CAUSING ANXIETY

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 36, 11 February 1926, Page 10

CAUSING ANXIETY

FOUR MEN MISSING

IN BUSH. IN WEST COAST. SOUNDS.

(By Telegraph.) (Special to "The Evening Post.")

DUNEDIN, This Day.

In .October last the National Mortgage and Agency Company sent William Beer, an experienced bushnian, to the Martin's Bay district to bring out cattle, with. the help, of Malcolm and Hugh M'Kenzie, settlers in the district. Beer appears to have gone into tho bush from Elfin Bay with three others, a man named Foxcroft, belonging to Auckland,: a gold prospector from Dunedin, and a musterer from Lumsden. The names of the two last-mentioned are not known. Beer said on leaving that he did not expect to return till January. Nothing has heard or seen of the four since. So far as can be ascertained, they are not very much overdue, but anxiety is felt because J. O. Biggar,of Lumsden, went into that part of Martin's Bay country at New Year time for a holiday expedition, and on returning said he had not come across anybody; that the M' Kenzies were not at. one; of their stations, and he could not get any response when he managed to* get near their other station. The outlet of a lake was in high flood, and he :. could not cross to visit that station. He lit a smoke fire and fired-a gun, but received no answer to those signals. Biggar has consequently been engaged by the National i Mortgage Company to go into the Martin's Bay bush in company with a man from Queenstown, and, search for the missing men. The Police Department has also, sent out parties worn Westland and Southland. Biggar expects to be back on the 22nd or 23rd of this month. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, 10th February. There is little doube that, the Foxcroft, who is reported to be one of the party of men missing in the West Coast Sounds region, is Mr. Charles G. Foxcroft, of: Trafalgar street, Onehunga. He is a-tinsmith by trade, and was formerly employed by the ■firm of R. and W. Hellaby, Ltd., in their meat; canning works at Westfield. He lived for about ten years in Church street, and latterly in Trafalgar street. Being out of regular employment, he decided last October to go to Dunedin, partlft to see the .Exhibition and partly to inspect some property which he had recently inherited in the back country of Otago. He was well provided with funds, and intimated his intention of joining a prospecting party starting from Lake Wakatipu.

The last Mrs.-Foxcroft heard from her husband was a telegram from Glenorctiy, on 23rd Octojber, advising her that the party was then startjng on .its tour. From that day there 'has since been no word from Mr. Foxcroft.

When the weeks grew into month's, Mrs. Foxcroft became exceedingly anxious about her'husband's welfare, and left for Dunedin last Thursday evening to make personal inquiries.

Mr. Foxcroft and family are adherents of.- .the Oriehunga Presbyterian Church, and the minister of the church, the Rev. D. I). Scott, who was going to Dunedin last month, promised to make all I;'the inquiries- he could. Mr. and Mrs. Scott could find out nothing in Dunedin, but when they-were at Queenstown a fortnight ago, where Mr. Foxcroft's party had-staged for a time, they ascertained that a young man had arrived there from. Martin's Bay about the end of December, and he had been seen in a party a short time'previously. This is the only news of the party that has reached civilisation since the prospecting party set off from Glenorchy on 23rd October.

Mr. and Mrs. Foxcroft have a family of two, their son William, an electrician, aged about 21, being engaged in the country at: present, while their young daughter is at school. , '

The Onehunga police have also' been making inquiries, and from what they can gather the party was intending to make M'Kenzie's farm its headquarters, but no regular communication is ever expected from that distant locality. .:■ . ■..-'■■ : ■ ■ ;