ACCIDENTS & FATALITIES

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 158, 6 July 1899, Page 3

ACCIDENTS & FATALITIES

At Kuaotunu on June 17, Hugh, the youngest son of Mrs H. Murray, about four years old, was playing with other children near a creek when he fell into the water. An elder brother plunged in and secured the body, and efforts were made to restore animation, but they failed.

Mr Allan W. O'Neill, solicjtor, of Shortland-street, died suddenly at the Northcote Hotel about one o'clock a.m. on June 30. about one o'clock this morning. He had resided at the hotel for many 3'ears. Deceased was born in Auckland, lie was a son of the late Mr Jas. O'Neill, a very old Auckland identity.

A little girl, seven years old, the daughter of Mr Harris, settler and postmaster at Te Rau-a-Moa, near Pirongia, in the Waikato, has died in the Hamilton Hospital from injuries received through her clothes catching- lire while standing1 near a fire or. which cooking was being done. She was terribly burned before her burning garments were extinguished.

In the case of Harper v. The Sydenharn Borough Council and others, in which £500 was claimed for the death of William Edward Harper, killed on August 18, by. colliding, while on a bicycle,, with an unlighted night-cart, owned by the defendant corporation, a verdict was given for his mother for £300 damages, and scale costs.

A patient named Robert Muir, about 50 years, was accidentally killed at the Auckland Hospital on June 23. He fell or jumped out of one of the Hospital windows about 8 p.m., and sustained such injuries that he shortly expired. He was a wheelwright of Kyber Pass Road, who had a shop opposite Seeeombe's brewery. He had been ill for some time, and it is supposed that in some way he eluded the vigilance of those in charge and jumped out of the window. An inquest was held and the jury returned a verdict to the effect that deceased had died from heart disease, accelerated by shock through jumping from a window while temporaraily insane. The Hospital Board also held an investigation in connection with the fatality, and exonerated the Hospital officials from blame.

A young man mamed Charles Humphreys committed suicide by cutting his throat with a razor some time on Saturday night, June 10, in his whare at Hobsonville, up the Waitemata River. The two men, it appeared from Mackenzie's story, had been playing cards up to ten o'clock on Saturday night, and Humphreys then went away to his own dwelling, about two chains away. About half an hour afterwards he heard his mate 'sing out' in his whare, but did not take any notice. He went across to Humphrey's place in the morning and found him lying on the floor dead, with his throat cut with a razor, which was lying close by Humphreys, who was only thirty five years of age, and had been living in the district about a year. The jury returned a verdict That deceased committed suicido by cutting his throat %vhile in a state of temporary insanity.'

On June 27 Mr F. Mason (of the N.SS. River Plate and Land Mortgage Co.) received a cablegram from the manager of the General Grant Gold mine, Thoruborough, Queensland, stating that Mr Frederick A. Bartley, (brother-in-law of Mr Mason) had been killed in the mine. No details Were given. The sad news came as a great shock to Mr Bartley's relatives in I Auckland. He was a young man of | about 37 years of age. and was the I second son of Mr Edward Bartley, ! architect, of Devonport. The deceased was formerly in his father's office in Auckland, and about seven years ago he went to Queensland, where according to his last letters he was engaged in prospecting. His friends, however, did not know until to-day's cable arrived that he was in the General Grant mine. The late Mr Bartley was married in Queensland, and leaves a widow and one child. Much regret! will be felt by the friends of the fam-! ily and by those who knew Mr Fred, j Bartley at the news of his sudden end. TE KOPURU, June 10. Arthur Minchin, a single man, age 35. was killed yesterday when working at the jigger saws. It is supposed he had been putting on the belt, and was taken round the shaft. Death must have been instantaneous. Deceased was a Mason, a most popular ! man, liked by young and old. An inquest took place this afternoon, and a verdict of accidental death was returned. The remains were buried at Mount Wesley cemetery after the inquest, i MANGAWEKA, June 17. j ! A terrible fatal accident occurred ; this morning, a man named Charles iCartier, a coroperative labourer ( being 'blown almost to pieces. He had evi- | dently been warming dynamite, as :was his custom ,at a fire in his whare, ! when the dynamite exploded, blowing I the whare to pieces, and killing Carrier. He was 64 years of age and a 1 married man. His family live near ;Ohingaiti. One son is working- at 'Utiku. An inquest is being held to-. j day. The explosion knocked down and I broke the wrist of a child two chains ! away.

WELLINGTON, June 25. J. Hern, a middle-aged man employed as a trimmer on board the steamer Te Koa, fell from the gangway of the vessel on to the wharf last evening, and fractured his skull. He died in the hospital this morning. WELLINGTON, June 27. Thos. Heard, farmer, of Ballance, was drowned in the Mangahao River yesterday while crossing with a load of railway sleepers. He leaves a wife and several children.

FEILDING, July 1. A man named George Thomas was drowned in the Rangitikei River yesterday, near Rewa. He was crossing a ford when his horse fell, throwing him into the water. He was washed under a cliff in deep water. The body has not yet been ■ recovered. • INVERCARGILL, June 24. Percy Usherwood, aged 24 years, whose parents live at Dunedin, committed suicide by hanging this morning at Waimatuku. He was employed as a farm hand.