ACCIDENTS & FATALITIES

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 140, 15 June 1893, Page 6

ACCIDENTS & FATALITIES

A man named Alexander Mitchell died suddeuly at Helensvilio on Jund 3rd. " Accidentally drowned" was the verdict returned by a coroner's jury aD Kaeo, in the North, on, the body of John Thomas Smith, who was drowned in the Kaeo River while crossing it with a cart. Another death from alcoholism is reported from Northern Wairoa, where a man named Alexander Hood was found dead on the morning of the 17th mat. At the inquest held on the body, at the Northern Wairoa Hotel, Dr. Norton said thab the cause of death was heart disease, brought on by excessive use of stimulants, The jury returned a verdict of "Death from heart disease." Ths wife of Dr. Moore, Napier, died sud" denly on June 3rd. She had been suffer" ing for some time, and recently underwent an operation for an internal complaint, bufc no immediate danger was anticipated. The deceased leaves a family of young children. A post mortem showed that death was due to laudanum acting on diseased organs. She did not take sufficient to cause the death of a healthy person. A yerdict was returned of accidental death. An inquesb was held recently at Rawene, near Hokianga, upon a skeleton that had been washed up on the beach. Mr Webster, J.P., officiated as coroner. After hearing the evidonce, the jury returned the verdict that they believed the remains to be those of a man named George Wyafct who waa. drowned in August, 1889, by the capsizinp of a boat. A mau named Alfred Jervis and a Maori were also drowned on the same occasion, but their bodies were subsequently recovered. A shocking affair happened at Wellington on June 13. A man named Willis, nightsoil contractor, was going his rounds when a kerosene lamp that was strapped round hia body exploded. At the same time hia horse bolted, and Willis instead of attending to himself went after the horso. Having caught the animal he tried to take the lamp off himself, but could nob do so, and his clothes rapidly became a mass of fire. Everything was burned off him except bis leggings, and he was terribly injured. The poor follow was forwarded to the Waipukurau Hospital. On June 3rd; a young man named William O'Hearn, belonging to Auckland, was brought down from Oxford by train, suffering severely from injuries received while working on Messrs McLean and Son's railway contract, near Rotorua. He waa taken in an ambulance waggon from Newmarket to the District Hospital, where ha subsequently died. He was severely injured internally by a fall of eaith in the railway works. An inquesb was held, and the jury returned a verdict that the deceased died from the result of injuries accidentally received, and thab no one was to blame for the occurrence. A man named Harry Dignan is supposed to have been drowned in the Tairua River, ab Puketika, about 35 miles from Tairua, on the 3rd ult. On tho 2nd ulb. Mr Agnew, of Tairua, took Dignan's swag and gum from his camp to Puketui, on horseback, and the next day Dignan followed, on foot. There was a strong " fresh" in the river that day, and he had to cross it twice. It is thought thab he was swept away in crossing it, as he has nob been beard of since. Dignan was a man of about 60 years of age, and was well known to almost all the bushmen in the province, as he had for years been employed as a bush cook, though lately gumdigying. It was reported to the Wellington police on June 5 ohat a woman named Mary Atkinson had died, apparently from the effects of a severe injury to the head inflicted by some blunt instrument. The deceased lived in Ohiro Road, about three miles from town. At the inquest the medical evidence 'favoured the theory of accident, and the jury returned a verdict "Thab death had engued from tetanus, the result of a wound on the head, bnb thab thero was nob eufficienb evidence to show how the injury had been received." The police are satisfied that thero was no foul play. Tho doctor's evidence is considered to be conclusive that death was accidental. No further steps, therefore, are likely to be taken. On June 7th a man named Michael Moriarity was found lying in an unconscious state on the sido of the footpath near the western entrance to the Domain, by some lads playing football near the Chinamen's gardens. Tho unfortunate fellow was removed to the institution, where he died on tho following day. Ib appears that he was charged a few days ago aa being a lunatic, bub Dr. Giles, R.M., who heard bho caae, considered he was a more fib subjficb for the Old Men's Refuge. Acting on this advice, the police bad him placed in the Princes-sbreeb auxiliary; depot of the Charitable Aid Board. Moriarity, however, evidently did nob care for restraint as he scon cleared out of that place, and was not heard of again. Moriarity, who was only about 39 years of age, was brought down from the Northern Wairoa, where he had been gumdigging, some time ago, and committed to the asylum. He was discharged from there after two months, and had since been living with some of his relatives. "Death from excessive drinking, accelerated by exposure and web " was the verdict returned at) the inquesb. About eighb a.m. on June Bth a member of Dr. R. H. Bakewell's family mado bhedistrcssing d iscovery that M iss Katherine Arabella Bakewell had poisoned herself. The stomach pump was applied, and a quantity of arsenic was washed out. The patient was then, on the rccottt" mendation of Dr. Lewis, senb to the Hospital, where she received every attention, but death supervened shortly before 10 o'clock. There' was ample evidence thab death was caused by •'Rough on Rats."' Dr. Bakewell ascribes as the reason for hi 3 daughter's rash ace, the fact that her mind was depressed owing to being overstrained by cramming to pass an examination in order to fib herself for a teacher's career. Up to lasb January twelve months Miss Bakowell was in raosb perfecb health, and piior to studying for the examination used to boast thab she did nob know what a headache was. She commenced to study for a teacher against Dr. Bakewell's wish, as he did nod think she was fitted. Forty-eight hours before the examination her father advised deceased to put away her books, but she persisted in studying until she finally broke down during the examination, and the last day could not attend. Ot course this meant a failure to pass, but Miss Bakewell hoped to secure a partial certificate to enable her to act as a pupil teacher. When she found she_ had failed in this also, she became a victim to melancholia. She refused to eat anything excepting scraps,saying that bhey would all be sbarved. One day her father learned that the unfortunate girl had been trying to poison herself with drugs from hia laboratory. Dr. Bakewell proposed to go at once and.eign an information to have her examined by two independent doctors, bub tho girl's mother and the resb of the family shrunk from such a course. Dr. Bakewell then senb for Dr. C. H. Haines, who gave the opinion that Miss Bakowell was suffering from exaggerated hysteria, and recommended a change. She was accordingly sent to a friend's house at Ponsonby and returned in a much better state of health. This put the family naturally off their guard, with the sad result already mentioned. Deceased was a member of St* tj™«j:^>» Tj«.,-, n ,, Paf.lmliV nhiirp.h. New-