TOWN EDITION.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 14658, 16 July 1918, Page 6

TOWN EDITION.

The estates of 320 deceased persona were placed under the charge of tho Public Trustee during June.

"There is too much of this sort of thing going on altogether," was the remark of Mr. Barton, S.M., to-day, when convicting an offender for supplying liquor to a native.

The efforts to popularise standard, blouses m Germany — dignified with the name "Empire blouses" — seems to have had little success. German women object to the loud colors and bad cut of the standard article, and the Imperial Clothing Office has had to issue a reminder that it is concerned "not with luxury but with necessity," and not with "elegance, and fashion." The Clothing Office says this business is to produce something that will wear well and will suit women of all classes and ages, and claims that it has accomplished its task to perfection.

A Dunedin ironmaster, asked how the trade are getting on for raw material, said: "So far as we know there's not an ounce of iron on the water for New Zealand. We are' keeping going by scrapping up every odd lot, new or old, that can bo found m the country. New Zealand never had such a clean-up of old iron. The rolling-mills take, all the wrought and the foundries all the cast, and between us we are not missing any. thing worth cartage. The Minister of Munitions has been asked to try to get the Old Country to liberate a little, but so far there is no response, and we are just scratching on from week to week."

At the Police Court this afternoon, inthe charges of supplying liquor to natives; on the racecourse, after hearing further evidence his Worship said he had little doubt that Samuel Cleaver handed the bottle to the native ; therefore he would inflict a similar penalty to that imposed on Grant (fine of £5 with costs, or 20 days' hard labor). Tom Ryan was fined £2, with 7s costs, m default 7 days' imprisonment. His Worship said he would impose a reduced fined, as accused merely joined m. having a. drink, although he did not go there for the purpose. The case against the native Tarupuhi was dismissed, his Worship considering the evidence insufficent. It was finally decided to divide the amount of costs between the accused.

The following particuars of the death of the late Captain James R. R. Leys, of Wellington, who died from wound •; received m action m France, were received by. the last English mail. Writ ing under date May 22, Captain W. ,J. Rodger, Ist Canterbury Company, 2nd New Zealand Entrenching Battalion, states : "Poor Jim was badly wounded on or about April 16 during a very hou engagement at Meteren. He was m command of the Ist Otago Company, and my company was on his left. He went out with a party to capture a machinegun which was giving a lot of trouble. He suoceeded m dispatching most of the gun's crew, Avhen another gun way turned on him, which severely wounded him m the stomach and wrist. He endeavored to regain our line, but fe'l before reaching it. His men got him m, and carried him down to the dress-ing-station, but, unfortunately, he died shortly afterwards. . . His very gallarf action was brought under the notice < his superiors, and we are hoping that some decoration will be sent out to his parents."

Commenting on the funeral of the late Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Frederick Denman Cook, D.5.0., Ist Battalion, Wellington Regiment, the Reading Standard says : "A deep note of tragedy pervaded the funeral at Reading of Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Frederick Denman Cook, D.5.0., Ist Battalion Wellington (N.Z.) Regiment, whose death under such singularly sad circumstances was reported. The service was conducted at St. Luke's Church, where, less than six months ago, the deceased officer was married to Miss Agneta Mary Haynes. All the troops at the service, over 50 m number, were New Zaalanders, most of whom had come from i a long distance to attend the funeral, a^d large numbers gathered m the cemetery to witness the imposing scene. Tho service was conducted by the vicar, the Rev. F. J. Howard, and Captain Tobin, C.F. In command of the troops was BrigadierGeneral Hart, D.5.0., who also acted as pall-bearer 1 with Colonel Short, Colonel Griffiths, and Colonel Smith, Major Green, and Major Rose, all of whom came from Sling, Two wounded officers of the New Zealand Army, Colonel Weston and Major Hardy, came from No. 2 Hospital. Walton-on-Thames. The firing party, under the charge of Captain McCormick, travelled from Hornchurch. Full military honors were accorded, the band, buglers, and gun carriage being all supplied by New Zealanders. A nuraer of the V.A.D. nurses from St. Luke. V.A.D. Hospital, under Mrs. Abram, M.8.E., also attended the service.

It may be remembered that -when Eggers, the West Coast murderer, stood at the steps of the scaffold to expiate hie crime, he assured the officiating clergyman that he was not the man--whp had fatally shot Coulthaxd, the driver of tho car which was carrying the two mine officials with, the men's wages. This denial on the edge of eternity must have raised a doubt m the minds of some people whether the police had really tracked down the murderer. It is asserted, however, that the police authorities have m their possession a letter written by Efrgers, m which^he virtually confessed his crime. The letter was to have been delivered by a friend to the woman with whom Eggers had been living, but it did not reach its intended destination. It is also* stated that Eggers, when ho was m the condemned' cell, made repeated efforts to obtain the delivery to him of a smaW portion of strychnine secreted by him m a little box containing rare coins, whiten box had passed into the hands of the police, and that he oven communicated with the Justice. Department, protesting against the treatment he was receiving. The police officials, however, quietly but surely frustrated, all his efforts m this -direction. The -police axe believed to have a suspicion that this was not the first time Eggers had done a. man to death. Some years back a man who was known to have some £3000 m his possession -was fatally shot m Sydney; but the murderer was never apprehended, nor was the money recovei-ed. A certain suspicion attaches to Egg-firs m connection with this ' murder. He was m Sydney at that time, and shortly afterwards arrived m the Dominion, So far as the police were able to ascertain, hie had done no work for two or thren years, prior to the West Coast murders. If he had lived during tlrs ti.m& on the proceeds of a previous crime, the exhaustion of his funds may have compelled him to the .perpetration of the murder of which he was convicted. The threads of Esrgere's career have now been fastened together He was charged under his correct name, and he was born m South Australia of German parents. He .had appeared m coxirt twice before — on tho second occasion on a charge of forgery, of which he was found guilty, and for which he received a sentence of two years' imprisonment.