CASUALTIES.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17058, 1 February 1921, Page 8

CASUALTIES.

THE OASTLE POINT FATALITY. (PKESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) MASTERTON, January 81. A search was made, of the beach from Castle Point to Okitio to-day, but no trace was found of the four men who came to grief in the flat-bottomed boat at Castle Point on Sunday. All hope of their recovery, alive has been abandoned. The coastal steamer Katoa passed along the coast on Sunday from Napier, but saw no signs of tJie upturned boat or -its occupants. Ivan O'Connor, one of the missing, is a. wellknown taxi-driver in Masterton, and leaves a wife and three ohildren. Clarence Hopkins was manager of the Masterton Dairy Company's factory, and leaves a wife and four children. Harry "Wooding was a Masterton carrier, and leaves & wife and: two children. Charles Biggs was a carpenter, and leaves a wife with a family of six, belonging to a brother who was killed in a motor accident fifteen months' ago. A lad, named Smith, accompanied the party to Castle Point, and had actually got into -the boat on the morning of the disaster, but was induced to go back to shore to prepare breakfast for the party, and thus his life was spared.

(PBEBS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAMS.) AUCKLAND, January 31. Edward Francis Kevey, a tailor, aged 37, a resident of Otahuhu, was drowned in the Takakaki River by the'capsizing of a sailing boat. Deceased and five other occupants were thrown into the water. Two men supported three women until they were rescued by a boat from the shore. The dead body found in the harbour has been identified as that of Samuel Wodnton, a gardener, aged seventy. FOXTON, January 31. The body of Alfred Hut, whoso clothes were found on the bank of the Manawatn River at Piata last Monday, was discovered on Friday. At the inquest a verdict of found drowned was returned.

HAWERAj January 31. Violet Honeyfield, a single woman, aged about twenty-six, while battling with a young man named Brooks in a pool in the Waingongoro River yesterday afternoon, got into difficulties. Brooks made every effort to get ber out, but without result. A boy named Harris, who had previously gone to tbe pool to tell the two swimmers that the place was dangerous, went to call assistance, and soon several good swimmers wcft-e on the scene. The water was very deep, and it was three-quar-ters of an hour before the body was recovered. Efforts at resuscitation were continued for over an hour, but were unsuccessful. The deceased came from New "Plymouth. WELLINGTON, January 31. Robert P. Semple, aged twenty-one, a son of the ex-M.P. for Wellington South, suffered a compound fracture of the right leg on Saturday through the overturning of a rock-laden truck at the Orongorongo waterworks. He is progressing favourably. NELSON, January 81. The body of a man, presumably that of Thomas Barron, was found hanging from a tree in Trafalgar square yesterday. Deceased was rescued from the harbour on January 20th, when he stated that he had walked over the wharf in the darkness. After treatment at the hospital he was discharged last Saturday, and was founjJ. dead as stated "'yesterday. A _ barik pass book and a reference contained the name of Thomas Barron, but the Coroner said there was no evidence to show that deceased was Thomas Barron. A photograph found on deceased was that of the dead man, and the Coroner ordered the photograph to be sent to the supposed wife of deceased in Wellington for identification. The inquest was adjourned.

The body of a man was found in the Avon near !Dudley creek yesterday afternoon by some boys. A returned soldier's badge, numbered 42,131, andl bearing the name Jdhn Edward Lloyd, was fQund on the body, which had apparently been in the water for nearly a week. Up to nine o'clock last night thel body had not been definitely identified, and consequently no time has yet been fixed for the inquest.