[PRESS ASSOCIATION.] MENTAL HOSPITAL TRAGEDY.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXII, Issue 27, 1 August 1911, Page 3

[PRESS ASSOCIATION.] MENTAL HOSPITAL TRAGEDY.

PATIENT KILLED BY HIS MATE. AUCKLAND, 31st July. On 24th July an inmate at the Avon* dale Mental Hospital named Johansen was working with another man, an Aus* trian', on the hospital farm, when he was attacked by his companion and struck j,over the head with a tpade. Johansen waa badly hurt, and was medically attended. He died to-day. AUCKLAND OYSTER SEASON CLOSED AUCKLAND, 31st July. The Auckland oyster season closes today, and there will be no more picking on the northern oyster beds, till May next. The season has been closed much earlier this year than is usual, the Marine Department officials considering that the beds have been sufficiently depleted by the pickings to date. Mr. Ayson, Chief Inspector of Fisheries, •who is at present in Auckland, explains that the action of the department in closing the season thus early was necessary in pursuance of the policy decided upon two or three years ago. Before the oyster-beds Were under State control indiscriminate and careless picking almost brought about ruination of the industry. The northern oyster-beds are now being nursed back to a healthy and productive condition, and when that object is attained the department will be able to cope with the; demand from every part of the Dominion throughout the whole season. • NOT SO BAD AS PAINTED. DUNEDIN, 31st July. The Hon. T. Mackenzie laid the foundation stone oi tho Hew post office at Kaitangata, to-day. Messrs. Watson, Rhodes, and, Son, of Dunediii, are theeonfcractors, and the price is £2159 14s Id. At the luncheon, in replying to the toasfc of "The Government," Mr. Mac* kenzie said that they were endeavouring to do the best they could in the interest's of the whole people. When they weht wrong Mr, James Allen would tell* them all about it, and then the members of the Government would go on the plat, form, tod show what fine feathers they had, and the Opposition feathers would get considerably bedraggled. The truth would be found between the two. The Government were nob so bad as they were painted, and the Opposition were perhaps not SO good as their friends ' made them out to be. | INCENDIARISM. WAIMATE, 31st July. An enquiry was held this afternoon into the cause of the recent fife at the Canterbury Farmers' Co-operative store before Mr. Hu'tcheson, S.M., and a jury. After hearing the evidence, th« verdict was that the fire was wilfully caused by some person or peftsor.e mAiUcVtn, BURGLARY AT MOBVEN. WAIMATE, 3lrt July. The house of Mf. R. Smith was broken into at Mor veil on Saturday. The .safe was opened, and £19 and a quantity of jewellery was stolen. There is no trace as yet of the person who entered the house. The inmates were in Waimate at the time. ELECTION ADDRESS. TIMARU, 31st July. Mf . J. Craigie, M.P., addressed a large meeting of his constituents this evening on the work of his two previous sessions, with special references to local matters, i but did not refer to the present session. A vote of thanks and confidence as their representative was carried by a meeting evidently in ful sympathy "with him. MOTORMAN'S APPEAL. CHRISTCHURCH. 3i«t July. The recently constituted Tramway Appeal Board met for the first time in Christchurch this morning in the Magistrate's Court, Mr. H. W. Bishop, S.M., presiding, and with him were Mf. Frank Thompson (general manager of the Tram- I way Board), and Mr. James Young (secretary of the Tramway < Employees' Union}. Mr. T. G. Russell appeared for J the Tramway Board, and Mr. W. J. Hunter for the appellant. An appeal was made by Joseph Bertram Graves, a motoftnan, against his dismissal on 10th June as" the result of a "head-on" collision between a. car driven by Him and a i sprinkler on the Riccarton line on 2?th May. The grounds of the appeal were that no blame wa& attachable to appellant, because his cat had right of way. The rail was greasy. His view was obstructed bjr a cart, and he had obeyed the^ regulations regarding accidents, 'applying first and second emergency stops with sand. There was no signalling apparatus or man to warn him of the presence of the sprinkler as was usual on race days. After hearing evidence the proceedings Were adjournd till to-mor-row.