ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1160, 25 May 1894, Page 33

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

A distressing fatal accident which occurred at Bunnythrope on Thursday, and by which Mrs Annie McKeller lost her life, has caused a gloom in the district. Tho Advocate gives the following particulars “ When riding from Palmerston towards Bunny thrope yesterday afternoon, the Rev. Judkins, of Fielding, saw Mr McKeller standing on the road supporting his wife, who appeared to be very ill, and was vomiting. Mr McKeller informed Mr Judkins that as they were driving down the cutting, the horse stumbled, and Mrs McKeller fell forward on to the splash-board. Her leg was hurt by the fall, and this at first she thought was all tho harm that had happened her ; but all at once she was seized with pains in tho chest and commenced to vomit. Mr McKeller besought Mr Judkins to rido to Palmerston for Dr Mclntyre at once. He did so, but not linding Dr Mclntyre at home he obtained the services of Dr Satchel. When Mr Judkins returned to the scene of the accident, however, he found Mr McKeller standing by his dead wife. Mr McKeller, for whom there is much sympathy expressed, is manager of tho creamery at Bunny thorpe.” Tho Palmerston Standard says that Mr and Mrs McKeller were driving into Palmerston with a friend, to attend Miss Bessie Doyle’s concert, and that the horse stumbled and threw the party on to the road, Mrs McKeller being instantly killed. Miss Bessie Doyle, who was greatly moved when she heard of the fatal accident to the concert party, sent a sympathetic telegram to Mrs McKcller’s relatives, and has ordered a wreath to be placed on tho coffin.

At the inquest, the evidence showed that the horse fell on a rolling stone at tho foot of the hill, and the occupants of the buggy were thrown out. Deceased got up and appeared unhurt. She helped to unharness tho horse and then walked about 30 yards up the hill, and stood there about an hour beforo she died. Her childreu were brought before she died, but the doctor did not arrive until half an hour afterwards. Dr Satcholl’s evidence went to show that Mrs McKellar died through rupture of the diaphragm, caused by a blow on tho chest. Deceased was 53 years of age and leaves eight children, all grown up. A verdict of accidental death was returned.

A fire occurred in two workshops at Eden terrace, Auckland, on Thursday night. Goodwin’s carriage-building shop was destroyed, and Wetherell’s blacksmith’s shop gutted. Mr Wetherell, owner of the workshops, had an insurance of <£lo9 in tho Royal Office on the two buildings and his own plant; and Mr Goodwin has <£7s of insurance in the United Office on his plant and stock.

The flax burned in the fire at Mr W. Bock’s goods depot, Featherston, was insured for <£3ooo with tho London and Lancashire Company, the greater part of which was re-insured.

A lad named Charles Hankins was thrpwn into a ditch by a horse which bolted with him along the Stoney Creek road, Palmerston North. Ho was severely bruised, but fortunately no bones were broken. During the progress of the Association football match Swifts v. United, at the Hobson street ground, on Saturday, N. W. Bell, who was playing for tho latter club, had his leg broken by getting it locked in that of another player named Naylor. The injured limb was bound up by Mr Nairn, whose surgical experience came in very fortunately, and Bell was as soon as possible taken in a cab to tho Hospital, w here ho is reported to be progressing very favourably. Inspector Pender received a telegram from Constable Foley, of Greytown North, onSaturday; informing him that a settler at Morrison’s Bush, named James Beard, who had been missing from his home since 8 a.m. the previous day, had that morning been found dead near his house.

Whilst bushfelling for Mr A. Dick, at Birmingham, on Friday, a man named Duncan Noble, through his slasher slipping, cut one of his legs rather badly below the knee-cap. He was brought into Feilding by Mr Peterson’s coach and placed under Dr Charlton’s care. — Star.

Mrs Croinbio, wifo of Mr James Crombio, draper, Auckland, died on Sunday from a fall from a step-ladder. Seven people at Inglewood were poisoned the other day by eating tinned sardines. Ail have recovered from the effects.

Mr W. Maslin, eldest son of Mr W. S. Maslin, M.H.R., met with an accident at Geraldine. He was trimming a live fence on his father’s grounds with a reap hook

| when it slipped, inflicting an ugly gosh on his right leg. Dunedin, May IS. Mr Bridger, of Thompson and Bridger, hardware importers, committed suicide by shooting himself in th head with a revolver at his residence, Caversham Rise, this morning. It is understood that the act was induced by business worries. Deceased was to have sailed for England shortly. Ho leaves a widow and a large family. During tho voyage of tho Sadie A. Thompson, which lias arrived from New Y ork, Peter Karslen, A. 8., fell from aloft on to the deck, on March 29, and was instantly killod. Dunedin, May 21. The body of Joshua Eccles, at ono time licensee of tho Duke of Edinburgh Hotel, was found in tho bay yesterday. At tho inquest, the evidence showed that Eccles had been drinking until about a week ago. The jury returned a verdict that he drowned himself while temporarily insane through drink. Deceased was 54 years of age. Auckland, May 19. A man named Findlay McDonald, a settler living alone oil a homestead section at Waipu, has been found dead in his house. It is supposed that when found he had been dead three or four days. Wanganui, May 21. Just betore midday one of the crew of tho fishing cutter Ashurst, whoso name is unknown, but who is supposed to be a foreigner, was capsized from the cutter and drowned in 25 feet of water. Tho body has not yet been recovered. The place where the accident occurred is on the Putiki side of the river, nearly opposite the town wharf. By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent. Hastings, May 18. This morning, as a special meat train, heavily loaded, was returning from Waipukurau, it got on tho wrong line at Hastings through the points being closed- - at least that is the supposition. The driver, seeing what was wrong, shut off steam and whistled for breaks. Before the train could be pulled up, however, it ran into a couple of trucks of firewood. Both the trucks and tho ongine were a good deal damaged, one of tho former being smashed to atoms. A long piece of wood projecting over the end of the nearest truck went through tho cab of the engine, and grazed tho driver’s ear. He had a most miraculous escape. To give an idea of the force of tho blow, it may be said that one of the trucks loaded was driven about two chains on tho sleepers after it left the rails, and then capsized. There was no stoppage of traffic as the whole lot was thrown clear of the track, and now lies on tho side of the bank. L ITER. It has transpired that the driver, Patrick McGrath, was pinned against the door of the fire-box by the cab being stove in, and he was considerably bruised and cut. The guard, Jull, also got a severe shaking. It is surmised that tho accident occurred through a stone getting between tho rails, and thus preventing the points from closing properly, as the lever, when examined, was found to be in tho correct position. Last evening a train from Waipukurau drawn by two engines, encountered a log of firewood about eight inches thick. The front engine jumped over it, and landed on the rails again, but the wood got entangled in the link motion near the firebox. The train was stopped, however, and after a good deal of delay and hard work the obstruction was removed.