No Trace Found Of Missing Secretary

Northern Advocate, 26 April 1948, Page 5

No Trace Found Of Missing Secretary

AUCKLAND, Mon. (Sp.).—No trace has yet been found of Mr Walter Ashton, former secretary of the Auckland Trades Council and a member of the Auckland district committee of the Communist Party, who has been missing from his home since Friday morning. His car has been found at Piha. In it were a pair of dungarees, a pair of shoes, a pair of socks, bottles of aerated water and some cake. Mr Ashton was last seen in the city shortly after 9 a.m. on Friday when he bought three gallons of petrol for his car at a service station. When he failed to keep several appointments during the day officials at the Trades Hall communicated with the police. The president of fhe New Zealand Communist Parly (Mr A. Drennan) expressed concern for Mr Ashton’s safety when he called at the Central police station. After Mr Ashton, who lives with his mother at 56 Wellington Street. City, failed to return home on Friday night, the police arranged for his description and that of his car to be broadcast. As a result, the Henderson police were notified yesterday morning that Mr B. Phillipson, of Piha, had seen the car at Piha. It was parked near the end of the road at the south end of what is known as the short beach and had been there since about 11 o’clock on Friday morning. Assisted by local residents f r.nd four members of the Communist Party, the police continued the search today. Among the articles in Mr Ashton's car were a quantity of Communist literature, a detective story magazine, a book “Flowers in the Dust,” and Mr Ashton’s dairy in which were no recent entries. Mr E. E. Phillipson. who lives at Blowhole Bay, told the police that while walking to Piha early on Friday afternoon he saw a man climbing the track to the rocks at Dawson’s Ledge. Later he saw the man on the rocks and wondered why he was there. It was blowing and raining hard at the time and visibility was poor.

Reported Missing

AUCKLAND. Mon. (Sp.).—A married man, Mr Francis James Sauvarin. aged 29, has been reported missing from his home at 20 Fir Street, Avondale, since 7.20 on Friday night. According to the description given to the police he is 6ft 1 Jin in height, stout, and has a fair complexion, blue eyes and black hair going bald.