■Waiotu River.

■ The Waiotu Kiver, which is about a milo from Mr. Johnson's house, was patrolled by 50 men under Mr. A. Wiblin last night and, with the consent of the father, gelignite was used. Some swimmers, also searched the river, but without result.

This morning , 50 men were searching among the hills, on Mr. Hanen's property towards'. Tapuhi. This is steep country and in parts- is covered.' with bush'. It has not been searched previously.