ACCIDENTS AND DEATHS

Evening Star, Issue 15539, 8 July 1914, Page 6

ACCIDENTS AND DEATHS

An inquest, was held at Auckland yesterday concerning the death of Thomas Rutland, a workman, who fell over 30ft on Monday while engaged on a building In Queen street, and who died almost immediately. The deceased was on a heavy girder which was being lifted into position by steam power*. A link in a heavy chain suddenly broke, and a falling block from the tackle struck the deceased on the head, and he foil on to some logs below, receiving fatal injuries. Expert evidence was given to the effect that the metal in the steel chain was rendered brittle by frost the previous night, and* that this probably caused it to break. After a full inquiry the. coroner found that death was accidental, no blame being attachable to anyone, • Mrs Henderson, widow of Mr William Henderson, a well-known Marton settler, died suddenly **t Foxton yesterday. Death was due to heart failure. Tho death occurred on Saturday at iMaungatua of Mr John Brown, who arrived at Port Chalmers with his wife and family in July, 1874.. in the ship Maria Bhaic and had since lived in the Manngatua district as a successful farmer. He was of a very retiring and industrious disposition, and an earnest member of the Outram Presbyterian Church. Ho is survived by a widow, one son, and five daughters, 16 grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren. The inquest at Greymouth into the circumstances attending the death of Peter Ewart, who was killed by a tramway accident at tho Paroa saw-mill, was resumed yesterday afternoon beforo Mr Hewitt ■(•coroner). A verdict was returned that deceased met his death by being thrown from a runaway truck on which he was acting brakesman. Our Bluff correspondent wires:--The body of a- fisherman known as “Taff” Reeves, who has been missing since the 21st- May, was found floating near the Bluff wharf this morning and taken to the morgue. Ho was last seen alive at 8 p.m. on the dato stated, when on his way down’ to the wharf to board the cutter Violet, where ho slept aboard. The probability is that he dipped when boarding her and fell between the wharf and the craft, probably striking something in his fall. The police dragged at the wharf, but without success. Deceased was unmarried, and about 40 years of age. A Wanganui messago t states that a man named M'Gowan, 65 years of age, was killed at Waitotara yesterday through a fall of earth in a gravel pit. At the inquest a verdict of “'Accidental death” was returned.