ACCIDENTS, ETC.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8355, 8 September 1890, Page 9

ACCIDENTS, ETC.

A man named James MeCaul died on the 11th of August under somewhat peculiar circumstances while being conveyed to the District Hospital for medical treatment. Deceased had been lodging with Mr. Wallis, of Vincent-street, but, owing to being £7 in arrear with hie board, he had been ordered to clear out a few days ago. On Monday afternoon he tried to force an entrance at the back of the house, but failing, did so by the front door. He appeared to be under the influence of liquor, and offered some drink to Mrs. Wallis, which she refused, and he then drank off some of the contents of a brandy flask, going afterwards into a bedroom and lying down. As he was rather threatening in his language, and having no business in the house, Mrs. Wallis called in the police. When Constable Young was summoned, he found McCaul lying in he room apparently drunk, and breathing heavily, as if asleep. A flask containing about forty drops of liquor was on a table in the room. The constable carried the man out of the house and put him into a cab, taking a seat beside him, and they were driven to the Police Station, when Sergeant-Major Pratt ordered that McCaul be taken to the Hospital. At the Police Station McCaul was still breathing, and ap- J peared to be in a drunken sleep. When the cab arrived at the Hospital, Constable Young saw Dr. Daldy. That gentleman examined McCaul, and after testing his heart with the stethoscope, declared that he was dead. An inquest on the body was held on August 12 at the mortuary buildings in the Hospital grounds, before Dr. Philson, coroner. Evidence was given by Mrs.' Wallis, Constable Young, Mr. Alfred Gray, and Dr. Daldy. Dr. Daldy, who had made a post mortem examination, stated that ho had found a large quantity of extravasated blood on the surface of the brain, showing that a blood vessel in the head had been ruptured. There was no smell of alcohol in the stomach. The cause of death was evidently sanguineous apoplexy. The jury returned a verdict of " Death from apoplexy." An accident occurred on August 14 to a lumper named Edward Bell, while working at the fore-winch of the s.s. Richmond, which was lying alongside the Quean-street Wharf. A pin in a block broke, and the block carried away from the yard-arm, striking Bell on the head and inflicting a scalp wound 2J inches in length. He was at once attended to by Dr. Lindsay, and then removed to the Hospital where he subsequently died. On the 16th August a resident of Ponsonby, Mr. Lysart, had a narrow escape of being drowned in Home Bay. He was out in a dingy when it commenced to fill. The gardener at the residence of the Messrs. Dufaur noticed the accident and informed one of them. Mr. Dufaur took a boat and rescued the man, who was clinging to the dingy in an exhausted condition, and who had given up all idea of attempting to swim ashore. Mr. Lysart, who lives in the vicinity, at once proceeded homewards after heartily thanking his rescuer. A carriage accident took place late on the 13th of August, which might have led to serious consequences. Mrs. Conolly, wife of Mr. Justice Conolly, was going up Symonds-street in a buggy, when the polo broke in crossing the tram line, and the horse bolted. The driver, Pollard, as soon as he could get a pull on the horse, ran in by the cemetery wall to head the horse off. In doing so it came into collision with the pillar of the side gate of the Presbyterian Cemetery, striking the pillar with such force that the stone was dislodged from its position. Both Mrs. Conolly and Pollard were thrown out on to the pavement, the horse hurt, and the buggy further injured. Mrs. Conolly suffered no further mishap than a severe shaking. On the 14th August a lumper named Edward Bell was hit in the head by a block '.e discharging cargo on the s.s. Rosamond at the Railway Wharf, and received a severe lacerated wound. He died of his injuries at the District Hospital on August 30. An inquest was held on September 1, at the Hospital, before Dr. Philson, Coroner, and a jury of six, of whom Mr. Henry Price was chosen foreman. The evidence of Drs. Collins and Lindsay, and Messrs. Witten and Girling, and Constable Macky of the water police, was taken. The jury returned a verdict to the effect, " That the deceased met with his death from accidental causes," and added a rider stating that they thought there was blame attachable to the officers of the ship for not having inspected the block before the men were asked to work with it." The funeral took place on September 2, and was largely attended. The cortege left the Hospital at two o'clock, the chief mourners being the officers of the Federated Wharf Labourers Union (of which body deceased was a member), and Mr. Bust, Secretary of the Trades and Labour Council ; following the hearse were the member* of the Union, and also the members of the Federated Seamen's Union. About 300 were present. The procession was headed by the Artillery Band, under Bandmaster Hunter, which played the " Dead March" in '' Saul." As the interment was arranged to take place at the Anglican cemetery, North Shore, the funeral party proceeded across in one of the ferry steamers. The Rev. 0. Bates conducted the funeral service. The Union Co. in the most handsome manner paid the expenses at the Hospital, defrayed the whole cost of the funeral, hearse, etc. On September 2 a boy named Handry, four years old, fell into the Avon, ndar Victoria-street Bridge, Canterbury. L. B< Mathias, of the Supreme Court, plunged m and brought him ashore Insensible, but) alive.

