CASUALTIES.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17937, 4 December 1923, Page 5

CASUALTIES.

MAN FOUND DEAD

Ormond Butler, gardener, aged 77 years, was found d<'ad yesterday a 11.10 a.m. in a cottage at 477 Montreal street. He was found lying on the floor by Mrs Annie Turner, wit i a gas tube beside him and the gas turn ed full on. Deceased, who lived in the. cottage in the rear of house, was last seen alive at 1 .*.•*" P- '• on Sunday when Mrs Turner tooa his midday meal. When he _ about yesterday morning, Mrs 1 1 called to investigate and found h dead. Deceased suifered from ca ccr of the throat. There was a k tter J!} deceased's pocket in the form of a ■ leaving everything to his son, . e Butler. An inquest for the purpo:se o identification was opened last- e"W> » arid adjourned. A post mortem examination H will be held this morning-

INQUEST. Mr Wyvern Wilson, Coroner, held an inquest at the Plough Inn, Rangi ora, last evening, touching the death of "William Herbert Watkins, whose body was found in Ellis's CreeK, on .the West belt, Rangiora, on Sunday afternoon. Stanley Percival Watkins identified the body as that of his brother, whom he last saw alive at 12 o'clock on Sunday, sitting in the wash-house at his father's home, when he left to go 1 to his dinner. He had been ° e ~ ceased at his farm since 11 o clock, and they had planned to build an imple-ment-shed, and had selected the si and worked out the estimates for the timber. His brother was then m good spirits. " , Minnie Watkins, 13 years of age, niece of deceased, gave evidence or the finding of the body in the creek through a note he had left in the lotter-box, which stated that he was down at the creek-side. C. McGrath gave evidence that ne found deceased on his hands and knees in about three feet of water, '^ c . e downwards, with a. bandage °v ei \ . eyes. Witness surmised that \v atkms was dead, for he was quite cold when pulled out of the water. , „ A Sergeant Cassidy said i®at he round deceased's bicycle, hat, dog, and Bible. The leaves in the Bible were turned down, and. there was a letter inside addressed to deceased's mother, m which he complained of his burdens being too heavy for him to bear, and that he contemplated doing away with himself. In the letter he also requested that £SO be spent on his tombstone. . Evidence was also given by W. li. Pike, accountant, who stated that he knew deceased intimately, and that he was a personal friend. They often had conversations together, and on Wednesday last he had met him in Christchurch, and they had had a long talk. He then thought deceased was peculiar in his manner. _ The Coroner found that Herbert Watkins had committed suicide by drowning himself in Ellis's Creek, while in a state of mental depression.

Rex Hassall, eon. of Mr George Hassall, Clarkville, nine years of age, received severe injuries to the face through being kicked by a horse yesterday morning. He was conveyed to the Kaiapoi Nursing Home for attention. (P8133 ASSOCIATION TKLIGBAMB.) AUCKLAND, December 3. At Henderson on Sunday afternoon .<l, train struck a motor-car containing James McLeod, of Mount Albert, and two ladies, on a level crossing. : The front portion of the car was wrecked and the hood torn off. The occupants escaped, uninjured. The body of William Scurrah, of Morningside was iound in the harbour at St. Heliers. Deceased, who was 80 years of age, was a retired sea captain, laying been in the coastal trade for about sixty years. He left home last evening. He was a widower, with five daughters and two sons, all grown up. G-ISBOItNE, December 3. A motor lorry,, conveying a party of Natives, from "«w. entertainment _at "VVhatatutu early on Sunday morning overturned on a steep road through the brakes failing;. Five persons were injured. Two suffered fractured collarbones and the .others received severe abrasions and minor injuries. PALMEItSTON N.. December 3. A ten-months-old child, Leslie Bruce Ellis, was severely burned fibout the face, arms, and neck on Saturday afternoon. The child upset some benzine used for an iron with which the mother was working at uho time, the liquid wetting the child's clothing. Tho mother picked the little one up, and it is presumed the heat from the iron ignited the fumes of benzine. The child was taken to hospital and died last night. DUNEDIN, December 3. An inquest was held to-day concerning the death of Sarah Ann Benn, who died yesterday in hospital. Deceased was admitted to hospital on Saturday suffering from throat trouble. A verdict was returned by the Coroner, Mr H. W. Bundle, that the cause of death was acute septic meningitis, leading to the stoppage of respiration.