THE MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CX, Issue 13227, 9 September 1903, Page 7

THE MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE.

- : — ; —— THE SEARCH CONTINUED. The friends of tile Rev J; M. Marshall are as ranch perplexed as ever to account for Ids sudden disappearance last- Wednesday morning. The search was continued yesterday, a very large body of seekers going _ 'out. Taking, advantage of the holiday, granted ‘ them , for- the purpose,, some; forty students of Canterbury ‘ .College went. out early in the morning to join in the search for the missing man. Sergeant BourkeAvas in charge of the party, and had with him seven constables, some friends of the. missing man,' and the students. Oa,refill search was continued throughout the Ojrawa district, and a large party travelled across country from Opawa to New Brighton, making as thorough an investigation! as the circumstances would permit. They were 1 hindered! ■ considerably by the heavy growth of broom and lupin in many places, and- they might have passed close to , a man without ■ seeing him, but after, doing- the best they could, they found no trace of Mr Marshall. - The police at Lyttelton have also searched the, hills near the Port, but without finding, any clue. The search will be continued today, aud it is nnderstnbd that the river wile probably bo dragged again.

A REPORT FROM WELLINGTON. [From Oue Correspondent. j , WELLINGTON, September 8. Mr Frederick W. CRiyton writes to the “ New Zealand- Times ” ; as follows:—" Unless the Rev J. Marshall has a ‘double,’ I feel quite certain that T met him on Thursday or, Friday morning last between the W.F.O.A; building and ti e GovernmentBuildings, at about'9 o’clock. I know .--Mr Marshall fairly well, and 1 have played cricket with him, practising at Wanganui for the match against the Victorian eleven some four or five years ago, and. have at photograph of him.”

Inspector Ullison telegraphed yesterday morning to Inspector Gillies, stating that a Mr Clayton, of Wellington-, asserts positively that he saw Mr Marshall in Wellington ok Friday last. Mr Clayton knows Mr Marshall fairly .well. In reply to a telegram from . Inspector Gillies, Inspector. Culleit telegraphed- from Auckland yesterday morning as follows:—■ “ Only <one passenger mimed Marshall travelled Mararoa-.-Lyttelton-Wellington.” The statement from Wellington that 'Mr Marshall was seen , there ok Thursday or Friday ■; -morning, has continued many people in the belief that he left the Canterbury district altogether,; and, indeed, unless lie did so it seems hard to account for his complete disappearance. It has been ascertained that Mr Marshall 1 • had a return steamer ticket for Wellington,, and this is considered by some to lend colour io the supposition that he travelled •mirth by the Botomahana on Thursday evening. In that case, it would hot be improbable that he should be seen in ton on Friday morning', - soon , after nin« o’clock. . .. [From Our Correspondent.] WELLINGTON, September 8. The recent illness of the Rev J. M. Marshall seems to have been much more serimw than local reports led one to suppose. At any rate.the Wanganui “Herald” has the following, note' on the 'subject;:j-4“;Ahiout j three, months ago Mr Marshall had a severe.; attack of rheumatic fever, and for six weeks ‘ was an, inmate of the' local hospital. . After leaving’ the institution* he went for a trip ■■ to Taupo, and returned to Wanganui great-’ ly improved in health. He then left on a short, visit’to his brother at Dunedin, with a, view of thoroughly recuperating- befor* resuming his duties at the Collegiate School and intended returning to Wanganui on Wednesday last. In conversation with one

of the members of the “ Herald ” staff a few Java before'ho left' for ihc south Mr,.Marshall stated that he felt much, better for Ids trip to Taupo. He also incidentally mentioned that he had, been overworked, having in addition to his ordinary school duties to conduct the services in the .College chapel, f- He said he had. recognised for some time that the work would break him down, and he had paid the penalty.” V ‘ [Pint Press Association - .] ■ ; WELLINGTON, September 8. ’ In reference to the case of the Rev J. M. Marshall,-the'police'telegraphed to Napier to ask the steward of the Mararoa whether ho could give .any description cif the Marsha.ll who.travelled from Lyttelton to Wellington last week. A reply has been received, giving a description, which shows that-the passenger'in question was not the Rev J. M. Marshall.