On the 3rd September Mr. Archibald, of Avondale, informed the Auckland police authorities that a man named Robert Muir, was missing from a boat which went up the river on the Ist September. It appears that on that evening Muir and a companion named Neville left the Queen-street Wharf for up river in a dingy, intending to go to the gumfields. They fell asleep in the boat, and when Neville woke up the boat) had drifted into one of the creeks and grounded, and Muir was missing. Neville went ashore at Lawson's creek, and told Mr. Archibald the circumstances. From the information received by the police it is said there was liquor in the boat.

An inquest was held at the Mangawai parsonage, on August 9, on the body of John Tutin, who died suddenly the day before. Mr. W. B. Farrand, J.P., acted as coroner. The evidence of Samuel and Elizabeth Tutin, brother and sister of deceased, was taken, also that of Butler M. Ryan and J. G. Boldero, from which it appeared that at about three or four o'clock on the morning of the Bth August a fire had broken out in a small wooden shed a few yards from the parsonage. The Misses Tutin were aroused by the glare, and sent at once to their brothers for assistance, as the space between the shed and the house was so small there was considerable risk of the latter catching <\re. The brothers John and Samuel Tutin, being roused by Miss Blanche Hood, who was sent over, Mr. John came at once and Mr. Samuel about two minutes later. On the way lie complained to Miss Hood that ho could not hurry. Oil arrival, he said to his sister Elizabeth, there was no danger, nothing could be done, the fire would burn itself soon out. He called to her to come to the fence and shelter from the wind. On turning round to do so she saw that her brother had fallen on his left side against the fence, and she rushed to his assistance. Mr. Samuel then arrived, and they carried their brother into the house. Messages were sent to Mrs. Ryan, the nearest neighbour, and to Mrs. Sarah, and a telegram to Dr. Mountain. The latter arrived about midday, and gave it as his opinion that death occurred at the instant of the fall, the cause being heart disease of long standing. The result of the inquest was a verdict of " Death from natural causes." Much sympathy is felt for the bereaved family. The age of Mr. John Tutin was about 59 or (JO. The funeral took place on Sunday, August 10, at two p.m., Mr. Snelling officiating] The attendance was large, but owing to the extremely wet day many were prevented from being present. The coflin lid was one mass of flowers, the offerings of friends far and near; some wreaths were beautiful, and many bouquets singularly so. The Tauranga police have received information of a very sad and fatal accident at Whakatano to Mr. Charles Gould. A telegram was received on August 11 that Mr. Gould had been shot dead, supposed accidentally, at the Oporiau Station, Whakatane. Mr. Gould had just purchased the station from Dr. Campbell, of Auckland, for £51,000, and a fortnight before left overland in a buggy to take possession. Mr. Gould came overland from .Napier shortly before accompanied by his wife and family of six young children. Mr. Gould took a place in Tauranga for his family pending permanent arrangements, and after seeing them comfortably settled down, proceeded to Whakatane. The news of the accident has created quite a sensation here, and great sympathy is felt on all hands for Mrs. Gould and family. The accident occurred about 20 chains from the homestead on the 10th August whilst the deceased was getting through a wire fence. The deceased was pulling his rifle after him, when the trigger caught in a join of the wire fence and exploded, the bullet going through tha deceased's heart, and causing instantaneous death. The bullet went in at the front of the body, penetrating the heart, and passing completely through the back. The father of the deceased came to Canterbury in tho early days of the colony, and entered into business in Christchurch, where he was very successful. Ono of the sons, Mr. Joseph Gould, is still in Christchurch, a member of the firm of Gould and Bowmont. The body was brought up to Auckland from Whakatane by the steamer Douglas on 16th August.

