FATAL ACCIDENT.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 177, 14 November 1876, Page 2

FATAL ACCIDENT.

It is with feelings of regret we have to chronicle an accident which resulted in the drowning of a fine little lad, aged seven years, the son of Mr. John Milligan. tailor, of Thames-street It appears that about half-past live yesterday evening the deceased, in company with some other boys, was playing on the bank of ths side of the Railway Bridge, and by some mischance he slipped into the water and immediately sank out of sight. His companions raised the alarm, and some men from the Railway-shed hastened to the spot. A considerable time was lost before any effort was made to rescue the child through an idea prevailing that it was a false alarm ; but eventually one of the men stripped and dived in search of the body. By this time intelligence had been conveyed to the Police Station, and Inspector M'Cluskey at oncj repaired to the scene of the accident. By his directions t::e man who had been searc .ing in the centre of the pond procured a hook, and after a short while succeeded in bringing die unfortunate little fellow to the surface. The Inspector had him removed to the grass, where every exjrfcion was U3ed to resuscitate liim by turning him over, and raising and working his arms. Eventually lie was removed to the shop oi" .vlr. Coggins, chemist, and Drs.Wait and De Lauiour being quickly in attendance, further efforts were made, but witnout avail. From the time the first alarm was jjiven until the recovery of the body at ie-ast twenty minutes must i.ave elapsed, so t.iat altuoiigii every means was resorteu co to restore animation, from the first there ..aJ been very lictle hop.;. As the iittb fellow had »iis jacket and boots oil" at ths time of tae acoideni, it is just possible he iiad been paddling about in the water. It was been stated tnat he was pushed in by nis companions, but we believe that the iitiL fellow had a fishing-rod, and calling out to his playmates that he had a fish on the line they ran up to him, and in their eagerness pressed him off the bank into the water. The bank shelves off very abruptly, for in the place where the body was found, although a few yards from the edge of the water, it was fully six fee deep.

At the inquest to-day the following evidence was taken before T. W. Parker, Esq., the District Coroner : .Daniel Costello deposed : I am the son of Andrew Co3tello, of Oamwu, boardinghouse keeper. I ain not quite sevtm years old. I left school yesterday at three o'clock, and after getting dinner I went down to the Beach, accompanied by Paddy Slimes and Andrew Gantry. We then went to t ! ie lagoon near the Railway Bridge, and there saw Bobby Milligan and another boy. We all commenced to fish with linr-s. After fishing for a l.tfcle while Bobby Milligan said, " Joe, I've caught a fish." After he had said he had caught a fish, Pat Slimes ran up to him, put his hand on his back, and pushed him into the water. He fell on his back into the water. Milligan was sitting down on the ground when he was fishing, and Pat Slimes was also sitting down. The other boys were all standing. Slimes was sitting about four yards from Milligan when deceased fell into the water. He did not cry out, but I saw him try to get out. Alfred Calvert tried to get hold of Milligan, but failed. After he fell, he tried to get up, but fell down again, and I did not see him after that. I did not see him from that time until I saw his body to-day. There were none of us quarrelling; we were all sitting quietly together. Before Bobby Milligan began to fish, he took off his coat, and put it on the stones. After Bobby had disappeared in the water, we staid there for a little while, and then Went away ; but Calvert told a man whom he saw at the Engine Shed. When Calvert went to the shed to tell the men, I waited till some men came up. I then went home and told my father a boy had fallen into the water. I only saw Slimes push Milligan once. After Bobby fell into the water, Pat Slimes told nio to tike off my boots and go in after him, and pull him out. Pat Slimes said he would take off his own boots and try to get him out. He did not go into the water. Alfred Calvert stated : I do not know what age I am ; but my mother said I am between nine and ten. Between four and five yesterday evening I went down to the water-hole near the bridge at the railway. I went there by myself. I went there to catch little fishes with a string, with a pin

attached. I saw Bobby Milligan, Pat Slime, Andrew Cantry, and Daniel Costello. They were all fishing in the lagoon. Bobby Milligan and Pat Slime were sitting close together near the water. The other two boys and I were standing away a little distance from them. Bobby Milligan had his jacket off, and it was lying on the stones. Bobby said he had caught a fish, and I saw him putting a fish into a bottle. While he was standing putting the fish in the bottle, Pat Slimes got up also, went behind Milligan, put his hands behind him, and gave him a push. Bobby then fell on his back in the water. He tried to get out, but could not. Then another boy and me got a railway sleeper and brought it to wfiere Bobby was so that he miglit hold of it. He was not able to reach it, as he was too far away. Bobby kept rising and sinking in the water. The sleeper was about ten yards away, and it was not very long until we pushed it to where he was. The other boys trisd to get hold of him, but did not go into the water to do so. In one of us had been quarrelling. I then ran to where a man was, near the station, told him that Bobby Miiligan was in the water, and asked him to get him up. Tne man then told some ofcuer men, and they ail came to the water. Pat Slimes did not try to get the fish from Milligan before he pushed liim into tne w iter. Pat Slimes stated : I am a son of John Slimes, laborer, of Oamaru. I left school at three o'clock, and went home and had some dinner. I then went down to the Oamaru Greek, near the Railway Bridge. The evidence of this witness was corroborative of the two. [Left sitting.]