ACCIDENTS & FATALITIES

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 93, 23 April 1891, Page 7

ACCIDENTS & FATALITIES

William Beattie, a station manager, was found drowned in a lagoon ab Oamaru on March 28th.

A Maori woman named Whakamata, wife of W. Cannon, was run over by the mid-day train near fakipaki, Waipawa, on April 9, and killed.

A child earned David McCleavy, aged 16 months, was run over at Brighton, Dunedin, on March 29th and killed. The child was walkinc along the road and got under the horses' feet. A child named James McKay, aged two end a-half years, was drowned in ;i tub of water at Christchurch on March 30th. The mother and tho child wore on a visit from Dipton, Southland. A boy named Christian Harden, aged sixteen years, was accidentally shot; at Mauriceville on April 19 while out pigeon shooting. A resident; of Epsom, named Closes Chambers, died rather suddenly on April 17th. Ho was an elderly man, 53 years of age. William Campbell, a miner, was killed in the Bendigo mine, Cromwell, Otago, on March 23. He was carrying dynamite in a bucket, and lighted a candle, when an explosion occurred, and Campbell was killed. A Portuguese named Joseph Gilbert died Suddenly ab the landing, Tairua, ou April 12th. Yesterday, Inspector Eroham received S. telegram from Constable Joyce, stationed at Tairua, stating that a Maori named Tautari Papeta, had committed suicide by hanging himself to the rafts of his whare at "Wharek&wa.

A boy named James Bovrler died suddenly at Oamaru on April 2nd. An inquest was held, at which the jury returned a verdict of "Death by the visitation of God." The post mortem disclosed that deceased had ruptured his liver, which was badly diseased.

Satnuol Hyndman, who was injured in the recent colliery disaster at Huntly, is dead. He expired in the Hamilton Hospital on April Bth his spine having boon Injured by the fall of earth, lie had boon sinking rapidly the previous week. He leaves a widow and four children, in a destitute condition.

The late Mr Hingston, of Te Puke, Tauranga, who was drowned while bathing in the Waihi Creek, near Maketu, on Easter Monday, was one of tho special settlers brought out some years ago by Mr Vesey Stewarb in the ship Lady Jocalyn. His body was recovered by a Maori in a canoe, and all attempts to resuscitate it failed.

On Sunday morning, aboutG o'clock, cays a Melbourne paper, a man fishing ab Wendouree discovered the body of another man floating in the water. An examination showed deceased to be one Hy. Leach, according to a poncil note found on the body, which ran as follows :—" You will find my luggage at the railway etation. —Yours truly, Hγ. Leacu, Timaru, New Zealand."

Information has been received that the dead body of a man was cast up on the beach at Mangonui, > near the head of Doubtless Bay, on April sth, The remains were unrecognisable, the face having been eaten away by the fishes. Tho deceased was subsequently identified as Edward Stribbling. An inquest was held, when a verdict of "Found drowned" was returned.

A sad accident occurred at Papakura on March the 26th, resulting in the death of Mrs Gratten. There was a concert at the township, and at its close Mrs Gratten and a number of friends left on horseback for their respective homes. The side saddle of the horse the unfortunate lady was upon clipped, and she fell off and was draggsd a considerable distance. She -was carried to a neighbour'a house, and Dr. Carolan was prompt in attendance, but death shortly ensued. A sad fatality occurred on Mount Egtnont. New Plymouth, between April 2nd and 4th. A young man named William Southwood left Stratford on horseback to make the ascent, and not having returned on Friday, a party went to look for him. His horse, overcoat, pocket-book, gun and leggings have been found. A heavy snow storm compelled the search party to return to the camping ground. Southwood was travelling agenb of the Government Life Insurance.

An inquest was held at Mangawai on the 11th inst. on the body of George Williame, otherwise known as " Professor " Williams, the circumstances of whose death were Btated by James Douglas. On the morning of the 10th inst. Douglas was aroused by the barking of dogs and found the whare in which Williams lived to be on fire. He aroused others and an effort was made to extinguish the flames, but without success, and the whare was destroyed. Subsequently, Wiliams was discovered leaning against the wall with life extinct, the hands and feet being burned away.

• Messrs Fish (Bank of New South Wales), Goldsworthy (Bank of New Zealand), Horswell, who owns one of the leading businesses in Naseby, and J. McGregor went out shooting on April 2nd on the property of Mr Geddes, midway between Naseby and Kyeburn. Late in the afternoon when all were together in the whare, seeing some ducks come along they prepared to lire. Three fired at once, and Horswell, thinking all had fired, rose up, receiving the contents of the remaining gun in the back of the head. Half the head was blown away. He lived two hours, bub oover regained consciousness.