A little fellow about ten years of ago (says the Waikato Times) met with a peculiar accident the other day at Cambridge, the consequences of which might have been vary serious. The boy is the son of Mr. David Carnachan. He was wandering along Chapel-streeb when he picked up what looked like a Waterbury watch, covered with pitch. He took it home to his father and asked him what it was. Mr. Carnachan scraped a piece of the black of] it and finding it was made of tin, concluded it was some old box that was worthless, and gave it back to the lad, telling him he might have it to play with. The boy being of an inquiring turn Of mind, procured a hammer, and placing the tin box on a block of wood, proceeded to knock it to pieces. In doing this he did not find much trouble, for the first blow he gave was followed by a loud explosion, which not only shattered the box, but also, knocked the lad head over heels, the flame burning his hands and face. The mysterious box proved to be a fog signal—such as are used on the railway. Fortunately the lad's eyesight was not injured, but he evidently had a narrow escape, for his eyebrows "nd eyelashes were burned. About half-past nine a.m. on August 26 a miner named George Peploe met with a very serious accident whilst at work in the third stope upon the foot.vail reef of the Trenton mine, Thames. A hole had just been fired in the reef, and Peploe, after having, as he thought, carefully inspected the ground to see whether it was safe,' had commenced to sort the quartz from tho mullock. Whilst in this act, about half-a-ton of rock suddenly fell away from the hangingwall side of the stope upon Peploe, badly crushing him about the head and body. No time was lost in bringing him to the surface, where he was placed in a cab, and conveyed to the hospital. His examination there revealed the fact that his head and body were severely bruised, his nose being broken, the right eye so badly injured that it is feared it will have to be removed, and two ribs broken. An inmate in the Avondale Lunatic Asylum named Sarah Maria Jones died on August 12. An inquest was held on August 13 by Dr. Philson, coroner, when after hearing the evidence adduced, the jury returned a verdict of "Death from natural causes." Our Tuakau correspondent writes —On August 8 Mr. Thomas McKechnie, an old man, 72 years of age, brother-in-law to Mr. McMillan, one of our oldest settlers, with whom he was living, while in the act of mowing some green oats, was suddenly struck down. An inquest was held on August 10 before Captain Jackson, coroner, and a jury of six. Dr. Dalziel) was also present, who testified that the cause of death was heart disease. The verdict of the jury was in accordance with tho medical testimony.

There is a Mr. King of Auckland, missing at Whangarei, who has been visiting the district. The police are dragging the river for his body. Mr. H. Montgomery, contractor for the Messrs. Ralph's new dip in the coal mine at Huntly, met with an accident on Aug. 31. It appears that he was riding on a truckload of clay and sand outside the dip, and getting to ono end of the truck his extra weight there caused it to upset. The result was that he was thrown suddenly to the round, and a portion of the truck grazed is back, and striking his right foot sprained it badly. Dr. March was in attendance in the evening, and after a careful examination pronounced the injuries as not serious. It is our painful duty to record a very sad loss which befell Mr. Thomas Waller, Pukekohe, on the 20th of August, by the accidental firing of a hay shed, containing about 4 tons of hay. It appears that two of Mr.' Waller's children (boys), aged respectively ten and four years, got some matches, and went to play in the hay shed, and by soma means caused the fire. In their alarm, instead cf running clear of the danger, they hid themselves in the cow shed, (which adjoined the burning hay shed), which also took fire, and were 111 consequence sewrely burned before they were rescued. The youngest child lingered on in great suffering until the 27th of August, when it died through the great) shock it had received to the system. . J-he oldest lad is progressing as favourably as can be expected under the circumstances. An inquest was held at Pukekohe on the body of the boy Arthur Ernest Walter, Dr. Dalziel gave evidence as to the treatment adopted. The jury returned a verdict of " Accidental death, with a rider that no blame was attachable / to anyduo, ' .

