ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1204, 29 March 1895, Page 26

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES

An accident occurred on the Manawatu line at Johnsonville on March 21, which resulted in the death of Mr J. E. Harper, of Palmerston North.

It is not very clear how the accident occurred. All that is known is that just as the train was moving out of Johnsonville station the guard's van came into contact with something, which, on the train being stopped, was found to be the body of the deceased.

It is surmised that he had got out on to the platform when the train drew up to the station, and being late in boarding it when it moved on again, attempted to jump on to the footboard, with the result that he fell under the van and was killed instantly. The body, which was badly mutilated, was, by direction of Mr Gould, stationmaster at Wellington, who happened to be on the train, brought on to Wellington and taken to the morgue by Constables Smith and Black.

Deceased, who was about 40 years of age, was until lately manager for the Singer Sewing Machine Company at Palmerston North, but about a fortnight since was promoted to the position of general superintendent for the Company in New Zealand. He was a widower, his wife having died about 12 months since, and he leaves four young children, the eldest of whom is about 12 years of age. An inquest was held, when a verdict of accidental death was returned.

While the boys of the Tokomairiro Dis" trict High School were playing football, one of them, John Hinchcliff, broke his right arm. James Tinney, mfner, 60, fell over a 30ft precipice at Macetown, Otago, and died on the 20th.

Inspector Pender received a telegram from Constable Cooper, of Pahiatua, last week, stating that an unoccupied blacksmith and wheelwright's shop, the property of Mr T. C. Williams, Wellington, was totally destroyed by fire at 2 o'clock that morning. The building was insured. The origin of the fire is a mystery. On March 20th, about two o'clock, a fire broke out in the two-story shop and dwelling owned and occupied by Mr Hebley, bootmaker, Grey town. The flames socn spread to Mr F. H. Wood's auction rooms. Both buildings were destroyed. The insurances were: —Hebley: Building, Standard, .£300; stock and furniture, Imperial, .£175; stock, Victoria, .£IOO. Mr Hebley estimates his loss at .£2OO. Woods' Auction Mart: Building, .£250, South British; stock, .£2OO. Mr Woods estimates his loss at between £2OO and £3OO. Both premises are to be re-erected at once. Our Tenui correspondent telegraphs that while Mr Fleming, Inspector of Schools, and his brother were driving from Whakataki to Tenui, their gig was capsized. The occupants escaped with several contusions. William McAuliffe, son of the manager of the Port Chalmers Gasworks, was thrown against the cowcatcher of a passenger engine on Wednesday evening, and killed. A. C. Hugo died suddenly at Gisborne on Wednesday night. Strychnine crystals were found at the bedside, but the evidence showed that death had resulted from natural causes. Deceased was a prominent Mason.

Two men working at the Vinegar Hill contract, Hunterville, Thomas Quinlivan and Thomas Donovan, met with a serious accident on Wednesday week. A charge of blasting powder exploded, with the result that Quinlivan had his arm, face and one eye badly burned, and Donovan's chest and other parts of his, body suffered similarly. At latest accounts they are progressing favourably. Inspector Pender received a telegram from Sergeant-Major Scanlan, of Blenheim, on March 21, stating that a man named Samuel Phillips was drowned that morning while crossing the Wairau river, near Tuamariria. He was driving a pair of horses in a trap, and one of the animals was drowned. The police are out searching for the body. About nine o'clock on the 21st a fire broke out in a four-roomed cottage situated close to the Island Bay Racecourse, which was occupied by Mr Brathwaite, a milk vendor, and his family. The inmates had retired for the night when the fire was discovered, and they had barely time to escape. One of the children was only rescued with some difficulty from the burning building. The cottage was owned by Mr C. F. Richmond, New Plymouth. It was insured for £IOO in the Manchester office, and the furniture, which was all destroyed, was insured in the North German office for £SO. William Jones, landlord of the Commercial Hotel, Woodville, and formerly well known as a coachdriver on the NapierPalmerston and Masterton - Woodville roads, died suddenly at Woodville on Friday morning. George Brodie Hall, a builder, aged 54, a married man with a grown-up family, was proceeding to work by tram car at Dunedin on Friday, when he fell dead. He had been attended for six months for heart disease. At the inquest on the body of Arundel Cleave Hugo, at Gisborne, the medical evidence showed that deceased had been suffering from "white liver," and although strychnine mixed with bread crumbs had been found On his dressing table, death was due to urssmic convulsions. The verdict was death from natural causes. Thirty bodies have been recovered from the wreck of the Reina Regente. Mr F. M. Wallace, the well-known Christchurch violinist, has had his shoulder fractured while playing lawn teunis. The store of Mr J. Long at Rangiwahia was bru-nt down on Friday morning. Nothing was saved. The stock was insured in the Royal office for £2OO. Mr N. Jensen, of Palmerston North, who broke his leg some time ago while felling bush at Fitzherbert, has had the misfortune to break it again at the same place,

only a few days after he was discharged from the hospital. A poor little three-year-old child named Charles Cooper, while playing in a mill near Midhurst, Taranaki, had its left leg severed below the knee. A man named Jeremiah Sullivan was killed in a gravel pit at Apiti on Tuesday afternoon by a fall of metal. The body was removed to the Apiti Hotel for the inquest. The deceased was Avell known in Balmerston, and was a quiet, inoffensive man, and was much respected by those who knew him. He was employed by .Mr E. G. McDermott, who has a contract in hand for the PohaLgina County Council.— Feilding Star.

