CASUALTIES.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14406, 13 July 1912, Page 12

CASUALTIES.

(FSEA-S ASSOCIATION TELSQKAU3.)

AUCKLAND, July 12. Afc the inquest on John Hancock, a miner, who was found dead with h\% throai cut and a razor lying beside him, it was stated that deceased had lately been depressed. A verdict that death was caused by self-inflicted wounds was returned.

GISBORNE, July 12

At the inquest on Joseph Denton, an old man-ty-warsman, wfto died suddenly at Poriawa; the jury returned a verdict "That deceased died from a foreign body, probably a piece of decayed tooth, or a shell from the beach, double the size of a pin's head which had lodged in the, right lung, causing a stoppage of the respiratory process." The jury expressed the opinion that the foreign matter was probably inhaled while deceased was employed on a stone-crusher.

WELLINGTON,. Jnly 12. An inquest was held by Dr. McArthur this morning concerning the death of William Robert Prior, who was decapitated on the railway line at Thorndon recently. A verdict was returned that deceased was killed by being run over by a train, having thrown, himself in front of it. .

BLENHEIM, July 12. A drowning fatality occurred at the Wairau bar yesterday. William Aldridge, jnr., and Edward Collett, both singlo men, were crossing the bar inwards from Port Underwood in an oil launch, while the sea was very rough ott the bar, and the boat capsized in the breakers. Both men were drowned, and their bodies were washed up., on the beach and recovered.

The men were cousins. They were engaged in the fishing trade, and left in a motor launch for Port Underwood on Monday. On returning yesterday, they attempted to negotiate the Wairau bar/ The sea was not extraordinarily rough, but an unusually powerful roller struck the launch at a critical moment and capsized her. The harbourmaster and his assistant went across to , the beach, but saw no signs of the party. It was. impossible to cross the bar in an open boat. Tho harbourmaster communicated with the steamer Wairau, and the captain sent out a lifeboat, but the search was unsuccessful. The launch was smashed to pieces.