ACCIDENTS & FATALITIES.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 1696, 9 December 1919, Page 5

ACCIDENTS & FATALITIES.

Per Press Association. INVERCARGILL, Deo. 9. A single man named Michael O’Connor, 43 years of age, was accidentally killed at South Hillend last evening. He was riding a horse into the stables when ho struck his head against the top beam of the door. Death was almost instantaneous. NAPIER, Dec. 8. Fitz Neilson, a mill hand,, was drowned in the Mohika river at Puketithi .yesterday. He was bathing with a companion when the latter went away for a short while. When he returned he found Neilson unconscious in tho water. Artificial respiration. was unsuccessful 'and he died. Deceased was a married man with three children, ,

AUCKLAND, Dec. 8. *Mr Woodruff, a commercial traveller from Whakatane, left the’Waverley Hotel at one,o’clock this morning. A few minutes later he was seen falling from tho balcony on tho third floor of Kndean’s buildings to tho interior of the pavement bdlow, a distance of 50 to 60 feet. He was breathing when picked up, but expired almost immediately.

WELLINGTON, Dec. 8. At the inquest held to-day on Frederick Deavenport Patterson, a , discharged soldier, who was admitted to the Featherston military hospital on November 24th, and w r ho threw himsolt under the wheels of a- motor lorry on December 4th, succumbing .shortly after, a verdict was returned that deceased had committed suicide while in a melancholy state 6f mind. At the inquest on William Edward Forster Nattrass, who ‘was knocked down by a motor car on December 3rd, the Coroner returned a verdict to the effect that deceased died as the result of injuries received through, being knocked down by John Fearon. The Coroner said the evidence appeared to show that the speed was considerably in excess of 25 miles nn hour, as stnted by the driver. Considering the position of tho tramcar from which deceased had alighted, and the narrowness of the road, as well as the fact that there were several persons standing near the cornor, those having also alighted from tho tram, the pace at which the hill was being taken was quite excessive, unreasonable and dangerous.