ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 522, 1 June 1909, Page 8

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

KILLED BY A TRAIN. VERDICT OF MISADVENTURE. An inquest on the body of William King (28 years), a labourer, was held by Dr. il'Arthur at the Court-house, Lower Hutt, yesterday morning. The deceased was found on tho railway linn between Haywards and Belmont on Sunday morning, fatally injured. John M'Grath, settler, deposed that he had known tho deceased for about 27 years. He was a driver's labourer, and came from tho West Coast. Witnoss knew of no relatives. James Brown, railway guard, stated that deceased; whom he did not know personally, had been a passenger on the up-train leaving Lower Hutt at 10 o'clock on Saturday night. He appeared to be quite sober when he left the train at Haywards. Witness returned by the train which left Upper Hntt at 11 o'clock, and again went back to Upper Hutt, but noticed nothing unusual on the line during either journey. He was of opinion that tho step of the engine had strack deceased. The latter had a ticket for Pitcaithly's Siding. He left the train at Belmont, and boarded again jußt before the train, left. The. stationmaster at Haywards, Charles William Brookes, stated that deceased had walked towards Belmont after leaving tho train. Deceased made no remark about having been overcarried. 1 , William Dennehy, ( railway gangeT, stated that on Sunday morning he found the body lying on tho line between Haywards and Belmont Siding.. His attention was drawn to the spot by the presence of a hat and newspaper in the centre of the track. The body' was lying in the grass alongside, the head badly cut. He noticed no other injuries. From the marks on the sleepers ana ballast, witness concluded that tho deceased had been sitting on one of the sleepers, and had been struck by the body of the engine.. Constable M'Kenzio, of LpweV Hutt, stated that at about 9 o'clocc on Sunday morning ho received word that a man had been kdled on the railway line. He J?rOj oeeded to Haywards, and found deceasw lying on the side of the line. The right arm was broken, and ; there was a deep wound on the right' side of the- head. The body was lyingin the ditch about seven yards from toe hat, and its position indicated that deceased had been struck by a down-train, while Hitting . asleep,' his hoad resting on his ( hands. Witness had had a conversation with deceased at the Hutt on Saturday evening, and [at that time tbe latter was slightly under the influence of liquor. . , j The Coroner remarked that it was probabls that deceased had sat down on tho end of a sleeper and had fallen aslcop. Death had evidently been instantaneous. , .The verdict was that had been struck by a down-train while sitting on the line, and that no blame was attachable to anyone. ' 1 , . ' A WOMAN'S DEATH, ttt tiKtoaAm.—sractAi. coitussrouDiirr.l Auckland, May 31. On : May 21 it. was reported that Mrs. Kenny, .of - Manunui. a boardinghousekeeper, was . missing from her home, ■ and it was believed that she had committed suicide by jumping! into the Wanganui River. To-day Inspector Cullen received a telegram from Constable Maher, of Taumanmui, stating that yesterday He recovered the body of Mrs Kenny from the Wanganui Riverj some. distance below the' supposed scene of tho tragedy..

,A DANGEROUS I'ORD. (BX TnIaHAPB—PRESS ASSOCIATION) Hokltlks, May 81. ' Last week, when crossing the Big Wanganui Rivor in a vehicle, Mr. Saraty, adrapor, was washed out of a trap and down the stream. Fortunately, the trap was .caught by a projecting rock, whenco Mr. Saraty was rescued' with some difficulty by Harold Hende, the ferryman, who had taken considerable' personal risk. t The horse and trap were earned nearly a mile down_ the stream. A long-promised Bridge over this dangerous crossing en the South Road is anxiously looked for by travellers in South Westland.

A PEA RIFLE INTENDED FOR BIRDS. : Chrlstchuroh, May 31. At Kaikoura on Saturday evening the mate of the Falcon was brought ashore Dy a local fishing launch, suffering from a wound in the back caused by the accidental discharge of a poa-rifle while shooting' birds. A , doctor ascertained the location of the bullet, and ordered the mate to the hospital. The launch Speo brought him. down to Lyttelton.

'TWO DEATHS. . - Ctsborne, May 31. Two fatalrtios are reported from Ruatikuri station. A man named Victor Berg was killed, Whilst bnshfalling l a tree coming down on him; and a Maon boy was drowned in the Ruakituri Rivor,

• ; FATAL FALL FROM A CART. Dunedin. May' 31. . A single man named' Robert Taylor, a corporation labourer,, was killed this afternoon by falling off his cart, the wheel of which, passed over him. Deceased's mother resides at Bluespur, Lawrence.

' ; THE TOLL IN RAILWAY LIVES. . , Wanganul, May 31. A casual railway hand, named Alex. Mackay, aged forty-five years, was killed tjiis afternoon at the railway yard. He did not see trucks being shunted towards him,.and was killed instantly.

A MILL ACCIDENT. Talliapo, May 31. This morning Mr. Barrel), manager at Irvine's mill at Turangarcre, had a leg badly crushed. A doctor was sent from here by special tTain. After attending the sufferer he had him sent to tho Wajigaoui Hospital, tho proprietor of the mill defraying tiio expenses of a special train.

DEAD WHEN DTIG OUT. 4 , Talhape, May 31. A landslip at Koeke buried Alexander Pringle, a labourer, of Hunterville, and two others. Pringle was dead when dug out. The others are not seriously injured. Somo forty men were engaged in rescue work.