ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 805, 30 April 1910, Page 7

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

S.S. TOEOMARU: STEWARD DROWNED. : (By TelecraDh—Press Association.! Dunedin, April 29. On March 24, when the s.s. Tokomaru, which arrived hero to-day, was crossing the Equator, Henry J. Plummer, chief steward, .was drowned. Hie fourth officer, who was on the bridge, saw Plummer in the water a-stcrn of tho vessel, and the steamer was promptly swung round, and a boat lowered, but, when Plummer was picked up, life was extinct. No one scorns to know how he fell into the water. Deceased, who was 44 years old, was a married mail, and signed on the steamer's articles in, London. It is not known whether deceased had any family. , •

AFFECTED BY MISFORTUNE. Dunedin, April 29. At the inquest on tho body of John Snell, who was found dead at Henley yesterday, the evidence showed that deceased, who was 45 years of age, lost his wife about three months ago. He was then left with seven children, and this evidently preyed on his mind, as he became depressed and worried a great deal about them. On Thursday; morning he started work as usual, but, about 9 o'clock, a shot was heard, and deceased was found shortly afterwards with a bullet.wound in-his temple. A verdict of death_ from a self-inflicted bullet wound, while deceased was in an unsound state of mind, was returned.

EXPLOSION ON A LAUNCH. \Thamos, April 29. By some means not yet ascertained an explosion occurred on one of the launches running from Thames to Hauraki. One of the occupants, named Brennan, was' severely burnt about the face and hands and 'conveyed to the hospitali His cbndition is not serious. The launch was charred and damaged, but the fire was confined chiefly to thecabin. The hull was practically undamaged. .The general opinion is that the occupants bald a lucky escape from severe injury and perhaps death. CAPTAIN'S : SUDDEN DEATH. Auckland, April 29; Captain Denis Mason died suddenly on the auxiliary lighter Nellie. When .a man named Alfred Simpson, 27' years of age, was driving a loaded motor : wagon yesterday the load fell off. and fell on Simpson, whose head suffered injury sufficiently serious ..to make it necessary that he should be taken, to the hospital for treatment. 'A little boy named Archie M-Gregor, 9 years of age, slipped and broke, his leg. yesterday when- attempting to kick a tennis ball, which was placed under a tin. The boy, was attended to by Dri Young.and taken to the hospital.