ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1194, 18 January 1895, Page 31

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES

An enquiry into the circumstances connected with the death of Mary Reynolds, wife of Mr John Reynolds, licensee of the White Horse Hotel, Ngahauranga, was held 'Tuesday before Mr Ashcroft, coroner, and a jury of which Mr George Grey was foreman.

The husband of the deceased stated that deceased was 38 years of age and they had been married 18 years. On Sunday afternoon she went upstairs and lay down on the bed, and after a while she began singing and seemed to be off her head. About 10 p.m. she wanted to go through the window and through the walls and to get away from something. He persuaded her to get into bed, and while he was dozing off she jumped right across him out of bed and struck her arm. He put her back into bed. He thought she had had too much to drink, and would be all right in the morning. She had been a good many times the worse for drink. She sat up in bed and said “ They're coming, the police are coming.” Between 3.30 and 4 a.rn. on Monday he woke up and found her dead. She had been drinking very hard for four years, and he had often seen her off her head before this.

Dr Lamb, who had made a post-mortem examination of the body, said he considered death was caused by heart failure, due to the congested state of the brain and lungs, which he should probably say was due to alcoholic poisoning*. The jury returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence.

Two inquests were held at the Hospital by Mr Ashcroft, coroner, on Friday, on the bodies of Asylum patients. The first was on Marara Tukuiho, a Maori woman, who was admitted from Karaura on February 20, 1894. She became ill on December Bth last, and died on Thursday afternoon from acute phthisis. Her age was 45 years. The second enquiry was on Elizabeth Read Milne, formerly of Mar ton and Wanganui, who was admitted to the institution from the latter place on 21st December last. She was 73 years of age, and died that morning from senile decay. Her husband lives at Wanganui. The jury, of which Mr A. B. Wilton was foreman, returned a verdict in each case in accordance with the medical evidence.

An exchange records that Miss Mary Harkness, step-daughter of Mr W. Campbell, Albion Hotel, Grey mouth, dropped dead the other morning. A young man named Crawford, while shearing at Galpin’s, near Marton, received a severe gash in his left arm. The police authorities received a telegram on Monday stating that the body of Patrick Carrick, who was drowned at the junction of the Tiraumea and Manawatu rivers about ten days since, had been found about two miles from the ford where he was last seen.

A boy named Llewellyn Robson had three of the fingers of his left hand taken off by a planing machine in Messrs Carmichael and Son’s yard on Friday. After being attended to by Dr Cahill, he was taken to the hospital, where he is reported to be progressing satisfactorily. A man named Patrick Healey, while working in a cutting near Three Log Whare, was struck by a lump of papa, and received severe injuries, his forehead being laid open, two ribs broken and his hand sprained. A boy fell off the wharf into the harbour on Monday afternoon, but managed to get hold of a stringer and pull himself up, none the worse for the ducking. A young man named Alexander Wilson whilst engaged on Monday afternoon in painting a yacht at the Patent Slip, fell and broke his arm. He was taken to the Hospital, where his injuries were attended to by Dr Ewart. About six o’clock on Monday evening as Mrs Gurr, of Petone, and her two daughters were driving down Adelaide road in a trap the Vehicle collided with a coal cart and was capsized. Mrs Gurr had one of her arms dislocated, but the other occupants of the trap escaped injury. The harness was slightly damaged. Constable McCormack, who was on duty in the vicinity, rendered such assistance as lay in his power, and the lady’s injuries having been attended to by Dr Parkes, she was driven home.

A telegram received by Inspector Pender on Tuesday states that Thomas Gittings had cut his throat at Spring Creek, four miles from Blenheim. ' Gittings was arrested for drunkenness at Wellington on the 28th of December last, and, as he was in a very bad state, was remanded for a week for medical treatment.

