ACCIDENTS AND DEATHS

Evening Star, Issue 22896, 2 March 1938, Page 14

ACCIDENTS AND DEATHS

A CYCLIST’S DEATH. An inquest was held at Oamaru yesterday, before Mr A. W. Woodward, J.P. (coroner), into the death of Joseph Henry Patterson, who suffered fatal head injuries after a collision on February 4 between a cycle ridden by himself, and a car, driven by Mrs J. Joiner, at the corner of Tees and Itchen streets. Senior-sergeant M‘Gregor represented the police, Mr R. D. Swindley appeared for Mrs Joiner, and .Mr J. E. Farrell for the relatives of deceased. Dr R. Bevan Brown gave evidence that death was due to a fracture of the skull. George Marshall Gardiner, manager of H. Grenfell’s, men’s outfitters, testified that both the car and the cycle were travelling at a moderate speed, on their correct sides of the streets before the accident. The car was turning from Thames into Itchen street, when the cyclist came down Tees street. The cyclist appeared to waver, as if uncertain whether to pass in front of, or behind, the car, and was hit by the left side of the car. Deceased fell on to the roadway, clear of the car and the cycle. Francis Henry Townsend said the cyclist hit the car just behind the door handle on the car’s left side.

Edward Henry Twist and John Welsh gave similar evidence. Mrs Jean Porteous Ninian, who was a passenger in the car, said she saw the cyclist coming down Tees street. The car had turned to enter Itchen street when the collision occurred. Mrs Joiner did not know what the car had hit.

In evidence, Mrs Joiner said she had not kept watch on the cyclist, as she was watching for traffic from her right. The first she knew of the accident was when she heard a crash. _ ■ The verdict was that deceased died on February 14 from injuries received in a collision with a motor car, driven by Martha Crerer Joiner on February 4, SEQUEL TO NERVOUS BREAKDOWN. A Carterton Association message states that a married woman, Mrs Annie Carter (54), was found yesterday hanging from a rafter at her residence at Belvedere. Her husband, Arthur Ernest Carter, dairy farmer, on return from the factory, found the _ house locked up. He gained admittance through a window, and found his wife dead in the hack porch. The inquest yesterday afternoon disclosed that deceased was the victim of a nervous breakdown, and had suffered severely during the night. The coroner returned a verdict of suicide by hanging while mentally depressed, VERDICT OF SUICIDE. The inquest on Thomas Henry Gibson (61), a labourer, residing at 119 Glen road, Caversham, whose body was found yesterday afternoon in the pine plantation fronting Victoria road, St. Clair, was held at the Morgue this morning. Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M., was the coroner, and Sergeant Stark represented the police. Hamilton Davidson, residing at 23 Plunket street, St. Hilda, said that at 3.15 p.m. yesterday ho left his home to pick blackberries, and on entering the pines at the rear of the stewards’ stand of the Forbury Park Trotting Club he ■saw a man’s bicycle standing against a tree, and he then discovered the deceased’s body. There was a razor nearby ._ Ho reported his discovery to the police. Catherine Isobel Kelly, a daughter of the deceased, said that for the last month, her father had been suffering from nervous trouble and also an injured leg, and as a consequence he did not sleep. He had been threatening to commit suicide for several days. At 10 o’clock, yesterday morning he left home, saying that he was going to collect sand at the beach. When he did not return she became alarmed and communicated with the police. Constable Mannix, of St. Clair, gave evidence of finding the body of the deceased, and the coroner returned a verdict that death was due to a razor wound self-inflicted while the deceased was in a state of ill-health. STRUCK ON HEAD. While playing at school yesterday Noiman Warne, aged seven, who resides at Montague street, Ravensbourne, received a blow on the head. He was admitted to the Hospital at 10 p.m. FALL FROM BICYCLE. Nancy Jenkins, a girl who resides at 5 Wills street, was admitted to the Hospital at_ 9.15 a.m. to-day suffering from head injuries and shock, the result of falling from a bicycle in Kaikorai Valley road., ELDERLY MAN’S FALL. While cutting a hedge at his home, Broad Bay, Thomas Yule, an elderly man, fell from a ladder, injuring his back. He was admitted to the Hospital at 11.15 a.m.