ACCIDENTS & DEATHS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXII, Issue 8246, 11 December 1911, Page 2

ACCIDENTS & DEATHS.

Per Press Association.

AUCKLAND, December 11. Raymond -Martin, the four-year-old nephciy oi Mrs Riley, has died from the injunes he .sustained in the fire at Mounu i'ku-ii on Thursday nigiit. HASTINGS, December 9. A boy namod Percy Dodson, aged 11 years, culiidcd with a motor-car whilst riding a bicycle in' Market Street this morning, and was killed instantaneously-. The boy was riding ;i zigzag course, and n-as struck by the car and ■severely crushed. The car was travelling only about six miles an hour. ° * WANG AX Ul, December 9. A death by drowning happened today in the river opposite Landguard Bluff, two miles below the town. Charles Wood, a carpenter, had been in town at the election the previous' day and celebrated the occasion. Ihis morning he went to work at Mitchell and Company's new freezing works, but it was deemed advisable to send him homo by launch. As he was leaving when' the other men were in the engine room, Wood apparently fell off, and was drowned. Dragging operations wore unsuccessful in recovering the body. WELLINGTON, December 10. The police have received advice that a man named Dobsou was drowned at Lyell Bay, this afternoon. No particulars are to hand. Dr. Me Arthur, S.M., Coroner, held two inquests on Saturday. In the case of the death of Alfred Geprge Haines, who was found hanging in a shod at his residence, at Khandallah, on Friday, medical evidence' was that death was duo to heart failuro, not strangulation, and a verdict was returned accordingly. In the case of Archibald Buchanan, who was found with his throat cut in a private hotel, on Tuesday, a verdict was returned of dtath from septic pneumonia, due to wounds self-inflicted while* temporarily insane. OIRISTCHTJRCH, December 11.' An accident of an unusual and somewhat sensational description took place at ttedeliifs, on Friday afternoon. A horse and trap, the property of Messrs King and Co., corn merchants, was being driven along the road towards Sunnier with a load of potatoes, when the horse shied and boiled. After galloping .some distance tho horse and trap crashed over the embankment into the rivor, which was high, the driver luckily jumping clear and escaping with ,only a few contusions and abrasions. It was found impossible to get the horso out of die water, and the animal, held down by its harness and the weight of the trap, was speedily drowned. An inquest was hold on Saturday night, before Mr H. W. Bishop, Corouer, concerning the death of Charles Edwin Ilobsoii, who was found dead with a bullet wound in his side at the residence of his father. 76 Randolph Street, Woolston, on Saturday afternoon. Susanna Hobson, mother of deceased, stated that lier son had seemed quiet and depressed of late, had eaten very little, and slept poorly. She had last seen him si live at about | 2 p.m. on Saturday. He had then entered the bathroom. La tor witness heard a report, and entering the bedroom of deceased, found him lying on the bod with a gunshot wound in his left side. The gun was lying on the floor. Deceased had come homo very drunk on Thursday night, and was still .suffering from the effects of drink on Saturday. John Collinsou FFob^on, pnginccM-. f:iihor of deceased, corroborated tho evidencel 0 fthe previous witness. Benvocn the ages of thirteen and }u'Vf>.it.->pyi deceased had boon subject io frequent epileptic fits, and hnd always hivji of a despondent nature. Deceased had told him that on Thursday night he had diunk a bottle of whisky. Witne&s thought he was of unsound mind. A verdict was returned that dt»coa=ed died by shooting himself whilst of unsound mind.