■ A fatal accident happened to a man named John Welch, on Tuesday afternoon. He was working on the side of. the road near Makara when a large boulder fell on him, causing a compound fracture of the left leg and internal injuries. He was taken to the Hospital by Mr McGrath, and his injuries were promptly attended to, but Welch sank rapidly, and died about 2 o’clock next morning. Deceased was about 45 years of age. Inspector Pender received a telegram from Blenheim on the 16th stating that a man named George Calloway fell dead the previous day while haymaking at Canvastown, seven miles from Havelock. Calloway had no friends in the Colony. An inquest was held at the Hospital morgue on Tuesday by Colonel McDonnell, acting coroner, on the body of Alfred Smith, a patient at the Asylum. The

jiiry, of whom Richard Jas. McKenzie was foreman, returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence, viz., that death had resulted from general paralysis of the insane.

A settler at Waimea West, Charles Henry Ford, 68 years of age, fell and expired suddenly on the 7th inst. Napiee,, January 10.

A man named Nelson Miller, about 35 years of age, committed suicide this morning by shooting himself with a revolver through the right temple at Schierning’s restaurant. Miller has been staying there since the last Christchurch races, and though inclined to gamble was known as a sober man. No reason is assigned for the deed. A small sum of money was found in his pockets, together with a Savings Bank receipt for <£s. Deceased was a single man.

Napier, January 14

The dead body of a man named Luke Huschorf was found in the Tutaelmri River, near Puketapu, on Saturday. At the inquest an open verdict was returned. Auckland, January 10.

Miss Hansen died at the Hospital tonight from fracture of the skull, caused through an accident to a buggy in which she was driving to a picnic at St. Heliers Bay with Mrs Pullan and others. The horse bolted, and Miss Hansen jumped out. Mrs Arthur Woollams and her daughter Nellie, who also leaped out of the buggy, were injured, the former seriously.

Auckland, January 11

A man named Robert Douglas displayed great bravery and presence of mind in the buggy accident yesterday in which Miss Hansen received fatal injuries. In all probability he saved three children who were in the buggy from being killed. He galloped after the buggy for a mile till he overtook it, raced alongside the horse in the trap till, stooping from liis saddle, he could clutch the reins and pull it up gradually in 200 yards before reaching the Wellesley street incline, where the trap must have capsized. The screams of the children in the trap were pitiful, and the streets were lined with people watching the episode and expecting a shocking accident. „

Mrs Woollams remains, in the same condition as yesterday. Mrs Pullan and Miss Woollams are in a fair way of recovery. A man named John Slaney is reported as missing l from Helensville

January 12

The body of the missing man John Slanoy has been found floating in the river pear Helens ville.

Auckland, January 14

News has been received that a young man named Samuel Lowe, about 28 years of age, a carpenter, whose people live at Arch Hill, was killed at Nukualofa, Tonga, by a native named Yeni, during the New Year festivities. It is alleged that the native rushed at Lowe with a heavy stone, and struck him violently on the head, death resulting in about an hour. Thomas Brankin, a fireman, fell between the ship Mamari and the wharf. His body was recovered, but life was extinct. The evidence showed that he struck the stringers. Deceased’s mates state that he was quite sober. A woman named Theresa Hand was found dead in a house in Cook street. The jury brought in a verdict of death from habitual drunkenness.

Wanganui, January 10. A lad named Arthur Partington, aged 15 years, son of a well-known local photographer, was drowned while bathing in the river this afternoon.

Lyttelton, January 10.

After persistent dragging, the police found the body of the missing man Reid in the harbour this morning. Nelson, January 11.

A girl named Nalder, aged about 12 years, was seriously injured this afternoon, being accidentally shot through the jaw and neck by a lad with whom she was playing, and who was holding a pea rifle. Dunedin, January 13.

News from Coal Island states that Charles Myers, a German, has been missing for about a fortnight. It was supposed he had been lost in the bush, and the miners turned out to search for him, but it has since been found that a charge of dynamite is missing, and the belief is that Myers has committed suicide. Myers went to Coal Island from Lawrence, and was a quiet, unobtrusive man, and generally liked. Dunedin, January 14.

Two men, Thomas Bowman and John Robertson, were drowned last night while attempting to board the dredge Dunkeld in the Clutha River.

