DOMINION ITEMS

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 September 1940, Page 2

DOMINION ITEMS

[PER press association.] — KILLED BY CAR. PALMERSTON N., September 16. George Rowland, aged 67, single, was killed instantly about 7 o’clock last evening, when he was struck by a car driven by Alfred Stewart, a farmer of Opiki, on the main road at Tiakitahuna. GAMING CHARGES. ' DARGAVILLE, September 16. After police raids on Saturday at noon on four premises at Dargaville, four men were charged before Messrs B. Berry and A. C. Ball, Justices of the Peace, with keeping a common gaming house. . * First offenders, James Vodanovich, Donald Golder, and Raymond Allen were each fined £25. A second offender, Mate Peko, was fined £35. Twelve persons found on the premises were fined £1 each. HOTEL MANAGER’S DEATH. WELLINGTON, September 16. While acting as manager of the Post Office Hotel, Wellington, Robert Forest Marshall, aged 56, collapsed and died suddenly at the hotel about 6.45 this evening. Of late he had been attended by a heart specialist. Mr Marshall formerly lived in Dunedin and Timaru. He is survived by his wife, Mrs Catherine’ Ann Marshall, Hataitai, Wellington. PROBATION FOR THEFT. WELLINGTON, September 17. Mr Justice Johnston, in the Supreme Court, admitted Abel Kerr Edie to two years’ probation, on a charge of stealing £465/19/-, as an employee of the Internal Marketing Department. The main reasons for granting probation, the Judge said, were Edie’s war service, his connection with the R.S.A., and the realisation the Court had that the R.S.A. would stand by him. Colonel Cowles, President of the Wellington R.S.A., had said that Edie was a most-earnest worker, and very highly thought of by the Karori auxiliary.

MAN’S BODY FOUND. WAIMATE, September 16. The body of an elderly man was found behind some gorse on a side road one and a half miles above the Wiaihao Bridge, on the Main South Road, by Mr A. Cornelius, of the Waimate staff of the South Canterbury Power Board, this afternoon. Indications were that death had occurred only a few hours before. So far the police have been unable to identify the body, which is of a man about 70 years of age, with a full beard, weight approximately lOst, and about sft Bin in height. The feet appear somewhat crippled. A sack swag was found nearby, and the remains of a fire. The body was dressed in three coats, a cardigan, blazer, and shirt, and three pairs of trousers. The sum of 9d was found in the swag. i DEATH PRESUMPTION.' WELLINGTON, September 17. The hearing of the case, the A.M.P. Society v. the Public Trustee, was continued in the Appeal Court. Mr. Byrne, of the Pubjic Trust, arguing the case for the respondent, contended that the law as to. the effect of a grant of probate made pursuant to an order giving leave to swear death, was the same in New Zealand as'in England, and that the Court should apply the same test in determining whether or not the facts justified an order to swear death. Mr. Byrne contended that the circumstances surrounding Montgomery’s disappearance were such as to make death the only reasonable inference. The only other explanation was that Montgomery voluntarily abandoned his wife and family. Such abandon-, ment would be a wrongful act on Montgomery’s part, and would not lightly be presumed by the Court. Decision was reserved.