A wire from Reefton (West Coast) states that Moore Mawhinney., landlord of the Cruehington Hotel, was accidentally drowned in the Inangahua River on April 9th. The deceased and a man named John Murphy were on their way home from Reefton, and when about half a mile away on Black's Point Road, Mawhinney fell over the bank into the river, falling about 20 feet into the surging water, the river being in fresh at the time.

William Johns, a young man about 17 years of ago, son of Mr John Johns, a farmer at Pukekohe, and one of the South Franklin Mounted Infantry, met with a serious accident as he was returning from the Military Sports on March 28. His horse bolted, and when just", opposite Olesen's store tried to turn down the side road. Johns tried to keep him straight on, and the horse slipped on the footpath, throwing the rider on his head. Young Johns was picked up unconscious, and was carried to the residenceof Mr Olsen, Epsom Itoad, where he died on April sth. The funeral took place on the 6th at the English cemetery, Otahuhu. There were, lbesicas the parents and relatives of deceased, a large number of friends from Pukekohe, Papakura, and Mangere, and a detachment of the Pukekohe Mounted Infantry who came down by train and met the funeral cortege at St. Ann's Bridge; The detachment was under the command of Lieutenant Webster. Arlriving at the cemetery, the remains of the unfortunate young man were met by the Rev. Frank Gould, the coffin being carried to the grave by comrades of the deceased. The usual military honours were paid by fehe troop to their departed brother, by a firing party under charge of Sergeant Dalton.

Mr John Bourke, Town Clerk of Gisborne, wa3 drowned while bathing on April 2. His body was found the following day in close proximity to the pier terribly disfigured which leads to the belief that the unfortunate man lost his life while endeavouring to get back on the pier. The deceased was forty-three years old, and had

been Town Clerk in Gisborne for ten years, having previously been accountant in tho Union Bank, Gisborne, Nelson, and Invorcargill. Ilia early days were spent at Napier. Mrs Bourke states that her husband left home at 6.30 fora bathe, saying he would not be long away, and would be back for breakfast. The sea was very calm, but there waa a very swift current running, and the concrete blocks being very slippery, deceased would have had a difficulty in getting back on tho pier, lie was esteemed by every citizen, and his sad fate has caused a great shock to the community. At the inquest on the body, a verdict was returned of accidentally drowned whilst bathing, with a ridor attached requesting tho Harbour Board to declaro it unsafe to bathe off tho breakwater.

On Tuesday afternoon, March 31st, a terrible drowning fatality occurred at Kauaeranga Valley, Thames, where Misses Leoni and Eva Giilespie, daughters of Mr H. C. Gillespie, lost "their lives. The deceased young ladies were aged 15 and 13 years respectively. It appears that Misses Gillespie, Carpenter, and several other young ladios proceeded in tho forenoon on a, picnic up the Kauaeranga Valley, and while there they agreed to have a bathe. Tho Misses Gillespie got out of their depth, and seeing that they were drowning Miss Carpenter made towards them with the intention, if possible, of effecting their rescue. In this, however, she proved futile, as eho also got out of her depth, and was noarly drovrned. By this time, tho accident was observed by some persone in the vicinity, and Miss Carpenter was rescued in an unconscious state, bub she soon recovered. The bodies of Misses Gillespie were removed to town, wherean inquestwas held, at which a verdict of "Accidental drowning" waa returned. The sad affair has cast a gloom over the wholo community, aa the deceased young ladios were universally esteemed.

At tho inquest on thevictims of tho Shelly Bay guncotton explosion on April 21st tho jury returned the following verdict: —

" The jury find that the deceased died from injuries through an accidental explosion of guncotton at Shelly Bay on March 5, but that there was not sufficient direct evidence for them to say what caused the oxexplosion." The following rider was added :—" We think that tho method hitherto practised at Shelly Bay in the manufacture of primers is obsolete, and should bo discontinued, tho pattern of cannister known aa service cannister with a pickle bottle top to be used instead ; we also are of opinion that the officers commanding the torpedo corps in tho colony should bo instructed by the proper authorities to strictly adhere, as far as practicable, to the rules issued by the War Office for use in the Imperial service. The jury aro of opinion in this instance that no blame is attachable to Captain Falconer, aa he was not aware of the circular relating to the improved method of loading primers." Notwithstanding the verdict of the jury Mrs Heighten, wife of one of the victims of the Shelly Bay explosion, has laid information for manslaughter against Captain Falconer. The case is set down for hearing on Tuesday. The same witnesses as at the inquest have been subpoenaed.