ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXII, Issue 13574, 21 October 1904, Page 5

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

.. ACCIDENTS TO DESTROYERS. United Pres 3 Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, October 20. The destroyers Boxer and Ardent collided off the Moroccan Coast on September 18. Both were damaged. They have reached- Gibraltar. During the manceuvr.es at Gibraltar yesterday a ferry-boat- collided with and smashed the destroyer Dragon's bow?. [Per Prkss Association.] GISBOR.NE, October 20. At the inquest touching the death of Thomas Sleeman, a horse-trainer who was found dead in his bed in the Albion Hotel, the medical evidence was'to. the effect that the organs were healthy, and that the deceased had apparently been suffocated. There was no sign of violence, but a 'witness stated that the deceased had been depressed lately. A verdict that the deceased was found suffocated was returned. SUICIDE AT LEE3TON. A sad case' of suicide occurred at Leeston yesterday, the victim being Miss Agnes Anderson, youngest daughter of Mr Andrew Anderson, of Shanzie Farm. It appears that on Wednesday evening Miss Anderson went to her room shortly after eight o'clock, ostensibly to go to bed. About 5.30 a.m. yesterday her father went to call her, but she was not in 'the room, nor was she to be seen anywhere about the house or outbuildings'. After searching in company with his sons for some time, Mr Anderson returned to the house, and on re-entering his' daughter's room -found a letter addressed to him lying on. the. bed. The letter read as follows':—"Dear father, —I shall be past hope when you find me. lam going to take poison. I am sorry to cause you so much pain, but forgive me, I cannot live any longer. I know lam half-mad with worry, but say good-bye to all for me. With my bsst love, and may God forgive you and all the rest. From your daughter, Agnes." Fearing that his daughter must have gone out with the intention of taking poison, Mr Anderson communicated with Constable O'Connell, of Leeston, who at once began a search, which resulted in hi s finding Miss Anderson's body in a creek, about 2ft deep, some two hundred yards from the house. Near the body there was a cup which had contained strychnine. Mies Anderson had been rather low-spirited for some time, but her friends had no reason to suppose that she had any intention of ending her life. A man named Gordon Johnson, a resident of Springfield, was admitted to the Hospital last evening, suffering from tho enects of <a kick received from a horse a week previously, by which several ribs were broken.