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Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 18 December 1925, Page 7

A Press Association message from London reported the death of Mr. A. N. Hornby, an old-time cricketer. He was /8 years of age. He was captain of the Lancashire team for nearly twenty seasons. ( An inquest was held at Waiuta, Greymouth, yesterday, touching the death of a young man named Hansel Stokes, aged 19, who was found with a pea ride bullet through his neck on the bank of the Big Grey River. Evidence was given by William McVicar, of Alexandra Reefs, that the deceased left the camp at witness’ farm, where he had worked for six months, to search for a pack horse. He took a pea rifle, and did not return, being found next day within two feet of the river. Witness believed that deceased was lying in wait for paradise ducks, and that the gun went off accidentally. A verdict was returned that death was accidental. Viscountess and Viscount Burnham recently organised through the Society of Women Journalists a British Empire essay competition in three sections for boys and girls, for cash prizes of £SO and £25 for the first section and £lO each for the second and third sections. Official advice has now been received by the Hon. R. F. Bollard from the High Commissioner for New Zealand in London, stating that the winner of the first prize in the boys’ section was Master James Munro Bertram, a scholar of the Waitaki Boys’ High School, Oamaru. The advice also states that the prize money has been forwarded direct to New Zealand by the committee dealing with the matter. A particularly sad sight in connection with the Waimakariri flood was witnessed by a number of people who had gathered on the North Road, near Chaney’s. A mare with a foal about three months old had been caught by the flood and the foal was drowned. The mare escaped on to dry land, but the mother instinct was so strong that she went back into the flood waters and kept swimming around, in and out of the willows, looking for her lost offspring until she appeared certain to be drowned herself. By 7.30 the water in the paddock was about six feet deep, and it was still rising, but although the foal had been drowned at about five o’clock, the mare kept up her frantic search. To the watchers on the road, unable to do anything to help the distressed animal, the scene was a tragic one. The mare, although apparently on the verge of exhaustion, refused to give up her search, and it sebmed certain that she also would be drowned. When darkness came on she Mias, still swimming about looking for her foal.