SEARCH FOR POWELKA.

Colonist, Volume LII, Issue 12770, 16 April 1910, Page 4

SEARCH FOR POWELKA.

LUnu'kd Pituss Association.] Palmerston North, April 15. • To-day was-auother quiet day in conneotion with the search for tpwelka, which; however, is Being prosecuted with unabated vigour by the police throughout the district, It was an exceedingly trying day/ with a bitterly cold wind, heavy rain storms, and thunder and lightning. The searchers in various directions had'an extremely unpleasant time. The rain is likely to send up the creeks in some of the higher country. To-night, though the rain had ceased, the wind continued exceedingly cold-, but had abated soineWnat irorri the .gale of the day. Such weather as this, while unpleasant to tuo searchers, must also be very trying to the fugitive, unless, as seems iiupiobable, he is being- harboured somewhere. ■ r- '■••' The police are. still inquiring into the incident of the shot alleged' toi nave been fired at the Foxt&n train • the night before last, but; ; they place no credence in.' it as being in any.>ay connected with Powelka. ' In ■ connection with the' incident of the stickjng-up of Mr Laybourne on .night, and of Mr E. Pratt, a .summons has been issued against a local resident on a charge of assault The matter will be ventilated in the Magistrate's Court. In the case of Mr Laybourne, it will be remembered that I he was stuck up outside his own house by a' man, who according to Mr Laybourne's story 'claimed to be Powelka, and >who, he alleges, presented -a revolver at him. In Mr Pratt' s-.«tory itVas stated that he was stuck-up by an individual with a revolver and who he laughingly told .to go home. ,The inquest in connection with the death of 'the late Sergeant Magv.ire will open at 11 a.m. on Saturday, before Mr A; D. Thompson, S.M., the acting coroner, and a jury. After the jury has been sworn in it will be tiken to Mr Hampton's in' Fergumn street, the scene of the tragedy, and the inquiry will res\ime at 2 p.m. There will be evidence as to statements made by the late Sergeant Maguire, but no depositions .were taken" owing to the very low state in which the sergeant was in, when the talcing of the depositions would have militated against his chaJiee of recovery. The direct evidence will be from Detective Quartermain and JMr Hampton, and there will also be the evidence of Detective Siddells and Constables Dunn and King. Five of the Dominion Scouts, under Captain Dairymple, regarding who' there: has been so much controversy, returned to Wellington to-day. They were somewhat disgusted with . the coolness with which they had been received here.. Tlie most censorious references to the Scouts, however, appeared in the Wellington papers, and it is suggested that the pungency, of these might have been inspired by the recent incidents at the Kitchener camp in which Captain Dalrymple and Lienfc Housteii -figured; and whicn were the subject of a subsequent Mquiry.