ACCIDENTS & DEATHS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 54, Issue 193, 29 May 1934, Page 5

ACCIDENTS & DEATHS.

SUICIDE BY DROWNING(Per Press Association). ■■■!■■■■ CHRISTCHURCH, This Day, A rverdiet of suicide by drowning: was... returned by the Coroner (Mr E. !>•' Mosley, S.M.), at the )inquest tins, -y morning regarding the death of Stuart • Leslie Rutherford, a runholder, of Leslie Hills, whose body was recovered - in the Waimakariri River yesterday Rutherford disappeared on Saturday, May 19, leaving in his flat in the city a note addressed to the police, in. which he indicated that his body would ! be found in the Waimakariri. 'The note was produced at the inquest, and identified. But there was no further reference to it. -- . Duncan Leslie Rutherford* a farmer, of C'ulverden, said he last saw his brother alive at 10.30 a.m. on Friday!, May 18, when he spoke to ihim near Amuri Motors Garage, Durham Street- His brother then appeared to be in good health. There was. nothing about him to "indicate suicidal tenden- ; cies. For a fortnight before his dis: '.v appearance he had "been quite cheer- ; ful. He always . enjoyed god health., A constable gave formal evidence or the finding of the body. Deceased's letter to the police read as follow:

"May 19', 12.30 a.m.. Police Inspector, Christchurch. Dear Sir, —1 am aIT-aid I was the driver of the ear that struck a cyclist at 6.20 last,, night (Thursday), owing to .bad lights. I did not stop,' as I had had a few drinks, and I did not thinkthe cyclist was hurt seriously. I am very pleased to see that his condition is satisfactory. I have been a misfit in this world, and intend vo try the next shortly, ner the Waimakariri. ' Good-bye to ail.—b. M Rutherford." . .

DEATH UNDER ANAESTHETIC/ GISBORNE, May 28 v An inquest was held ttvday concerning the death of a seventeen-year-old girl, Beatrice Adelaide Hignett, at the Cook Hospital on May 24, where she had gone for the extraction of her teeth. •■ : ,' ~ The medical evidence showed .tnat the girl' was only lightly anaesthetised, and that the extractions bad 4>een completed when the patient suddenly Stopped breathing. Resuscitation methods were continued without avail. Further medical evidence was that the' girl was suffering from extensive dental caries and pyorrhoea, rendering the extraction of her teeth essential. A post-mortem examination showed that the lungs were healthy and that thero was no obstruction. The heart was small and the right /chamber was dilated. The cause of death was the effect of the anaesthetic on toxic myo- | carditis secondary to severe dental sepsis. , ' ~ ,!r The Coroner, Mr E. L. S.M., returned .a verdict accordingly...; .;. ;. ELDERLY CYCLIST KILLED. .', DUNEDIN, May 28; Fatal injuries were received >y Mr Charles Cook, an elderlyi man, ■residing at Tainui, when a bicycle he was riding collided with : a motor truck at the corner of Anderson's Bay Road and Wharf Street early this afternoon. He received severe injuries to his head and was taken to hospital, but was dead on arrival.