DOMINION NEWS.

Grey River Argus, 18 June 1925, Page 7

DOMINION NEWS.

MYSTERIOUS DEATH. AUCKLAND, June 17. Peculiar circumstances surround the death of Frederick Burmingham, found beneath his gig at Waiwera. There were few marks on the body which was lying face downwards on some rubbish. Apparently tho horse had backed over the bank and capsized the gig. Bur. mingham was stunned b” the fall and suffocated in the rubbish. A friend of the deceased saw Bur. mingham’s dog at the cross roads at andl observing the dog still there next morning, behaving strange, ly, was led to follow it with the result that Burmingham’s body was discovering’ FAILS TO AGREE NELSON. June 17 Tho Jury failed to agree in f*. bookmaking charges against William IL Moxey and Maurice Vyvian Maxwell. New trials were granted. DOCUMENTS DESTROYED. CIVIL SERVANT’S ADMISSION. WELLINGTON. June 17 An admission th it he I burnt important legal documents, filed in the Lands and Deeds Department, in con. unction with the registration of a certain land transft r, was made by William Percv .Toyco, aged 19, charged .at tlw Magistrate’s Court to-day with obliterating for fraudulent purposes fifty.four documents, affecting" certain land transfers, with forging fifty.four memoranda by removing the genuine stamps and replacing others, and with tho theft of stamps valued at £45. as ■a servant of the Now Zealand Govern. I mont.

Evidence of the Audit. Inspector showed Hint fifty-four legal documents had .attache I to them for stamp duty, stamps that had previously boon can. celled and attached to other documents. UnavMling search was made for the documents from which the stamps had been removed. ”T can. po ' how many are missing, or what thev are. \ large number are nrissinp’. but wo have been unable to trace them. Thev are all of a most, important nature. Some are mortgages. discharge of mortgages, and ox, tensions. ’ ’ When interviewed by Detective Nuttall, accused admitted that ho re. moved 'renuino uncaneelled stamps and replaced them by cancelled qtamps from other documents. He said that h<‘ destroyed the whole of the other documents. Some he burned, and some Im tore up and threw - away. Most of tho stamps he took off be took to the Post Office and with them purchased postal notes, which he turned into cash. lie pleaded guilty and was commit, ted for sentence. SCHOOL CHILDREN’S INSURANCE. WELLINGTON. Juno 17. Arising out of a letter from the Government Accident Insurance Office, intimating that it could not admit a claim in a ease which was due to a pure accident, tho Education Board today discussed tho whole question of the insurance of school children against accidc»nt. It was decided to approach the Education Department with a view to securing a grant to provide for the cost of first aid at accidents. CAVEMAN’S SKELETON FOUND. AUCKLAND, June 17 Human bones found high up on the cliff face during excavations at Arapuni. a»nd buried a hundred feet deep, are those of a remarkably tall muscular skeleton, though no skull bones were discovered. The bones were right in the heart of Ihe rock, centuries old. and it is believed that they are those of a prehistoric people. RAILWAY SHUNTER INJURED. DUNEDIN, Juno 17. John Alexander Birtlos, aged 28, employed on the railway as a shunter sustained serious injuries to his right arm this evening. through slipping from a carriage stop, while engaged shunting jn tho Dunedin yards. Tho t/neols pass'd over his arm, which probably will have to bo amputated. R.S.A. DOMINION CONFERENCE. WELLINGTON, June 17. The Dominion Council of the Now Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association Annual Conference opened to.day. Col. Stewart presided over 24 delegates from all narts of the Dominion. The annual report yvas adopted without discussion. Tho greater part of the afternoon was occupied in dealing with committee business. Tho following remit from Canterbury Association was carried: ‘‘That tho Government be stronglv urged to retain the Cashmere Upper Sanatorium, as the militarv sanatorium 'for tho whole of tho Dominion.”