DOMINION ITEMS

Greymouth Evening Star, 1 December 1926, Page 5

DOMINION ITEMS

(Per Press Association.) INJURED BY CAR. AUCKLAND, November 30. Clement Archibald Hulse, aged 25, years, was knocked down by a motor car in the city to-day, and he sustained a fracture of the skull. GORED BY COW. DUNEDIN, November 30. A little' hoy, named Alexander McRae, aged five years, who resides with his parents at Henley, was admitted to the hospital at 8.45 p.m. to-day suffering from injuries to his forehead, caused by being gored by a cow, BUILDING. CONTRACT, AUCKLAND, Dec. 1. | The Yorkshire Insurance Company i.ccepted the tender of the Fletcher Construction Company, oi £52,000, for a building at the corner of Shortland and O’Connell streets, of eight storeys, in addition to a basement and living quarters on the roof. Y.M.C.A. OVERDRAFT. AUCKLAND, Dec. 1. At the annual meeting of the Young Men’s Christian Association, it was stated that the bank overdraf wast £5369, which to some extent was due io the Association standing down while the Young Women's C. A. . launched a new building campaign. FARMER’S INSANITY. NEW PLYMOUTH, Nov. 30. Harris Leonard Spence, a farmer at Mangorei, was found not guilty, on the grounds of insanity, on charges of arson and theft, at the Supreme Court. The charges concerned the burning of a neighbour’s haystack and shed. The accused was-commit-ted to a mental hospital. AUCTIONEER’S FRAUD. NEW PLYMOUTH. Nov. 30. At the Supreme Court, Colin Leighton, auctioneer, of Stratford, was admitted to three years’ probation for the fraudulent use of money due to his clients. The conditions included the payment of £5O towards the cost of the prosecution and that Leighton shall not engage in the business of auctioneer or agency during the term. SODA AS “SUGAR.” NAPIER, November 30. Nitrate of soda, or some closely allied substance, possibly saltpetre, has been sold at Napier as sugar. It is reported that half a ton has been so disposed of by one grocer. The mistake only became apparent after numerous complaints. The substance was purchased by the grocer from a wholesaler, and was sold in good faith as sugar. TOBACCONIST ROBBED WELLINGTON, December 1. Barben Charles Goodwell. 45, was charged at the Magistrate’s Court, today, with breaking and entering the tobacconist shop of Angus Duncan, Lambton Quay, at night and stealing goods of the value of £6 11/-. He had been employed at the shop for a fortnight prior to the offence. He pleaded guilty and was committed for sentence. SEWERAGE AROMAS. AUCKLAND, November 30. The hearing of claims by eight ratepayers for a, total of £5,392 compensation. for alleged depreciation of their property owing to the aromas from the Northcote Borough Council’s sewerage system, was commenced to-day before the Compensation Court, presided over by Mr Justice Ostler. The, sewerage scheme was completed in August 1925, and it was alleged that the escape of offensive gases from the septic tank was a source of nuisance and discomfort to the residents. The case was adjourned until Thursday. DAMAGED WHISKY-CARRIER. WELLINGTON, December 1. Reserved judgment was given by Mr. Riddell, S.M., to-day in the case where Reginald Collins, Ltd., proceeded against Richardson and Co. for compensation for a demijohn of whisky, found broken in a wharf shed at Wairoa, where it had been shipped by the defendants. Plaintiffs argued that for the defence to succeed they must prove insufficient packing. The Magistrate held that the packing consisted of the earthenware jar itself and its wicker covering, just as if the whisky had been contained in a keg. If it had been handled and stored with reasonable care, damage should not have occurred. Defendants had given no evidence as to the cause of the breaking. Judgment was given for £9 4s and costs £6 Bs. DROWNED, OR HANGED? WHANGAREI, December 1. Thomas Forsyth, aged fifty, single, retired farmer, was found dead in a creek near Whangarei Falls bridge yesterday. Only his head and shoulders were submerged in thirteen inches of water. Deceased's coat and two walking sticks were near and the position suggested that he bad collapsed when stooping to obtain a drink from the stream. A gold watch and chain, and cash over £6 and a cheque for £l7 were in his pocket. Though drowning was first supposed, marks on the neck, as though made by a rope, were observed when the body was examined at the morgue. Forsyth suffered from acute rheumatism for a number of years, and had to rely on walking sticks when moving about. He was last seen alive on Monday, but he was thought to be visiting relatives. The inquest opened this morning, but was adjourned for a week, in view of the complicated circumstances. FATAL DEPRESSION. WELLINGTON. November 29. An inquest into the death of Mrs. Margaret Wallace, aged 46, who was admitted to- the Public Hospital on Friday suffering from the effects of poison and who died the following morning, was held by Mr. W. G. Riddell, Coroner. Dr. Morton gave evidence, that death was due to poisoning. John Alexander Wallace, confectioner, husband of tlie woman, stated that his wife had been suffering from fits of depression since the death of her daughter about five years ago. On Friday morning, however, she appeared to be in good spirits and cooked the breakfast as usual. Later she went out to make some purchases and on her return went upstairs. Shortly afterwards she came downstairs and gaiu she had taken poison. Witness got a doctor, who. ordered his wife’s removal to the hospital. The Coroner found that death had occurred as the result of drinking disinfectant, self administered while in a state of depression.