THE FATE OF WOODWARD.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12469, 19 February 1909, Page 2

THE FATE OF WOODWARD.

;> A report; published in yesterday's . issue stated that a supposed victim of the Penguin disaster named Wood- 1 ' -ward was^not dead, but on the cou- ; trary had communicated with his • 'friends; by; post from Taihapa. since • the wreck. This is apparently incorrect, as yesterday '" Mr William Fairme, a steward on ;the Pateena, called at; this office and said that .he | was certain that Woodward was.drown--1 cd. He knew Woodward, who was a steward .on the Pateena for three or four months, well, and- he recognised his body on the beach at Terawhiti. Since, he. left the Pateena Mr Fairme states, Woodward had been employed ■at a hotel "at Blenheim. Woodward ; had wired from Blenheim the day be- , fore -the wreck, securing lodgings and j was seen .on board the Penguin last , Friday .night before the steamer sailed for Wellington, by several persons who knew him well by reajson of their ' business transactions' with .the Union Company's vessels.-trading to Pictpn. As fiirther confirmation -that Woodward was on board the ill fated ship, • one of the survivors,, who knew him when he was a' steward, saw Woodi. ward clinging to a boat.with oiie hand (the other was injured).but lost sight ' of him, when. the raft was overturned. i, Woodward, who was born in Scotland, was brought^ ud in London, and came, to . the Dominion in one of the New Zealand Shipping Company's steam--1 ers. He had no -relatives in New' ■ Zealand. .