THE KOTUKU.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVI, Issue 120, 18 May 1912, Page 2

THE KOTUKU.

JFOKTHER DETAILS

[j'KESS ASSOCIATION.^ * GREYMOUTH, May 17. Shoitly alter 11 p.m. the"Union: Company's Kotuku, of' G62 tons net, left the wharf. Captain John Christian commanding, with a cargo of 461 tons of State coal and 31/,723 feet of timber, consigned to Tiniaru and Dune'din. The, night was very disagreeable, but "there was very little sea on the bar. While proceeding; down the river the. vesel struck the ■retaining wall, which, it is presumed, carried away her propeller, rendering: her unmanageable. She then, it is supposed, struck the submerged Hawea, as part of the Kotukti's bottom was ripped.out,. She.then drifted over the bar and went ashore outside the north tip head, her head"' pointing shorewards.

The captain and crew remained' aboard all night, but as the sea was :naldng this morning they came a&hoie, as evidences of breaking upwere vioihle, > ; Tho captain was brought ashore in; a state of ooma, and sent to the hospital. . -....■-.

Tho dsck timber is noiv floating ashoro,' avid the sea is breaking over the: vessel, 1 which is becoming a total' wreck. ' ;; ' ■ *

The Awatere Club\ forfeits botb> senior and junior matches which were to be played to-morrow.

Meetings of householders will be held in the public schools at Haveiock, Okarnniio, iNydia .Bay, -and Nppera Buy on Monday, June 17ih,, *or 'the purpose of electing School. Committees. -

In the- Magistrate's Court to-day the following cashes wcro heard by Mr il. S. Florance, fe.M. i-^-11. Couzensv. Hen»y Fletcher, judgment sum--iiioiia lor £12. The debtor, examined ' by Mr C. H. Mills, said that he was a horse trainer, and was now training, two horses He was paid £2 per week for each horse, but no commission cii wing, and employed two stableboys at £1 per week with "find." The greatest number of horses he had had to train at the one time since April, 1910, was five. His Worship discharged the summons. The Court was engaged for the* greater part of the morning in hearing the case A. M. Hebbard, farmer,, of Hai Valley, v. Henry Bennett, a claim lor £30 12s 6d. Mr J. Conolly appeared for plaintiff, and Mr A. liogcrs for the defendant. The claim was in respect to an account alleged to have been incurred by Bennett and Mills, butchers and farmers, of Hayeloek, in 1909 and 1910. It was admitted that'the defendant was a partner with C. ;W. Mills prior to January, 1909, but tho defendant denied that a partnership existed after that date, though he had been associated with Mr Mills in the working of the business subsequently. Plaintiff's counsel sought to prove that the defendant, by his conduct since the alleged . dissolution by mutual consent ii-. January, 1909, had allowed himself to be held out as a partner, no formal notice of, dissolution having been given to any of the creditors, and was liable 4x>r a debt contracted while the plaintiff had.the understanding that the partnership wa& being continued. The plaintiff in this case obtained judgment in August, 1910. for £49 18s" 6d as against Mills, who subsequently became bankrupt. Before bankruptcy thedel.t was reduced by £13, of which? £J0 was paid by Mills to Hebbard and £3 by Bennett. -The plaintiff now sought,to recover the balance' from Bennett. The evidence^ of the defendant, who was called by Mr Conolly, v.as taken, and the hearing of th(=. case was resumed in the afternoon.

A Greymouth telegram says that William George Thomas, a passenger from Wellington to Greymouth by the 'Mapourika on the 9th inst.j was arrested yester-day for stealing a portmanteau, the property, of W. Watson, another passenger, and* also other articles, including a ship's rug. A warrant had been issued at Napier against him. for stealing an overcoat, valued at £3 10s', the. property of Samuel Heath. Fred Smith was also charged with receiving. the portmanteau, knowing it to have been stolen T f,Tio remanded till Monday.