DOMINION ITEMS

Greymouth Evening Star, 1 February 1934, Page 2

DOMINION ITEMS

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CHURCH ON FIRE. CHRISTCHURCH, January 31. The' Anglican parish church of St. James at Southbridge was totally destroyed by fire at daybreak to-day. When discovered, the flames were far beyond control, and nothing could be saved. The police are investigating the outbreak, which, it is thought, may have been of • incendiary origin. The insurances were £675 on the church and £lOO on the furnishings, and £75 on the organ, all being with the Church Property Trustees. DROWNING TRAGEDY. DUNEDIN, January 31. The body of Gordon Sproat, a school teacher, who was one of three men who lost their lives while fishing off the rocks at Long Point on January 20, was recovered this afternoon by a man named' McChesney. Dragging operations are still being continued for the body of George G. Menzies, the third member of the party to be drowned. An inquest on Charles John Connell, whose body was recovered yesterday, was opened to-day for identification. THEFT OF GAS. WELLINGTON, January 31. A married woman, named McDowell, was fined £5, with costs included, at Petone to-day for the theft of gas. It was urged for her that the offence was one of only a fortnight’s duration and a plea was made that the meter was leaking, and that gas was costing her £2 per month. It was stated that a hawker to the door smelt gas, and that he said that he could show the woman how to connect the gas so as not to register, and that her husband was ignorant of this being done.

SANITARY INSPECTORS. NAPIER, February 1. “Our calling is an ancient as well as an honourable one. As a matter of fact Moses was the first member of it, when he led his children for 40 iyears through the wilderness without plague or pestilence,” remarked Mr E. Grant (Napier) retiring President of the Sanitary Inspectors’ Association at the opening of the annual conference at Napier to-day. The Conference besides transacting formal business has a social programme. The delegates were accorded a civic reception, to-day. The Conference is attended by 30 delegates, many accompanied by their wives from all parts of New Zealand. Mr W. B. Gough (Petone) was elected President and Mr R. Day (Ney Plymouth) as Vice President. ESCAPEE EXTRADITED. WANGANUI, January 31. George James Cullen, alias J. Murray, who escaped from Waikune prison camp, near National Park, six years ago, was apprehended in Queensland, and he has been brought baca to the Dominion at the request .of the New Zealand police. He will be charged before the Magistrate’s Court here in the morning, and remanded to the Supreme Court for sentonce Cullen, who was 28 years of age at the time of his escape, made a dash for liberty on March 29, 1928. As he was getting away, several shots were fired at him by a warder, but he was not hit. An extensive search was set in motion in the rough bush country in the National Park region, but Cullen succeeded in getting clear, and it was not until some little time ago that he was located in Queensland.