PELORUS JACK.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15098, 22 March 1911, Page 8

PELORUS JACK.

REPORTED DEATH,

STATEMENT CONTRADICTED.

(Pee United Phess Association.) WELLINGTON, March 21. This afternoon. Mr Allport, Secretary for Marine, received a letter iroin Mr G. Webber, a settler at French Pass, in which he said that Wells Bros., of D'Urville Island, had found ivhat they believe to be the carcase of l J elorus Jack. Mr Webber, who has sail Jack many hundreds of times, was asked to identify the leniains, and as the result his opinion was ex-pre.-sed that the colour, she, and shape exactly correspond with what they had sesn of the fieh in the water. The length of the carcase is, they state, juit lin un.aer 14ft, and the girth between 9it and 10ft. " I should say," say« Mr Webber, " that he has been dead los- a week or 10 days, tad has been coimidc-Tably bitttn uy sharks—probably alter death." The department has tent instructions to take photographs of the fish, and' secure the skeleton, till the Hinemoa can call fcT it. The department is ako requesting masters of pr,6iing vase-Is to ascertan it Pelcrus Jack is frequenting his usual haunt;. In reference to the report of a dead M believed to be Pelonis Jack having been found, it is stated by the ,oiiicers on the Pateciia, which arrived in Wellington to-night, that PeloVus Jack w.s seen on Saturday afternoon as usual when tho Patesna was on her pa.eage from Mol.«« to Picton, and on Monday nigst the look-out man on the Piteeiia saw Jack accompany tho vcsstl I'lorn W minutes post 9 tilt 10 minutes to 10.' Peiorus Jack wae also setn by some passengeis. 'Ihis afterno n lMo.ve Jack was i:ot sesn by anyone on the lateeni, but this is not unusual, as Jack has frequently beon absent diuir.g the past fe>v months. NELSON, -March 21. This day week P.elorus Jack was seen by passengers to Wellington, among them being MoJle. Antonia Dolores. The Orrier-in-Council protecting Jack will expire on May 21.

Later,

The Colonist is in a, position to contradict the report as to the death of Peloi'us Jack. Mr W. T. Bond, of Nel6on, who returned homo by the Pateena to-day, states that he and others raw Jack hi the water on. .Monday night, and tliat he followed the Pateena lor miles. Mr Eond has seen him many times, but never saw him 60 frisky as he was on Monday night.