ACCIDENTS AND DEATHS

Evening Star, Issue 18258, 24 April 1923, Page 4

ACCIDENTS AND DEATHS

RAILWAY TRAGEDIES. Mr T. W. Paul, the old man who walked into a special train at Antigua street crossing on Tuesday, died in Christchurch Hospital on Saturday afternoon. Arthur James Purden, aged forty-five years, a barman, of Hastings, was killed by a train at Pardon Station on Saturday. The deceased was walking between two sets of rails to board a train on tho loop line when a train from another direction came in. The man apparently did not hear the whistle until the oncoming engine was 15ft from him. Had he stepped back one pace he would have escaped, but he attempted to regain the platform 10ft away. The cowcatcher threw Purden on to the platform, but despite the efforts of two bystanders ihe deceased rolled under the train and was terribly n|iit Hated. FALL FROM WINDOW. The licensee of the Esplanade Hotel, Devonport (Auckland), heard a thud on the pavement outside, and on going to investigate found that one of his guests, Jean Ferguson Baxter, was Hang unconscious on tho roadway. Tho woman, whose condition is serious, was sent to hospital. It is believed that she is married. and twenty-nine years of age. It is thought that she has relatives at Feilding BOY KILLED BY MOTOR. Tho inquest at Wanganui into tho recent tragedy in which a nine-year-old boy named Thomas Vincent Ballingall was killed in a collision with a motor car driven by Mrs M’Eao, of Palmerston North, occupied all day on Saturday. An open verdict was returned. SUDDEN DEATH. Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M. (coroner) held an inquest on Saturday afternoon on the body of Priscilla Muir, fifty-five years of age, who was found dead in bed at her residence in King street tho previous day. William Alexander Muir, the husband of the deceased said that his wife’s health had been indifferent for the past few months. He thought it was due to heart trouble, which she had stated to ho tho cause of her ill-health. Witness had been away from the house for the past fortnight, and he last saw his wife three days ago in the street. She seemed to be in her usual health then. Deceased had not seen a doctor recently, and had declined to have medical advice. Ho and his wife were on good terms. Dr Evans, who conducted a post-mortem examination, stated that tho cause of death was rupture of an aneurism of the aorta. Tho coroner returned a verdict is accordance with tho medical evidence. A YOUNG WOMAN’S 'DEATH. A Whakatane message states that tho body of Gertrude Caducss, aged twentytwo years, who disappeared from her homo on Saturday week, was discovered on tho Pikowai Beach, five miles north of Matata. Tho evidence at tho inquest showed that deceased suffered recently from depression, and that apparently sho threw herself into tho river and the body was carried out to sea. A verdict of suicide while temporarily insane was returned.