ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 9105, 29 December 1909, Page 8

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

As preparations were being made yesterday morning at the Taranaki street wharf (Wellington) for the discharge of coal f'rom the steamer Rakanoa to the hulk Occolo, the foreman ganger, Charles Brian, fell down the hold of the hulk, and dislocated his neck. It was a drop of 20 or 30 feet. Dr. Gilmer was summoned, and ho pronounced the man to be dead. The accident occurred at about 11 o'clock, when a tramway on which the coal baskets were to be run. was being hoisted into place between the two vessels. It swung round towards deceased, who was directing operations, and, as he stepped back to avoid it, he tripped over a plank and fell headlong into the hold. Brian, who was about 50 years of age, had been for a long time in "the employ of tho Union Steam Ship Company. He was a steady and industrious worker, and leaves a wife and five children, two of whom are infants.

A DENTIST'S DEATH. (Peb Pbess Association.) AUCKLAND, Dec. 28. An inquest was held to-day on the death of Wm. F. Butters, dentist, whose body was found in his rooms on Monday morning under circumstances that indicated that death was due to cyanide poisoning. A cousin of deceased stated that he could adduce no reason for deceased taking his life. He might have been worried by two sisters leaving him. Sergeant Ferguson stated -that among deceased's papers was a demand for £100, but his bank-books showed he could almost meet this, and his business seemed to be returning a large profit. The jury expressed tho opinion that the demand was not sufficient to drive deceased to suicide, and suggested that he might have taken tho draught in mistake. In view of the lack of direct evidenco that deceased intentionally took the poison, the jury in their verdict expressed tho opinion that there was not sufficient evidence to show under what circumstances the poison was taken.