ACCIDENTS & FATALITIES

Auckland Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 254, 27 October 1898, Page 7

ACCIDENTS & FATALITIES

A fatal accident happened to a man named John Hart, chief steward of the s.s. Rose Casey, on October 5. Hart AA*as leaAdng the A'essel, a\'hich aa_is berthed beside the Quaj'-street- breastAvcrk. As he stepped on the top of the Avail his foot slipped, and he fell down between the breastwork and the vessel. Death Avas due to fracture of the skull, caused by the unfortunate man striking his head against either the Rose Casev or the breastwork in ; his fall. | DANEVIRKE. October 6. j A middle-aged man, Wm. Little, of Ngapaeruru block, was felling a tree, when another tree fell on him, breaking his hip and injuring hint internally. He died shortly after. NEW PLYMOUTH, October 13. I A hank clerk named William James ! Baillie shot himself at Waitara thi* morning. The name of deceased, who belonged jto the South Island, was brought up in | connection Avith recent divorce proceedings ;in the Supreme Court. An inquest is pro- | ceeding this afternoon. j BLENHEIM, October 17., ! Mr John Mapp, a farmer, fell off his j horse in Walter-street, Blenheim, on Sat- , nrclay night, ancl fractured his skull. He died before reaching the hospital. MASTERTON, October 17. i Mr William • Whit., manager of the Wairarapa Farmers' Co-operative Association furnishing department, broke a blood vessel on Saturday evening while.selling a piano, and died in less than five minutes. WELLINGTON, October 13. As the Wellington-Masterton train was drawing up to Woodside Railway Station near Grey town last night, a young girl, Florence Owen, a second-class passenger, attempted to alight from a carriage. She fell, and one Avheel passed over her body. She was instantly crushed to death, She had a sewing machine in her hands, Avhich probably retarded her in attempting to set clear ol the train. She was a sister of Mr John Owen, postmaster at Knmara. WELLINGTON, October 21. ; Alfred c Lee, a Avharf labourer, Avas killed at the Queen's Wharf this morning. He was one of a gang unloading fruit from the Tarawera. On the first sling, containing cases of oranges, being hoisted, the gin block by some means became detached from the ring of the derrick, and in falling struck deceased on the back of the skull, fracturing it and causing almost instantaneous death. At the inquest the jury returned a verdict of accidental death, and added a rider, "That it is not safe to rely on Avire-seizing for hooks used for lifting cargo, and that a hook should be devi*ed which would be practically safe from slipling off." The evidence showed that the same tackle had been used on the TaraAvera before, and had lifted heavier Aveights. The second officer of the Tarawera said the gear of the gin Avas all right before operations Avere commenced. Some of the sailors gave similar evidence. NELSON, October 21. _ Thomas Hayton, farmer, aged 45, suicided in a shed at Wakapuaka yesterday. He shot himself in the mouth and hung himself in one act. He leaves a wife and two children. Deceased had been despondent during the last tAvo or three Aveeks. HOKITIKA, October 4. Joseph Barrett, an old man, single, resident at Koitcrangi, suicided yesterday afternoon by bloAving Ins head to pieces with a dynamite cartridge, Avhiph h_ had apparently placed in his mouth. October 17. A man named James Thompson committed suicide at a house oft' Barbadoesstreet yesterday by shooting himself through the body with a Martini-Henri rifle. He had been in low spirits owing to the fact that he had been told that some of the hands in the establishment where he Avas employed Avere to be dispensed with. He had made arrangements to be married on Thursday, but on Saturday night told his fiancee he could not owing to money matters. Deceased was about 35 years of age. • . • "

DUNEDIN, October 10,

At an inquest on a body found at the Heads, a verdict of "Found DroAvned" Avas returned. A labourer gave evidence that he believed the body to be that of a man he had seen on the Duke of Devonshire Avhen the vessel was at the Avharf.

INVERCARGILL. October 17.

David Dicksen, farmer, aged 48, met with a fatal accident at Otautau last evening. He Avas mounting a horse when it bolted, Avith the result that he was thrown hea\_ly on his head. The deceased Avas a native of the North of Ireland, and leaves' a large family.