ACCIDENTS AND OFFENCES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 5205, 23 October 1878, Page 2

ACCIDENTS AND OFFENCES.

A stable on tho Greenfield Estate, threo miles from the home station, was burnt to the ground on the 13th inst. Forty-two horses were in it, and 21 of them, and a large quantity of harness, were burnt.

On the 15th instant the East Taieri Hotel, at Riccarton, upon tho Main South Road, was completely destroyed by fire. The hotel was the proporty of Mrs Spence, of Lawrence, and the lessee was Mr Enoch Jones. Mr Jones's family was absent from the house, which was occupied at the time by Mr Jones and a married couple named Smith, acting as servants. Mr Jones slept downstairs; the Smiths upstairs. Mrs Smith was awoke by the smell of firo about half-past threo, and roused her husband, who went down to Mr Jones's room and woke him. The fire was found to bein a small sitting-room, in which the occupants had been sitting before bed-time. Wheu tho door was opened the room was full of smoke, but immediately the flames burst forth, and nothing could be done to stay them. Nothing whatever was saved— neither clothing nor anything else. A sum of L 45 in notes was also burnt. Tlie building was an old one, of wood, and contained 10 rooms. The stock and furniture wero insured in tbe Victoria Office for L2OO. Upon inquiry at the Standard Office we were informed that its onl; risk upon the property was L 250 upon the building, but from other sources we learn that the stock and furniture were insured in the same office for L3OO. This would make tho total insurance L7so—L2ooin the Victoria, and L 550 in the Standard. Mr Jones estimates his loss at Ll5O ever and above insurance.

The second officer of the s.s. Tararua, Mr Thomson, met a severe accident ou the 10lh instant. While engaged in discharging cargo iv the main hold, a sling of sheet iron slipped and struck him en the forehead, inflicting two incised wounds of about two inches long. He was promptly attended by Dr Drysdale, who dressed the wounds, aud expressed his opinion that Mr Thomson would be fit for duty in about ten days.

The Clutha Times says that intelligence was received in Balclutha on the 10th that the Clinton schoolmaster had been found dead in his bed.

Aii unusually large number of patients were admitted into the Hospital on 15th inst. The first of these was a fisherman named Jobn Brown, of Port Chalmers, who was set upon by three men on Saturday night, on the outskirts of that town. He sustained a simple fracture of the left arm. A child named John Kinlay, residing in Ldth street, wa< playing ou a heap of stone, when he was accidentally pushed down, and got a fracturo of the right thigh. William P.irker was thrown off a horse on Sunday, at Goodwood, near Palmerston, and sustained a fracture of the left collar-bone. Charles M'Artbiir, whilst whitewashing: at the Provincial Hotel yards on Monday, slipped from tiie ladder to the ground, a distai.ee of about 15 feet, und sustlined a fracture of tho left leg. John Kennedy, aged 14, accidentally fell down iv Maitland street, causing thereby a severe injury to his shoulder.

We hear that Tbomas George, who was lately injured by a bullock near Lower Waipori, bas been brought down to Outram, and is rapidly recovering. No bones were broken, and the flesh wcunds, though severe, were never considered dangerous. His escape was materially facilitated by his well-known fearlessness and presence of mind, the bullock tossing hitn repeatedly, and endeavouring to pin hitn to the ground, which he avoided by grasping its horns and keeping between them. His clothes were torn to rags, and in this condition he bad to ride several miles eie he got home.

We learn from the Christchurch Press that a fatal accident happened on 30th ult. to Thomas Sharplin, son of Thomas Sharplin, sen., bushnwn, East Oxford. It appears that deceased was cross-cutting a log with his father on a steep siding, and when the log was sawn through it rolled on deceased, crushing him to death. Dr Weld was immediately sent foi', but found that life was extinct. Sharplin was about3o years of age, and was cutting in -his father's bush at tbe time of the accident.

