ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 338, 27 October 1908, Page 7

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

(Or TELEGRAPH —VRESS ASSOCIATION.) AN IMMIGRANT COMMITS SUICIDE. ' Christchurch, October 26. James Weir, aged 25, residing at Linwood, cut his throat with a razor last night, dying almost immediately. He had been in poor health. An inquest was held before Mr. H. W. Bishop, district coroner, at the Morgue tonight. James M'Lachlan, machinist, of Cambright Street, Linwood,. said deceased had been lodging at witness's houso on and off for tho last ten months. Deceased, who was a farrier, was an assisted immigrant, and landed in New Zealand .in December last. He did not look'well when he came to live with witness, but had not complained of his health until lately. On Sunday night he was spitting ,blood, and Dr. Sandstein was called in. Witness had just afterwards told Weir that tho doctor had given him instructions to put a wet pack on his chest, and witness went out into the kitchen to secure the pack. He returned about thirty seconds later, and found Weir lying on the bed with his throat cut. Weir was twenty-iivo years of age, and had a wife in tho Old Country. He had always appeared cheerful, and witness thought ho was a most unlikely man to commit suicide. The Magistrate said tho act was a most unaccountable one. He returned a verdict that Weir had committed suicide by cutting his throat with a razor, but there was no reason to account for the act. DEATH OF A CHILD. Nelson, October 26. The infant son of Mr. J. H. Lines, a settler of Wai-iti, was playing in a paddock, when a sister heard a noise and went out and found the child (aged eighteen months) lying unconscious, with a contused wound in the head. • It is supposed that a horse in tho paddock kicked tho child. A doctor was sent for, but death ensued a few hours later. . DRAGGED BY A HORSE. . Napier, October 26. An inquest was held to-day touching the death of Mrs. Phyllis Brooke, barmaid at the Criterion Hotel, who was dragged by a horse on Sunday, and fatally injured. Mr. Brabant, coronor, returned a verdict of accidental death. It transpired that deceased's husband had met a' similar death in tho hunting field. The Whitmore Street crossing was tho scene of a collision between a cab and a train at 7.40 on Saturday evening. The cab was being driven by Thomas Corbett, and was carrying three passengers to tho wharf to catch the steamer Mararoa. The cabman did not see tho train approaching from Te Aro, and did not hear the whistle, tho result being that when lie did see the train it was too lato to avoid a collision. Tho engine struck the horses and throw the driver to the ground. Ho held on to the reins, and was dragged for about 10 yards, and when ho let go, one of tho wheels of tho cab passed over one of his legs. Tho horses made off, and brought the cab up against a telegraph polo. One of tho passengers in the cab received a cut over the left eye, and tho cabman was bruised and cut about the face and hands. The cab was damaged to the extent of about £5, and one of the horses received a severe cut on tho shoulder. •