INQUEST.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13131, 2 June 1908, Page 8

INQUEST.

An inquest was .held ait __© hoaprfcai yesterday touching the death of James Gent, who, -while working at Aulsebrook's biscuit factory on March 25th last injured his arm in some __aeh_nory. He -was treated at the hospital, and was discharged on April bu y bu_was re-iadflnitbed oh May __xd, and remained in the institution, up to the date of his death. Patrick Alexander; MoGr-thy labourer, employed by Aulsebrook aid Co., stated that on. Maroh 25th hast Gen* was working _t a -mixer, when his arm became entangled in tbe mach'iory, and one- of the tymes of .the mixer went right through tbe arm. He <witneas) could not unden_twnd how tho man's arm got caught,-for there, »a_ no special danger connected, with ♦__._ machinery. There were four mixers, in tlie room where the deceased had Ixvr. working, and th-ey hod ibeen used .'-m------timiously Without mishap. ; There were notices on the, wall, w-jining employees not to- put their h»an_e-in the mixeis while they were in motion-. There w.s no necessity to do *>. The had been working at themixers f «*r' soveraf years. The machinery icoold not be started' when once it had beau stopped. .... Mrs Emma Gent, widow of the deoe_sed, sa-id her husband had iu-vir been the worse for tiquor arnce.his discharge from the hospital, and she could not account for the arm getting bad -gain. ■- .'*..■• Dr. Orooko, house surgeon at the hospital, said that Gent w_s ad_odibted onMarch 26th Buffering from extensive injuries to the right forearm. He wain.the hospital till April Bth, audi was an out-patient from that -time until he was re-admitted o_i May 23rd. The arm was then in a very unhealthy state, and- two incisions had to be mad-. The man was __sa in a low condition generally, and: although the arm rmproved, bis general health did hot, and he became gradually .weaker, and; died on Sunday evening. The cause of death was septic absorption-froan the injury to his arm, and' a_» the state of health he was in, for/ he was a bad subject for an accident. The man would have been permanen-ty disabled had he lived. _ -* Frans B. Brittany rorenuur m —be biscuit department at AulsebrooK amd Co.'s, said that Gent had been ait tho factory for about 6£ years. No mom .under the influence of liquor w_s allowed to work in the factory. .The mixing work was not dangerous, but it was necessary to keep one's hands out whilo the machinery was in motion, and all employees were warned to thait effect. There was nothing the matter with the machinery tha- would account for the accident, and he could not account for it at all. Gent, after the accident, told him that be did not. know how it occurred. The jury returned a verdict in accordance with the. medical evidence.

Mr B. Hughes, of- Cashmere* who was injured in the head on Saturday through his trap colliding with a tramway pole, was in. a criticil condition yesterday, and an operation had to be performed at the Hospital. An elderly man t named John Peel wns admitted to the Hospital yesterday afternoon, suffering from severe internal injuries. From the particulars available it appears that ALr Peel. who was driving into town, stopped at Chaney's Corner, end removed the blinkers from the horeo, intending to fasten on the feed-bag. The horse suddenly plunged forward, knocked Mr Peel, down, trampled bri him, and drew the trap over him.' He was picked up and brought into town, and'taken to the Hospital. On enquiry last evening, we were informed that his condition was serious.

(PRESS association telegrams.) AUCKLAND. Juno 1. A middle-aged man named Bees Williams threw himself in .front of a swiftly-moving goods train at Ellerelie this evening, and sustained fearful injuries, from which he.died in a few minutes. HASTINGS/June 1. J. H. Cartwright (architect) broke his leg whilst nlaving hockey to-day. WELLINGTON, Juno 1. Alice Turner, aged 3} years, the daughter of James Turner, employed «at the Riverside Dairy Company, Gear Island, died last night from injuries sustained by her clothes catching fire vosterdav morning. DUNEDIN, May 31. A young man, supposed to be Colin Morris, or Port Chalmers, met with a fatal accident on the railway list night. His dead body was found alongside the line about half a mile south of Dunedin station. - In his pocket w*s found a postcardi addressed to Colin Morris, care of the Maroi roa, Lyttelton, and posted at Port -; Chalmers. Deceased was apparently about 18 or 20 years of age. It is j surmised' that ho got on to tho. Aiosgiel train, instead of.the Port Chalmers train, and jumped off when he -J noticed his mistake.