A FATAL FALL.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 145, 19 June 1894, Page 8

A FATAL FALL.

ACCIDENT AT FIRTH'S WHARF.

DEATH OF AN EXPRESS MAN.

Abbot two o'clock this afternoon, a distressing and fatal accident occurred at Quay^street Jettj', respiting^ in the death of an elderly man nsmed * orbe3 Hill, expressman, of Epsom, ,1b appears that la tho course of his .occupation Hill conveyed some crates of tins in hia express from the premises of Mr Harvey, tinsmith, to the jetty for the purpose of being placed on board the Colonial Sugar Retinery Company's steamed Kotuku. Hill bad taken Borne of the crates oii the express and pub .them'oil the. wharf, aad with his back to tho steamer was in the act of pulling another craffl' towards the Btringer, when, he miased hold and fell baekwarda from the wharf on to the deck of the Kotuku, v distance of something like 14it or 15ft. Tho poor fellow alighted on his head and dislocated his neck. Io is stated by those who were present! that he muttered sonjo few words as he waa falling, but he did not speak afterwards, and only lived some ten or fifteen minutes afo'erwards, death being almost instantaneous. Constable Stanyer was quickly on the scene, and Dr. King wan sent for, Thia gentleman responded promptly, but Mr Hill was beyond medical aid and the doctor pronounced life extinct. Id ad' dition to Hill's neck being dislocated, Dr. King also found that there was a deep cut on the right side of the head. The deceased was an old reddeno of Auckland and was much liked among his fellow expressmen. He lived at Epson, and carried on his express duties during the day, while ho delivered on a milk round in the morning. The doceased was father-in-law of Mr A. Johnstone, cab proprietor, of Bond-street, Arch Hill. The body lay in a pool of blood on the steamer till it was placed on a stretcher and conveyed to the morgue in an express.