ACCIDENTS & FATALITIES

Marlborough Express, Volume LIII, Issue 102, 1 May 1919, Page 7

ACCIDENTS & FATALITIES

A youth named Cecil Gillett, 17^ ycrirs of age, _ivas drowned in the Wairoa River, Whangarei, on Sunday mom'ng. AVith thres others he was skylarking in an old Maori canoe, which capsized. Gillett was unable to swim, but his companions reached the shore safely. The body has been recovered.

Michael Mac Donald, an elderly sflior who had just signed off the Koutunui, was drowned m the Iron Pot at Port Ahurivi on Sunday afternoon. He misjudged the distance between tho railway trucks and a vessel. He was recovered almost instantly by a stevedore named Fitzgibbon, but was dead when brought on to the wharf.

On Monday afternoon a returned soldier named Flynn fell from a moving tram-car in Worcester Street, Christclnirch, and suffered such injuries to his right arm that it had to be amputated. *

Mary Mitchell, aged eight, a pupil at the Cashmere Hills School, Christchurch, suffered a severe injury to her head on Monday afternoon owing to the school bell breaking away from its fastenings and falling on her. The ex^ct nature of th© injury is unknown, but her condition is scrioxis.

An elderly woman named Mrs Margaret Reid was knocked down by a motor'cT?r in John Street, Wellington, at 7 o'clock on Monday evening. She was admitted to the Hospital in an unconscious state, and did not recover consciousness, dying four houre later. Thc> motor was driven by E. Williams, of Island Bay.

An inquest was held on Monday into the death of Annie T'onner, a single woman, aged 27, who died in the Dunedin Hospital in the preliminary stage of an operation for the removal of an abscess from the left lung. After hearing medical evidence, the coroner said that for the benefit of all parties, where death occurred under an . anaesthetic■ it was advisable that there should be a post-mortem examiusifcion. The inquest would bo. adjourned till Friday to enable this to be done. The coronet* added that no reflection upon anyone was intended.

A bushtnan named John O'Neill, aged #3, committed suicide in the lavatory of the Metropolitan Hotel, Whangarei, on Tuesday afternoon. He obtained a loan of £1 from the licensee, and after ha.vmg a. sarsaparilla and lemonade said he was going to^is room to take medicine. A few minutes later be. .was found with his throat cut. The deceased's brother was also staying,, at the hotel.

Eric Ferguson, son of Alexander Ferguson, of Wellington, accidentally shot himself while out rabbit shooting on Monday at Clevedon. Evidently the gun was discharged :i,s he was getting through a fence. At tho inquest a verdict of accidental death was returned, the coroner drawing attention to the numerous deaths caused of late through the careless carrying of guns.