SENSATION AT WOODHAUGH.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14579, 19 July 1909, Page 4 (Supplement)

SENSATION AT WOODHAUGH.

A CONSTABLE STABBED. A constable was fdablied tinder somewhat startling circumstances in Woodhaugh, Dunctlin, on the night of the 2nd, and sustained serious injuries. A complaint was made to Constable Daubney, who isietatiouod at Woodhaugh, i that a man was in tho etreet drunk, and i making use of obscene language. The constable states that lie went in foarch of / the offender, whom lie found close to the i I'olico Static?., awi showing unmistakable , signs of intoxication. As he approached the man the constable saw the glea.ni of n i tnife. Ho proceeded to make the arrest, V whereupon ho was, it is alleged, struck ' with tho knife ovAr the left ear. Finding lhat the conetable did not release his grasii, , tho assailant is stated to have again struck, | end this time the kniic-blade entered be- I Heath tho left ear. The policeman's face ] and tunio were drenched with blood, and, reeling away, he staggered towards his home. , At this moment Fred. Daubney, the eonstable's son (a Union football player) ! arrived cji the scene, and, realising what '' had luy>pcned, seized the alleged assail- ' ant, and hold him tenaciously till assistance ' arrived. i The wounded constable was assisted to I his home bleeding profusely. I Michael Coleman, the man who is clmrgeil with the assault, was brought to ' • the Police Station, and when searched only , a small knife was found in his possossion— '. ' « weapon much too insignificant to have i indicted such wounds. At the scene of tho struggle, a large ' clasp knife was nicked up, ( FIRE INSURANCE RATES. ; AUCKLAND, July 2. ' Inquiries made to-day in insurance i circles regarding the decision of the insur- , nnce companies to raise the rates for (ire i insurance elicited the information that the I higher premiums will be charged on and I after August 1. It was stated that the ' net trading loss to the combined com- ' jwiiies for 1908 was £159,354, and for ' the last five years £254,956. _ • ] " These figures are lamentable," said - one insurance authority. "The losses have occurred, and are still occurring, and ' companies cannot be expected to provide ] a surplus out of which they shall all i be paid. It is a great pity, but none ! the less true, that the fire waste in the .Dominion is excessive. This should not be the case in a young and prosperous ' country like this, but there is no dis- ] puling the facts. Until some satisfactory J ' solution is arrived at, or until there is a ' reduction in losses the rates will , have fo remain on an increase basis." j The leading underwriters stated that 6 even at the proposed increase of rates 1

fire insurance will be barely payable. What the actual increase is to bo has not been disclosed. WELLINGTON, July 17. The Conference of Underwriters sitting at Wellington decided that there should bo no increase in the rates at present.