A GREYMOUTH ROMANCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7796, 16 November 1886, Page 5

A GREYMOUTH ROMANCE.

[BY telegraph—PßESS ASSOCIATION.] Wellington, Monday. The Post to-night says Another case of mysterious disappearance of an insured person, somewhat similar to the " severed hand" case, has recently become known to us. Fortunately, no violation of a grave has occurred in this instance. The facts are these, however ; —A young man named H. Batty, son of a respectable farmer, at Coal Creek, near Grey mouth, had his life insured in the Government office for £400. He was 23 years of age, and engaged to be married on the 23rd January last. About ten o'olock that night he called at a grocer's and purchased a package of rice, saying it was for his mother. He left in the direction of the Greymouth-Cobden Bridge, which was then in course of construction, the flooring, bowever, not being laid, and the only footway being by an eight-inch plank. . To reach home he had to cross this. He never did reach home, but next morning some rice was found on the bridge, and his hat was picked up in the river. Every search was made for him alive or dead, and advertisements were inserted in the papers, but no further trace could be found of him. An unsigned will was found, and his father as heir-at-law, applied for letters of adminis tration and payment of the insurance money. The department did not consider the proof of death sufficient; but, after some difficulty, the father obtained letters of administration from the Court, and a substantial bond being given as security, the Insurance department ultimately consented to pay, and sent a cheque to their Greymouth agent to hand over to Mr. Batty. For some reason or other, Mr. Batty did not get the cheque for some time, and when just on the eve of ap« plying for it he received a letter from a friend in Melbourne informing him that his son Henry was alive and in that city. He at once made the fact known, and he has since received a letter from his son ; but, so far as we can ascertain, no explanation is offered of the mysterious departure of the writ»r. This, however, is now generally attributed to certain circumstances which rendered young Batty anxious to avoid fulfilling his marriage engagement. -