TRAGEDIES & ACCIDENTS

Greymouth Evening Star, 10 December 1928, Page 5

TRAGEDIES & ACCIDENTS

WEEK-END’S HEAVY LIST FATAL FALL FROM BOAT (Per Press Association.) NEW PLYMOUTH, December 9. Falling out of a flat-bottomed boat in the surf at Fitzroy Beach yesterday, Percy Samuel Haskell, a labourer, of Smart Road, was drowned. The boat, containing Haskell, Thomas Edwin Lester, and Harold Norman Berntsen, was nearing the shore when a large breaker threw up the stern, in which Haskell was sitting. Haskell was thrown forward, and fell overboard. Another wave threw the boat ashore. The other two men saw Haskell stand up in the water up to his chest. He called for help, and almost immediately disappeared. The boat was again launched, and the vicinity searched, but the body has not yet been found. Haskell., was 42 years of age, married, with four children. SETTLER INJURED. GISBORNE, December 8. Advice has been received from Te Araroa that King F. Reid, a wellknown settler and County Councillor, was severely injured whilst riding in rough country on a back station. Medical assistance has been sent. GISBORNE, December 10. Latest available information from Teararoa states that King F. Reed, settler, who sustained injuries on Friday night, is still unconscious at the Teararoa Hospital. It is understood that he was knocked on the head whilst endeavouring to catch a horse. KILLED BY CAR. AUCKLAND, December 8. The name of the man killed by a motor-car near Ellerslie was Arthur Irvine Binnie. YOUTHS DROWNED. PALMERSTON N., December 8. A drowning fatality occurred at Tangimoana, at the mouth of the Rangitikei River yesterday, the victims being Russell Ernest Burgess, fourteen, and Robert Parker, nineteen, sons of Rongotea farmers. Both were swimming in the river, when Burgess got into difficulties. Parker went to his assistance, but sank on reaching him. Another man Zuppicich pluckily plunged in fully clothed, and succeeded in getting hold of one lad, but had to disengage himself. Then he made a second but fruitless attempt. The bodies were recovered later. HORSE-RIDER KILLED. INVERCARGILL, December 9. Margaret Hunter Malcolm aged 18, while riding a horse at Lochiel on Saturday, was thrown, receiving fatal injuries. GRAFTON BRIDGE TRAGEDY. AUCKLAND, December 9. Henry Edward Ashby, aged 16, who jumped over Grafton Bridge on Friday morning, and sustained severe injuries, died in Auckland Hospital today.

WOMAN’S SUDDEN DEATH. DANNEVIRKE, December 8. While on the way home this afternoon to her residence in Albert Street, Mrs Agnes Maxted, wife of Walter Maxted, who arrived by the afternoon express from Palmerston North, was taken ill in a taxi-cab, and on arrival at her home, expired. Deceased was 64 years of age. She had been under medical treatment for heart trouble. No inquest will be held. TRAM-DRIVER INJURED. WANGANUI, December 7. James Kidd, a tramway motorman, was taken to the hospital to-night, following a collision between the tram he was driving and a wagon repairing an overhead wire. His injuries are not serious. CYCLIST INJUREDCHRISTCHURCH, December 10While riding a motor cycle on Saturday evening, S. Thackwell, single, collided with a motor car, and was taken to the hospital unconscious, with head wounds. His condition today was improving. PLTMMERTON FATALITY. WELLINGTON, December 8. At the inquest concerning. Janet Lewis, 18 years, who was killed ,as the result of a motor car capsizing near Plimmerton last Sunday, medical evidence indicated that death was due to shock and the result of internal injuries. The driver, Lionel Charles White, 22 years, said that the car was a single seater, with a dickey. He had three passengers in the front seat. Deceased was sitting on the knees of another girl, and there were also two men in the dickey. In attempting to change gear on the hill, he missed, and the car ran back before he could apply the brakes, and capsized. Witness said that he had room to manipulate the levers, but the road was narrow, and a wheel went over the bank. The verdict was that death was due to misadventure.

AUCK LAND TRAGEDIES. AUCKLAND. December 10. John Sanderson died last night from urns and other injuries, resulting from a petrol explosion on the launch Huana, at Nelson Street Wharf on Thursday. While visiting a patient yesterday afternoon, Mrs. Mary Ratcliffe, 71, of 34 Wynyard Road, Mount Eden, collapsed at the Auckland Hospital, and died an hour later. CAR OVER BANK. EVIDENCE AT INQUEST. WELLINGTON, December 10. The adjourned inquest on Joseph O’Neill, who died as the result of injuries received when a taxi which he was riding in went over a bank in Taita Gorge in the early hours of the morning of December 3, was continued before Mr J. IT. Salmon today. A mechanic stated that there wai

nothing wrong with the engine or brakes, and the tires were good. Joseph Enoch Horsfall, custodian of the oiltanker Otokia, said that O’Neill and the taxi driver visited him on the night of December 2. O’Neill had been drinking a bit, but the taxi driver was all right. The driver whom he had known in Auckland, as Sergeant, brought some fish and chips, and a bottle of whisky from the car, and each, man had a drink. The three returned to the taxi where more liquor was consumed, and it was decided to go for a drive along the Hutt road. They made two stops, and had more liquor, but witness could not swear definitely whether the driver had drink on these occasions. They stopped at Quinn’s Post, where O’Neill had five drinks. Witness saw Sergeant with a glass in his hand „ and heard him say, “Make it light. At this stage, the inquest was adjourned till to-morrow.