The friends of Captain G. Altaian, of tho 6.8. Te Kapo, will learn with regreb that he recently met with an accident which will necessitate his retiring for some time from the command of his vessel. In coming down from the bridge he slipped on the top step of the ladder and fell, striking his head on the stanchions and injuring his left shoulder. The worst injury was sustained to his right leg, which was severely strained. An old miner named John Edmunds, Hokifcika, was found dead in his hut at the back of the creek on August 15. He is supposed to have died from disease. Bishop Julius returned to Kumara from Jackson's Bay on August 13. During his journey South he had a narrow escape from drowning whilst rounding the bluff south of the Waiho River, which he crossed during a flood, being thrown from and underneath his horse. After a desperate struggle the horse and rider succeeded in reaching the shore.

A settler named Thomas Hickey was killed at Wangapeka, Nelson, on August 21, while falling bush. An accident happened near Inglewood, Taranaki, on the 22nd August, when a man earned Duschinesk, a Pole, who was felling krees, was crushed. He had to be dug out. it is reported that both legs are broken, and he is also internally injured. On the 24th August a man, Jas. McDonald, while fishing from the coal staiths, "Westport, fell into the river, and was drowned. At the inquest on tho 25th August a verdict of " Accidentally drowned" was returned. The jury added a rider, *' That bettor life-saving appliances wero necessary for the wharf and staiths." The deceased was 65, and unmarried. He was a native of England. A man named Goldsmith was seriously injured in the Crown mine, Karangahake,on August 25. While trucking mullock he and the truck were precipitated over the tiphead, falling some 50 feet. He miracu tously escaped death, falling in a heap of mud. The truck was shattered to atoms. Mrs. Sutton, injured by a tire at tho Bluff Coffee Palace on August 11, is dead. Miss Cargill, who was also burnt, is recovering. A fatal accident" occurred on Sept. 4 at tho Hon. George McLean's residence, Warrington, Otago, to a son of the late Mr. Farquharson, veterinary surgeon. It appears he was passing through a live fence when the gun which he was carrying exploded. The charge entered just under the unfortunate's man chin and came out at the top of the head, which was literally blown to pieces. Death was instantaneous. Deceased had been in Mr. McLean's employ for some years, and was about 21 years of age. A miner named Sullivan was found dead in his hut at Hokitika on Sept. 5, death being due to heart disease. He had served in the East Indian Company's service, and was through the Indian Mutiny. A girl aged eight, the daughter of Mrs. Penfold, a hardworking woman, was killed on Thursday afternoon, the 28th August, at Ross' Implement Factory, Invercargill. The works are newly erected, and a portion is to be used as a flax-dressing shop. Projecting through the wall into a yard is the shafting from which, the scutchers are to be driven, and the child got entangled with the shaft, but how is not known. The workmen inside noticing the shaft making a peculiar noise went out, and found the body of the child about 18 feet from the shaft fearfully mutilated, the limbs being broken and the head crushed. Portions of the clothing were found on the shaft, which was bent by the accident. A man named John Comport, a wellknown resident, is missing at Hokitika and it is feared he has fallen over the wharf or committed suicide.

A boy named George Ingram, 12 years of age, fell down the stairs at the Provincial Hotel, Christchurch, on the 14th August, dislocating the joint and fracturing the right thigh. A collision occurred on Tuesday night, the 12th August, at Johnsonviile, five miles from Wellington, on the Mannwatu line. Trucks were being shunted, when they got loose and dashed into tho carriages. The guard's van was smashed, and the mail van upset. It caught lire, but the flames were quickly extinguished. No one was hurt. The damage is estimated at £300.