DOMINION ITEMS

Greymouth Evening Star, 7 November 1944, Page 2

DOMINION ITEMS

FATALLY GASSED.

WELLINGTON, November 6. Fireman J. Winter, one of the five men affected by carbon monoxide while attending a fire on Wednesday night, died in hospital to-day. The lire was in the P. and T. workshops, Waterloo Quay, where sawdust in an iron hopper had caught alight.

FARMER’S SUICIDE CHRISTCHURCH, Nov. 6. Arthur Walter Verrail, a farmer aged 57 years, was found hanging in a shed at his home at Swannanoa on Saturday. He was single. At an inquest at Rangiora the Coroner (Mr. E. C. Levvey) returned a verdict of suicide.

STEWARD DROWNED. WESTPORT, November 7. James G. MacKenzie, assistant steward, of the U.S.S. Company’s s.s. Kakapo, when boarding the vessel about mid-night fell into the Buller River and was drowned. His body was recovered about 2.30 a.m. Deceased who came from Woffington is believed to be single, aged 41 years, and was a returned soldier. FIRE TRAGEDY WESTPORT, November 6. A verdict that the deaths of Mr and Mrs. E. Martin, and their son and daughter, Mr R. W. Martin, and Miss E. M. Martin, had been caused by suffocation when their home at Hector, in which they were sleeping, was destroyed by fire on October 2a, was returned by the Coroner (Mr C. H. Thomas), at an inquest held at Westport to-day. AIRMAN KILLED. CHRISTCHURCH, November 6. < Leading Aircraftman Alan Francis Joseph O’Shea, aged 30, who was stationed at the R.N.Z.A.F. station at Woodbourne, was killed when a threeton Air Force truck capsized in loose shingle on the road about five miles south of Cheviot about 8.30 p.m. on Sunday. Another airman who accompanied him was injured. No relations of O’Shea have been located. maorFsynod HASTINGS, November 6. Regulations for the constitution of a Hinoto Maori (Maori Synod) were brought before the Presbyterian Assembly at this morning’s session in Hastings. Rev. J. D. Smith said the development of mission units among the Maoris had necessitated the setting up of a body representative of the Maori Church. They looked forward to tne day when such progress would be made as would enable Maori members of the Church ■to stand side by side with their pakeha brethren with the same privileges and sharing a like responsibility. It was decided to adopt the regulations ad interim and send them down to Presbyteries for consideration and a report to the Missions Committee.'

WOMAN’S INSANITY WANGANUI, November 6.

An order that accused be kept in strict custody at Porirua until the pleasure of the Minister of Justice was known, was made by Mr. Justice Findlay in the Supreme Court to-day after the jury had found Mrs. Alice Te Patu, aged 48, unable to plead on three indictments for murder, through being insane. Accused, who clung to the Police Matron in the dock through the brief proceedings, made no response when charged and sat with head bowed.

The charges concerned the murder of Bobo, Rangi and Rukuwai Te Weri, aged six, seven and 11 years respectively at Putiki on May 11 last. The battered bodies of the three boys were found in a bed at the home of William Emia, with whom the and the accused had 'been staying. Mrs. Te Patu was found unconscious in another part of the house with self-inflicted wounds on the head and a blood-stained axe across her body.

PRISONERS SENTENCED CHRISTCHURCH, Nov. 6.

At the Supreme Court, to-day, Lawrence Desmond Holland, who hau pleaded guilty in the Magistrate’s Court, to a charge of breaking and entering, was ordered to be detained in a Borstal institution for three years. James Treverton Fletcher, who had pleaded guilty in the Magistrate’s Court io a charge of bigamy was sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment with hard labour.

Philip Isla Wjlliams was admitted to probation for two years on three charges of indecent assault, to which he had pleaded guilty in the Magistrate’s Court. Thomas Allison Aldridge was ordered to be detained in a Borstal institution for two years on a charge of forgery and uttering. His Honor said prisoner did not have a good record. In March of last year, he had been convicted of making a false statement, and in December again.on a charge of theft. Granted probation he continued on his way and charges of conversion of a motor-car and forgery and uttering were against him.