DOMINION ITEMS

Greymouth Evening Star, 25 July 1930, Page 2

DOMINION ITEMS

[per press association.]

SNOW AT OTAKI. OTAKI, July 25

There is a heavy fall of snow on the ranges, it being the lowest for years.

ACCIDENTAL DEATH. OTAKI, July 25.

A. verdict of accidental death was returned in the case of James Stewart, who was crashed into by a train at Waikauae on Tuesday, no blame being attachable to anyone.

POISON FOR MEDICINE GISBORNE, July 24

Suffering from what was believed to be effects of poisoning, Mrs Christina Sutherland McMahon, 31 years, wife of Francis Leonard McMahon, was taken to Cook Hospital by the ambulance yesterday afternoon, and died shortly afterwards. It is understood that she mistook a bottle of rat poison for medicine.

TIMBER GROWERS’ ASSN. WELLINGTON, July 24

The election of officers of the New Zealand Timber Growers’ Association resulted as follows:—President, Mr. W. Fraser; Vice-presidents, Dr. W.'H. Horton, Mr. E. Maxwell; executive, Messrs. W. McArthur, E. A. Craig, J. A. Duncan, M. S. Chambers, H. A. Longton. 0. Jones; secretary, Mr. N. Z. Gribble. Auckland will be the headquarters this year.

MUNN’S EXECUTION. AUCKLAND, July 24

Arthur Thomas Munn, who was found guilty of the murder of his wife, will be executed at Mount Eden Gaol on Tuesday morning at 8 o’clock. The warrant, signed by the Gov-ernor-General, was received by the Sheriff, Mr C. J. Hewlett, this morning, and at mid-day he went to Mount Eden Gaol and informed Munn of the day and time of his execution.

CHINESE FINED HASTINGS, July 23.

Before Mr Mowlem, S.M., Len Chun, for permitting his premises to be used for the purpose of smoking opium, was fined £5O, in default three months’ imprisonment. Louie Wing, for having in his possession pipes used for opium smoking, was fined £25, in default six weeks’ imprisonment, and Ah Hong, for having in his possession certain .utensil for opium smoking, was fineh £4O, in default ten weeks’ imprisonment. He had previously been fined £2O on a similar charge.

CREDIT BY FRAUD. DUNEDIN, July 25

“This young man has had 16 convictions for dishonesty since 1926,” the police stated of Wallace James Clifford True, who pleaded guilty to charges of obtaining credit at boarding houses by fraud. In one case, he represented himself as a lieutenant in the New Zealand forces, and in another as a. doctor on holiday from Auckland. True also pleaded guilty to the theft of £l5 at Inaha, Taranaki, the property of Thomas Gordon Ingram. The police stated that since January, True had been wandering through New Zealand, obtaining credit by fraud at various boarding houses. While staying at a house in Taranaki, he took £l5 from Ingram’s wallet. He was sentenced to terms of imprisonment totalling 12 months.

COLERIDGE EXPLOSION. CHRISTCHURCH, July 24

Electrical power in Christchurch was temporarily cut off at 1.44 p.m. to-day as the result of an accident at Lake Coleridge Power House, where S. A. Preston, first station operator, received fairly severe burns and shock. At that time a starter of the auto transformer type, on a synchronised motor, was being tested. Suddenly a short circuit developed, causing a severe arc, and Preston, who was closest to the motor, was sprayed with hot oil, which caused painful burns about his face, head, and hands. The short circuit caused a violent explosion and splinters of heavy iron and other sections of equipment were hurled around the room. After the explosion a lire broke out in the substation, but it was sprayed by the extinguishers. and was quickly under control. The injured man was taken to the Christchurch Hospital.