ACCIDENTS AND DEATHS

Evening Star, Issue 21317, 23 January 1933, Page 9

ACCIDENTS AND DEATHS

CAR FATALITY. Shortly after 1 a.in. on Sunday a fiveseater car driven by Walter Naughton Grantham, aged twenty-five, left the road a mile and a-half on the Wanganui side of Kai Iwi and plunged down a hill, with the result that Grantham was thrown out and killed, the cause of death being a broken neck. The owner of the car, Stanley Joseph Eriksen (Patea County Council surfaceman), residing at Moumahaki, who was the only other occupant, was thrown out, b' was only slightly hurt. Grantham was a former Flock House hoy, and was unemployed. He was to have started as a shepherd to-morrow. It is understood that the only relative alive is his mother, who lives at Whitby, Hull, England. DROWNED IN THE SURF. While bathing in the surf on Saturday morning at Mount Maunganui, June Hears, aged thirteen, a daughter of Mr and Mrs W. Hears, of Walton, got into difficulties. Members of the Life-saving Club ran out a reel and attempted a rescue, but their efforts were unsuccessful, the girl being drowned. The body was recovered within ten minutes, but artificial respiration proved unavailing. Tauranga message. SWEPT OUT TO SEA. Edwin Webster aged 38, a farm labourer, of Awahuri, when surf bathing at Tangimoana beach near the mouth of the Rangitikei River yesterday afternoon, was swept out to sea and drowned. The body has not yet been recovered. A companion, L Pask, who was bathing with the victim, had a narrow escape.— Palmerston North Press Association. SUICIDE OF PATIENT. In tragic circumstances the death occurred in Cook Hospital yesterday of George Austin McDonald, sawmiller. At the inquest it was explained that he had obtained possession of another patient’s razor, and had inflicted fatal injuries on himself. The inquest was adjourned. Gisborne Association message. WIDOWER’S DEATH. A widower named William M'Gee was found dead in his home at the corner of Short and Hanover streets yesterday morning. Ho was lying on the floor with a gas tube in his mouth and a blanket over his head. The deceased, who was forty-five years of age, had been employed as a plasterer’s labourer by Mr William Ashton. An inquest was opened at the Morgue this morning before Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M. Sergeant Isbister conducted the inquiry for the police. Rose Gardiner identified the body as that of her brother. She last saw him between Christmas and New Year, when he seemed in good health and the best of spirits. He had never mentioned suicide and was not that way inclined. He was a temperate man, and as far as witness knew had no financial troubles.

William Gardiner, a milk vendor, said that lie delivered milk to the deceased’s house and saw him nearly every morning. Yesterday he knocked on the door about 7.30 but received no response. He came back two hours later and again got no answer. Witness then smelt gas and thought something was wrong. He got into the house by the window and found the deceased lying on the door with a blanket round his head and a gas tube, which was full on, in his mouth. The roe was full of gas. The_ doors and windows were blocked up with clothes. Witness turned off the gas and felt the deceased’s body, which was cold a'nd stiff'. The deceased had always been very cheerful when witness saw him in the mornings. Dr Evans testified that there were no marks or signs of violence on the body. He was of the opinion that death was duo to asphyxia following gas poisoning. The inquest was then adjourned to a date to be fixed later. FRACTURED RIBS. When he fell over a cliff at Long Beach yesterday, Donald Booth, aged seven, residing with his parents at 295 Cargill road, fractured his ribs, and was admitted to the hospital at 8.15 p.m.