AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2605, 13 September 1909, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

BOY MYSTERIOUSLY DISAPPEARS.

The case of James Todd (9), who, until quite recently, was residing with his parents at 47 Alfred-street, Circular Quay, is engaging the attention of the detectives and police officers of the city. The boy has mysteriously disapeared. On August 25 lie came home \ from school at about half-past fonr io’clock. A few minutes later he went out on his tricycle, telling an elder brother, who asked where he was going, that lie was going to the wharf, arid did not want him to accompany him. It was at first thought that the youngster might have fallen with his machine into the harbor and been drowned, but the dragging of the foreshores has revealed nothing. His father is of opinion that some person has induced him to go on an out-going craft. The boy was bare-footed owing to an injured foot, and dressed in a blue Conway suit. WAS IT A TRAGEDY? The attending the death of a man, John Whitelaw, which occurred in Walisend Hospital, were further inquired into by the coroner, Mr. C. Hibble, on August 27. The pre-, vious evidence had been to the effect that deceased, while walking home on the night of” May 22, was attacked without .provocation by a man, William Regan. Whitelaw was knocked down : twice and rendered insensible. He was, picked up by his son, and some other witnesses of the assault, and taken to his home. Ever since he had complained, of; pains. in, the head, and,a post-mortem examination showed that doatk was caused, by injury to the brain. 1 ■ v > _

Other witnesses deposed to having seen- the assault, which they stated was not in any way provoked. William Regan, who was present, desired to give evidence, and after being cautioned by the coroner, entered box. He stated that he was walk- , ing along the street with his wife, when deceased came up and caught hold of her. He told Whitelaw to desist, and as he would not go away, witness hit liim. He intended to knock deceased down, ,and he did so. Annie Regan, wife of the previous witness, corroborated his evidence. Her husband knocked Whitelaw down because he caught hold of her. In reply to Senior-Detective MsHattie, William Regan declined to say how many times he had been convicted of serious assaults. ■ The coroner returned a verdict of manslaughter, and committed. William Regan to take his trial at the Circuit Court at Newcastle on September 28. WOMAN RESCUES FOUR v v CHILDREN. ■ j./.ij-liP, /l—T tt—lv , ~ ■ A fire occurred at- Sydney in an Oxford-street pawnbroker’s shortly after 11.30 o’elofctk on Thursday evening, August '-26, through, it is supposed, a light being; thrown down carelessly. Seven persons resided.on the premises above the f shop, and had the fire remained undiscovered a few minutes longer- they might not have been got out in time. As it was, their escape by the ground floor was cut off, and they were forced to make. their. way through the windows on to the verandah roof, and thence to the ground. Mrs. Solomon hagl made her ' escape from the, window on do thebalcony, and clipribpd on to the ro<>f ofa, cab! and down to,, the ground. Her four children were asleev . in another of; the rooms on.i the, first floor. apd, another, woman who was in the house, named Mary Mamij pluckily made four trips to the youngster's room and brought them out oil to the verandah, from whence they were all low-, ered to the street by the constable andtbe watchman. The brigade {arrived meanwhile, arid took the .plucky, woman: off the verandah roof by the use of a ladder. ; WHIRLED TO HIS DEATH. The Melbourne coroner held an inquiry regarding the. death of Alexander Finley, pged 48 years, a carpenter, and millwright, ,who •'w.as, killed atv Messrs. Harper and Co.’s faetorv at Port Melbourne. Deceased became • l entangled in the shafting of the ; machinery, ’ arid: was dragged round several times and dashed;- with .great,! vliolonoe.: against the . ceiling and beams. His thumb was torn off,'- his ' right,, arm , crushed to a, pulp, and his.,.head- and!/face dreadfully mutilated.A .John, .Higgins, a miller, stated that he witnessed the fatality. .He whs in;' charge ‘of the factory, and deceased was, employed as a carpenter, * and. ,milhv rigKt, • odd •jofos about the establishment. ✓At about 2, p.m. last Monday week, witness saw the rope (produced) twisted around a shaft. It had been there since 11 a.m. that day. "The deceased attempted to remove the rope while the machinery •'was in'motion. Witriess said do de- . ceased. •' “Come away, or you II >go round.” He made no reply, and at that imomeixt was caiight in a fold of the rope and whirled to his death. A verdict of .accidental" death was returned. , • !