CAUSING ANXIETY

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 36, 11 February 1926, Page 7

CAUSING ANXIETY

' ' —; —». '.""" ' . - FOUR MEN MISSING IN BUSH IN WEST COAST SOUNDS. (By Tetosrapa.) (Special te The Ewnini P«*t") DUNEDIN, This Day. In October last the National Mortgage and Agency Company sent William Beer, an experienced bnshmsn, 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 the bush from Elfin Bay with three others, a man named Foxeroft^ belonging to Auckland, a gold prospector from Dunedin, and a musterer from Lnmsden. The names of the *•© lasHnentioOedl are not known. Beer said on leaving that he did not expect to return tiH January. Nothing has been heard or seen of the fonr since. So far as can be ascertained, they are net very much overdue, but anxiety is feK heevue J. O. Biggar, of Lamsdea, went into that part of Martin's Bay country at New Tear time for a holiday expedition, and o* returning said be had not corn^ across anybody; that the M'Kenaies 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 fit's smoke fire and fired a gun, but received no answer to those signals. Biggar has consequently been engaged by the National 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 from Westiand 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 oae of the party of men missing in the West Coast Sounds region, is Mr. Charles G. Foxeroft, of Trafalgar street, Onehunga. He is a tinsmith by trade, and was formerly employed by tha firm of R. and W. HeUaby, Ltd, in their meatcanning works at Wertaeld. H. 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 Dsnedin, partly to see the Exhibition sad 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. Foxeroft heard from her husband was a telegram from Glenorehy, on 23rd October, advising her that the party was then starting on .its tour. From that day there has since been no word from Mr. Foxeroft. When the weeks grew into months, Mrs. Foxeroft became exceedingly anxious about her husband's welfare, and .left for Dunedin last Thursday evening to make personal inquiries. Mr. Foxeroft and family are adherents of. the Onehunga Presbyterian Church, and the minister of the church, the Bey. D. D. Scott, who was going to Dunedin last month,- promised to make all the inquiries be could. Mr. and Mrs. Scott could find out nothing in Dunedin, but when they were at Queenstown a fortnight ago, where Mr. Foxeroft's party had stayed 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. sad Mrs. Foxeroft have a family of two, their son William, aa electrician, aged about 2L being engaged ia the country, at present, while their young daughter ia at school. The Onehunga police have also been making inquiries, aad from what they can gather the party was intending to make M'Kenzie % farm its headquarters, but no regular communication is ever expected from that dtfisnt locality.