A MYSTERY RECALLED.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 September 1920, Page 5

A MYSTERY RECALLED.

STUDENT'S DISAPPEARANCE. NOT SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE OFDEATH. A sequel to the disappearance of a young dental student- named William Richard Sydney Hobba whilst he was travelling from Dunedin to Hamilton in September of last year, came before the Supreme Court at Wellington on Thursday, when the Public Trustee proceeded, 'before the Chief Justice, Sir Robert Stout, for an order for the presumption of the death of the missing man. Mr. F. C. Kelly represented the Trustee, and Mr. C. H. Treadwell appeared for an insurance company holding a risk on the life of Hobbs. In support of the application it was pointed out that while returning to the North Island Hobbs booked a passage on the Maori on her run from Lyttelton to Wellington on Septehber 16, 1919, and between that time and the arrival of the steamer at Wellington he completely disappeared. It trauepircd that the berth allotted to Hobbs had not. been occupied, but a hand-bag belonging to him was found in the saloon of the ship. In order to wind up his estate, which consisted of a life insuranse policy for £3Oll, the Public Trustee asked the Court to assume that Hobbs had been Jost at soil, but Mr. Treadwell objected, on the ground that the evidence shown on affidavit was both insufficient and unsatisfactory and second-hand. Sir Robert Stout said he was satisfied that ithe evidence was insufficient, nnd pointed out that further testimony supporting the Public Truster's theory could have been obtained. Accordingly he adjourned the case sine die to give the appellant opportunity to move in the direction indicated.