TETANUS ENDS FATALLY.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 78, 3 April 1926, Page 10

TETANUS ENDS FATALLY.

DEATH OF MR. J. M. CASSIE. CHIEF ENGINEER AT CHELSEA. Mr. Joseph Morrison Cassie, chief engineer at the Colonial Sugar Refining Company's works at Chelsea, succumbed at the hospital on Thursday afternoon to lockjaw, following injuries received in an accident at Northcote a little more than a fortnight ago. Mr. Cassie was I then driving along Onewa Road from Birkenhead for the. purpose of visiting relatives prior to leaving for Sydney with his wife by the Marama on a holiday trip. It had been arranged that their little son, nearly five years of age, would stay, during their absence with Mr. and Mrs. R. A. Meek, of Takapuna, i the latter being a sister of Mrs. Cassie. The object of Mr. Cassie's journey by sulky on that evening, as a matter of fact, was to transfer some toys for the child's pleasure during his parents' absence. When coming down the incline at Collier's Hill, near Church Street, at Northcote, the horse attached to the gig stumbled on a stone and fell, breaking a fetlock, and was subsequently destroyed. The principal injuries Mr. Cassie sustained owing to being thrown out of the vehicle were a piece of flesh gouged out of the left elbow, and a deep cut near the left knee, the latter necessitating stitches. Mr. Cassie actually walked home after receiving medical attention, got out the motor car, and went back to Northcote to get assistance for the injured horse. The trip to Sydney was cancelled in order to allow of a rest to assist bis recovery from the shock to the system, but at no time in the initial stages were his injuries considered really serious. A week after the accident tetanus supervened, when injections were given. Tbe next day he was removed to the Auckland Hospital, where tbe greatest efforts were made, but unsuccessfully, to effect a irecovery. Deceased was born at McDufT, in Scotland, nearly 47 years ago, and was apprenticed to Messrs. Baxter Bros., at Dundee. Leaving Scotland when 19 years of '-age for Australia to further his experience as an engineer, he took service on various steamers in tbe Australian trade, principally the Aberdeen Line. He subsequently was employed at Adelaide and Melbourne, finally joining the Colonial Sugar Refining Company at Sydney. From there he was drafted to Auckland as second engineer at Chelsea. Five years later he was appointed chief engineer at the company's works at Brisbane, where he remained for five years. When Mr. H. Speedy retired from the company's service at helsea six years ago, Mr. Cassie was appointed in his stead as chief engineer at that refinery. Deceased was well known in Masonic and bowling circles. He was the Immediate Past Master of Lodge Onewa, N.Z.C., at Northcote. and was for some years a member of the Bowling Club and a consistent supporter of outdoor sports and games for the young people. He was very highly esteemed by a wide circle of friends. He is survived by Mrs. Cassie and a son. nearly five years old. He has one brother in Xew Zealand, Mr. Alex. Cassie, who is in business at Dunedin. His other brother. Mr. J. H. Cassie, is on the staff of the Post Office at Dundee, and his sister, the wife of the Rev. David Gray, also resides in Scotland. At an inquest held yesterday the coroner, Mr. J. W. Poynton, S.M., returned a verdict that death was due t< tetanus following on an injury.