UNKNOW

Otago Witness, Volume 23, Issue 2684, 23 August 1905, Page 36

UNKNOW

A shocking occurrence is reported from Colac (Victoria), the nine months old baby of a settler named Harrison, at Carlisle River, narrowly escaping an awful death. While Mr 3 Harrison was engaged in her household duties she left the baby playing on the verandah of the cottage, as she thought safe from harm. A few minutes later, however, she heard the screams of an elder child, and, rushing outside, was horrified to see a pig scampering across the house paddock in the direction of the bush with her baby in its jaws. She immediately ran after it, but failed to catch it, and her cries, together with "the screams of the unfortunate child, brought her husband to the scene. He dashed after the animal, which by this time had reached the hush, and was dragging the baby through the tangled scrub and undergrowth, tearing its clothes and lacerating its flesh. jA-fter running for a considerable distance, managed to stop the progress of the pig and rescued the child, bleeding and torn. The little one was found to have sustained terrible injuries. Both hands had been almost chewed to pulp, the tops of two of the fingers were missing, one of tho feet had been badly torn by the animal's teeth, and there were a number of minor injuries. The child was immediately placed in a vehicle and driven a distance of 27 miles to Colac, where it was admitted to a private hospital. Had not the screams of the second child attracted Mrs Harrison's attention there is not the slightest doubt that the pig would have devoured the child.

The Mayor of Wellington (Hon. T. W. Hislop), who is himself a lawyer, is of opinion (says the Post) that the history of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act has shown the utter folly of excluding solicitors from hearings of disputes before boards or the court. He stated at the meeting of the coimcil that he thought the delay which had occurred in the business of the oourt was due to the exclusion of lawyers.