Mr A. McKay, well known as a Highland piper and dancer at Caledonian gatherings, was found insensible on the Laghmor road, near Ashburtcn, and was taken to the Ashburton Hospital. Wanganui, March 21. > , A sad death occurred this afternoon at Mr Brookfield's, dentist.

A young woman named Janet Hill, about 22 years of age, went there to have some teeth extracted, and chloroform was administered by Br Innes, all the usual precautions being taken. '. Shortly afterwards, while the young woman was under the influence of the . drug, strange symptoms were noticed; and efforts were at once made to bring her round. She rallied slightly, but sank again, and died in an hour. Dunedin, March 22. William McAuliffe, son of the manager otthe Port Chalmers gasworks, was killed last evening. He was playing with other boys on the side of the hill, and just as the train was approaching he started to run ! down, another boy following him. He was J unable to stop himself, and ran against I the cow-catcher, his skull being .completely \ fractured. The coroner's jury returned a i verdict of accidental death, no blame being • attachable to anyone. ; Dunedin, March 27. j Charles Tippett, a very old resident of "Bannockburn, has been drowned in his dam. He was subject to fits, and is supposed to have fallen in when seized with one. The body of a young man, supposed to be that of Henry Deary, a discharged steward of the s.s. Omapere, was found floating in the harbour this morning.. Marton, March 22. A fire at Hunterville this morning destroyed the block of buildings known as Punch's and the Temperance Hall. The shops burnt were Bowick, bootmaker ; Lye Kum, fruiterer; Bowick, baker ; Morley, watchmaker; Brooker, draper. Ihe insurance on the shops was ',£230 in the Standard Office, The Temperance Hall was uninsured. The insurances on the stock were—Bowick, .£100; Lye Kum, ,£100; Brooker and Morley, .£SO. Auckland, March 22. An elderly lady named Mrs Julia Macfarlane, who arrived from Sydney a few months ago, has been found dead in.her bed. ..'...- Auckland, March 23. j

Philip Le Quesne, manager for Sharland and Co., died this morning under peculiar circumstances. He was accidentally knocked down by the pole or the horse of a passing bus while he was trying to catch a tram, and appeared after recovering from being stunned to be all right. He went home in a cab to Archill with a friend, and seemed all right. The deceased occupied a house with T. Davies. When Mr Davies arrived home at about -a quarter past 12 he found his companion lying dead with only his singlet on. Investigation showed that deceased had been in bed, but he had got out again. Some abrasions were found on his right cheek and chin, as if caused by a fall, but there were no marks on deceased's body. An empty bottle, supposed to have contained chloral, was found on a table alongside the deceased's bed. A passenger on the 'bus stated that the driver was in no way to blame for the accident. There has been general regret expressed at the sudden end of Mr Le Quesne, for he was well-known and popular. He had been connected with the firm since a youth. The deceased -was" 34 years of age, and was a son,of It r r Le Quesne, an old and greatly respected hotel and general storekeeper at Hamilton. The deceased was engaged to be married in a month's time. An inquest will be held. Auckland, March 25. At the inquest on Le Quesne, a verdict was returned that death, had resulted from an overdose of chloral. Auckland, March 25. It is supposed that a clue has been found to the cause of the want of water at the Avondale Asylum fire. The valve at West- ' ern Springs, which regulates the supply ; through a six-inch main for the asylum, has been inspected, and it was found that it required only three turns of the screw to shut the water off, this being a proof that there was only a fourth of the water going through. The pumping engineer has not interfered with the valve during all the years he has been there, and says that : the valves and meter in that section regulating the asylum supply were put in ' by Government employees, and are under j their control. However, at a wet practice which took place, the valve was put fully open, but the pressure was no better. It is thought there is something wrong with the main or the valves on the Government i section. Auckland, March 26. A man named James Butler, aged 24 years, dropped dead in the street this afternoon. He was a native of Ireland, and had no relatives in the Colony. The cause of death was heart disease. Chbistchtjech, March 25. During playtime at Mount Grey down School this morning, a boy aged 11 years, the son of David Lilly, was hurt while playing at leap-frog; He was carried into the schoolmaster's house, and Dr Volkman was telephoned for, but when he arrived the boy was dead,

Invercabgill, March 26. A woman named Margaret Dallas, aged 82 years, fell in a house at South Eiverton last night, and broke her neck. The woman and two others had been drinking. At the inquest regarding the fire whioh destroyed Wm. McEae's threshing mill, Lova Gorge, on the 10th January, the jury returned a verdict of wilful fire-raising by some person unknown.

Timaru, March 27. A baker's shop and dwelling at Fairlie, unoccupied, have been destroyed by fire. They were insured for .£235 with the New Zealand Farmers' Association. Incendiarism is suspected.