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Otago Witness, Issue 3333, 30 January 1918, Page 23

Following the last shooting season innumerable pairs of groy ducks took up their quarters /unong the willows and on lagoons in the Clutha basin above Cromwell, and the season's hatching was the best known for a great many years. At this period of the year, and with much traffic along the banks, the ducks remained in their haunts without fear, and were quite indifferent to the passer-by. As the young grew up this, state of affaire did not exist. We have reliable authority (says the Cromwell Argus) that quite recently they were subjected to a severe bombardment, and as a result scattered in all directions. A meesago received from Thursday Island on January" 16 stated that Ida, a wellknown Japanese goods merchant, was shot through the head by an unknown person. A number of Japanese were playing cards at the rear of Ida's sisop, when the shot was fired from outside, and through a window. Ida died instantly. The body of another Japanese, named Homaguehi, was discovered in a cemetery next afternoon, and there Is little doubt that this man, who was boarding in the house where Ida was killed, was the murderer, and committed suicide by shooting himself in the throat. A. dispute over money is surmised as the cause of tho tragedy.