OBITUARY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3870, 15 May 1928, Page 23

OBITUARY.

The death is announced in Christchurch of Major James Alfred Northcote, aged 67, of VVaiau, formerly a prominent volunteer officer.

The death occurred suddenly of Robert Bowman Lowden, manager of the Addington Railway Workshops. The late Mr Lowden joined the service as a fitter in 1890, and in 1923 he was appointed foreman at Addington, becoming manager in May of last year. A radio message dated May 4, received from the Ruapehu, bound from Wellington for Southampton, states that John Bevin, a passenger, died on Thursday. The deceased was a son of Sergeant-major Bevin, well-known .in Dunedin many years ago. Only recently he was in Dunedin, accompanied by his daughter, a talented vocalist. Before his retirement from the: railway service five years ago, he was district traffic manager of railways at Wellington. He was proceeding on a holiday to England, accompanied by his daughter. . The death of Mr Jack Pitt, third son of Mr H. E. Pitt, a well-known Greenfield settler, which occurred in the Balvlutha Hospital on May 6, brought to a close a long struggle extending over 17 months, between life and death. Young Mr Pitt (he was only 23 years of age at the time of his death) met with a motor car accident at Greenfield in December of 1926. The car was capsized into the river, and the young fellow suffered what at first was thought to be a broken neck. His spine was seriously injured. He was removed to the Balclutha Hospital, and the services of a specialist were procured from Dunedin. A successful operation resulted, and hope was entertained that he might recover, although he would always be an invalid. The patient made good progress, the nurses and the superintendent of the hospital taking the keenest interest in his case. Although paralysed from the shoulders down, he maintained a wonderfully cheerful demeanour, but the odds were too great. A week ago he became suddenly worse, suffering from a cold. Then complications set in, and he died on Sunday. Great sympathy is felt lor his parents, who were among the original settlers on Greenfield subdivision. A telegram from Palmerston North announces the death of Mrs M'Gregor. wife of Mr A. E. M’Gregor, formerly chief postmaster at Hokitika, Gisborne, Napier, and Dunedin. Mr Richard Norman writes: “Mr Alexander Inglis died in the Lawrence Hospital recently, aged 78, and the body was taken to Roxburgh for burial. The deceased was a very old colonist, arriving in Wanaka about the end of 1867 with his brother, the late John Inglis, who eventually was county chairman at Roxburgh for some years. Mr Alexander Inglis came from the South of Scotland to V anaka Station as a general yearly hand. He was also some years after arrival engaged in mining, but this was not very profitable. A few years after this Mr Inglis left. Wanaka and went to Roxburgh, and latterly lived at Dumbarton.”

The death of Dr James Macpherson occurred at Hamilton. Dr Macpherson, who was /1 years of age, was born in Perthshire, and after coming to New Zealand practised his profession in Dunedin for many years. He served in the Medical Corps during the war. and on his return was appointed to the medical staff of the Porirua Mental Hospital. For several years prior to his death he was superintendent of the Tokanui Mental Hospital. He is survived by a widow and adult family of four—Dr Douglas Macpherson (San Francisco), Mrs A. K. Watson (Peebles-shire. Scotland), Mrs F. Yates (Wellington), and Mrs A. W. Skinner (Te Awamutu). Mr William Uhriehton. F.R.1.8.A.. died at Wellington on April 5; aged 66 years. The very long cortege, beautiful "floral tributes, and the many letters, cables, and telegrams received by his sorrowing widow from all parts of the Dominion and abroad showed in what high esteem he was held. The late Mr Crichton was world travelled, a very genial, optimistic, charitable, and thoroughly British gentleman. On leaving the Public Works Department at the age of 24 years his first accepted building was the Dunedin Law Courts. He later took into partnership Mr J. M’Kay, and the firm of Crichton and M’Kay have many beautiful structures throughout New Zealand standing as monuments, among them the Dunedin Carnegie Library and the Bank of Australasia. He was several times elected president of the New Zealand Branch of Architects, was a member of many clubs and societies, and one of the original guarantors of the Wellington Racing Club. Racing was a pastime he greatly enjoyed. The death occurred in a private hospital in Oamaru on Friday morning of an old and most respected settler of the district, Mr Archibald Murray, of Pukeuri. The late Mr Murray was playing golf on the Oamaru Golf Links about a fortnight ago. He had made some particularly good shots, when he sat down, and collapsed. He was removed to a private hospital, but he never fully regained consciousness, and he expired peacefully. Mr Murray was farming for many years near Lauriston, in Canterbury, and was later farming further south. About eight years ago he purchased the “Fairfield'’ Estate, near Pukeuri, upon which he had resided ever since. He was a man of the strictest, integrity, and was possessed of a genial nature which won for him the affection and admiration of hosts of friends. Keenly interested in all branches of sport, he was an enthusiastic lawn tennis player, a keen howler, and an ardent golfer. He was for years president of the Pukeuri Bowling Club, in the formation of which ,he played an important part. At the time of his death he was also president of the North Otago Bowling Centre, and had the distinction of winning the Veterans’ Cup during last season. Mr Murray was for some years an entb.uiastic member of the North Otago Executive of the Farmers’ Union, and this year was vice-president. His advice and counsel on farming matters was always as keenly sought as it was freely given. Mr Murray was a justice of the peace, and an ardent worker in the cause of prohibition, while he manifested a keen interest in church matters. His death, under almost tragic circumstances, has come as a great shock to the

community, and his widow and family have the whole-hearted sympthy of hundreds of friends.

MAORI WAR VETERAN. . . GISBORNE, May 12. Service with von Tempsky against rebellious Maoris was the" outstanding feature of the early life of Ralph Todd Young, an octogenarian who died last evening. Young wa s born at Berwick-on-lweed 83 years ago, and came to New Zealand as a hoy. The adventurous life of the volunteers under von Tempsky appealed to him, and at 16 vears of age he joined the famous leader and took part in the fighting in the Waikato. v,nen the rebellion had been quenched 1 oung worked on the land for a while, and then took up a section in the Auckland district, where he and Mrs Young reared a family o f four sons and two daughters.