Thames, January 12

Thomas Reid, aged 70, a carpenter, has been missing since yesteiday. His coat and hat have been found on the end of the wharf, and it is supposed that he has committed suicide.

Marton, January 14,

A Chinaman named Ah Wong committed suicide here early this morning. He was said to be in trouble about money matters. Marton, January 15.

To-day, about 5.30 p.m., Harry Price, a waiter, who had been absent on sick leave, and who had returned from Wanganui at 3 o’clock, died in the back yard of the White Hart Hotel from an affection of the lungs. Deceased was about 35 years of age. He leaves relations in the South Island.

Tim Abu, January 4

Fred Hedge, an elderly man, well-known years ago as a cross-country rider and trainer, was found drowned in the harbour yesterday afternoon. It is supposed to have be6n a case of suicide. Deceased has been hard up and despondent for some time past. New Plymouth, January 14.

The Inglewood correspondent of the Herald telegraphs that a young man named Robert Parker, a cadet, residing with Mr Orr, a farmer on the Egmont road, is missing. He left his swag on the road,

with a note that he was tired, of life. The

same young man was lost in the bush some time ago.

Opttnake, January 14.

George McNeil, aged 19, son of the lighthousekeeper at Cape Egmont, was found dead with a gunshot wound through his head on Saturday night, at 10 o’clock. •From the position of the body and the gun it appeared that in going through a bush he got his foot entangled in a supplejack, and to save the fall propped the gun in front, and received the charge in his forehead. The chai’ge passed out at the back of his head, shattering the top of his skull.

Stratford, January 15. A sad drowning fatality occurred at Ngaire yesterday. A young girl of 19 years of age, Mabel Messer, a resident of Normanby, who was on a visit to Mrs Green, at Ngaire, went to bathe at 3.30 p.m. in a dam 9ft deep in the river. Mrs Green sat watching her, and the girl dived, but never rose to the surface.

A search for the body was without success till the water was let out of the dam at 8.30,-when the body was recovered. The poor girl had been suffocated in the mud at the bottom of the dam.

At an inquest held this evening, before Mr Malone, coroner, a verdict was returned of accidental drowning. Featherston, January 14.

On Saturday morning the body of Margaret Mason was found in the Kuamahunga river, just above the Waihenga bridge. She had a towel round her neck, which was attached to a flax bush on the bank. The young girl, who is only 18 years old, left the residence of Mr A. McLeod, of Martinborough, where she was a domestic servant, on the previous night about half-past 8, and nothing suspicious was thought till about half-past 10, when Mrs McLeod went up-stairs to shut her bedroom window, fancying by her nonappearance that she had gone over to her home at Kaiwaiwai. On going to her room Mrs McLeod found a letter on her bed, addressed : “ The one that finds it, to father, mother, sisteis and brothers, from Maggie.” The letter denied that she had taken any money as she had been accused of, and also denied certain slanderous reports concerning herself, and also indicated where she was to be found in the river.

The inquest was started on Saturday evening at the Club Hotel, Martinborough, before the District Coroner, Mr T. Hutchison, and the following jury:—Messrs W. H. Speakman (foreman), Croot, Winchester, Gillies and C. Kent-Johnston. The evidence of Mrs McLeod was taken, and showed that she had complained to the girl of having spent more money than the 8s a week that she obtained from her. John Ross deposed to having seen the girl on the night in question near the river, and having had a few words with her as they passed. The evidence of Dr Bey was that she met her death by drowning. He also gave evidence which disproved certain reports current regarding the deceased. The inquest was resumed to-day, when the evidence was taken of her two sisters, also of the young man Smith, who discovered the body; Fred. Biddle, with whom she had been keeping company, and her father and brother. The evidence of her father and brother showed that she had been able to obtain money from them at any time, and that her brother had given her some when she was in Wellington.

The jury returned a verdict of suicide whilst temporarily insane, addipg a rider that the insanity was caused by the groundless charges brought against her.