BLACKBALL TRAGEDY

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 July 1939, Page 2

BLACKBALL TRAGEDY

, MAN FOUND DEAD. t Yesterday morning, about 11 o’clock, the body of Frank Smith, 50, married, a carpenter of Blackball, was found in the vicinity of the Blackball Coal Company’s flume, near Blackball. The body was lying in a. pool of blood, and alongside was a dry-cell ball cry. to which a spent, detonator was attached by a. wire. Death was apparently caused by the exiplosioii’ of the' detonator in the mouth. The body was discovered by two small boys, wfio were out gathering coal. They immediately informed: Coirstaible .1. Moore, of Blackball. . Deceased, who was 1 a: native of Lancashire, canie to New Zealand 19 years ago, and for the past; 13 years l he had been employed as a carpenter at the Blackball Coal Mines. He took an interest .in various sports, and was a member of the Blaclcball-Ngahere Returned Soldiers’ Association. Mr. Smith suffered ill-effects from his service in the Gre'at War, and 'was recently admitted to the Grey Hospital, but. returned home after a couple of days. He leaves a wife and one son. Mr. Norman Smith, of Blackball

An inquest is being held at Blackball .this afternoon, before Mr. Lloyd Elsmore, .1.1’., Acting-Coroner, and 1 a jury.