A man named Henry Ninde, aged 44, a resident of Mornington, fell from a ladder whilst at work recently, and sustained a compound fracture of the left arm. He was admitted into the Hospital on the 28th. An accident, happily unattended with fatal consequences, occurred in Hope street about half past 1 p.m. on the 30th ult. A man named Alfred Ancell^ who was engaged with a number of others in the construction of a sewer in that street, was at work, when the stage on whicb he Btood suddenly gave way, and he fell into an excavation about 13ft deep. The wooden platform dropped on the top of him, bringing a large quantity of earth with it. The alarm was at once raised, and seven or eight of the unfortunate man's fellow-workmen set vigorously to work with Bpades to release him. In a remarkably short space of time the mau's feet were reached, but unfortunately the

earth again fell in, and he was alinoßt as far from being rescued as when the accident took place. By this time an immense crowd had assembled, and the greatest excitement prevailed. The workmen once more Bet themselves to the task of rescuing their unfortunate comrade, but- it was not for upwards of an hour that their efforts WBre crowned with success. It I was a source of great relief to the bystanders when they saw that Ancell breathed, as few expected this would be the case, considering the length of time he had been buried under the earth. _ Drs Brown and Borrows had received an intimation of the incident and were on the spot to render what assistance might be required of them, and upon examining the poor fellow they found that his right leg had been broken. He was at once placed in an express and conveyed to the HospitaL Here his injuries were quickly attended to, and in an hour or so he left the institution on crutches. He is a brother of Mr Ancell, a member of the firm of contractors in whose hands the construction of the sewer has been placed, and has been acting in the capacity of .foreman. A most dastardly assault was committed at the north end of the town on the evening of the 3rd inst. Mr Hines, the assistant bailiff of the Resident Magistrate's Court, was proceeding along Great King street, shortly before 9 o'clock, when he was suddenly seized from behind by two men, who threw him on the ground and maltreated him in a most brutal manner. One of the offenders Mr Hines identifies as being a man named Wylie, whom he was instrumental in getting convicted of keeping an illicit still a little more than a year ago. In the performance of his duty Hines had occasion to visit Wylie's premises, and whilst there discovered the still, gave information to the police, and a sentence of 12 months' imprisonment was imposed. This term expired a few weeks ago, and Hines supposes that the cowardly assault of which hs waa the victim the other evening was in consequence of this affair. Wylie haa since been fined £5 and costs.

The body of the unfortunate man Christian, who was knocked overboard and drowned in the Lower Harbour by the boom of the cutter Mermaid jibing, on the 27th of August last, was recovered on the Gth instant by two young men, named Lewis and Solomon, near the spot where the accident occurred. The body was conveyed to the morgue at Port Chalmers for identification—no easy task, as far as the features are concerned, for thoy are quite obliterated. Identification, therefore, must be from the clothing and other articles on the body.

We learn from the Southlaud Times that a fir c occurred a week pr two ago at Horseshoe Bay, Stewart Island, totally destroying a small cottage and its contents, the property of two fishermen named John Mitchell and Ned Clark. They were out fishing at tho time, and, we hear, are rendered absolutely destitute by the calamity. One of them is over tixty years of age. They were very unfortunate in fishing during the winter, and were looking forward to the summer^ season to retrieve bad luck.

We learn from tho Melbourne Argus that an inquest was held on the 21st (September, at Emerald Hill, Melbourne, on the body of James Augustus Fynrnore, 58 years of age, who died from injurios receiver! by a fall from some steps at the Sandridge Distillery. On Tuesday, 17th September, the deceased, who was a Custom-house officer in the Excise Branch, was in the act of going down a flight of steps at the distillery works, when he slipped and fell on the back of his hoad. He was stunned by the fall, and remained insensible for five or six minutes, after which he recovered and was able to proceed with his ordinary duties. He returned home about 6 o'clock in the evening, and complained of headache. Shortly afterwards he had wot towels placed on his head to alleviate the pain, and about half past 7 he fell down, and became unconscious, and died on the 20th. The Juiy returned a verdict that the deceased died from injuries to the head through a fall from some steps at the Sandridge Distillery. Mr Fynrnore was well known ie Otago, having beeu about ssven years a Government surveyor in Dunedin. He wr s the eldest son of Colonel James Fynrnore, Surrey, England, who is now in his ninetieth year, and is one of the few surviving officers who fought at the battle of Trafalgar, under Lord Nelson. The late Mr Fynrnore was father of Mr Chas. Fynrnore, of the Survey Department, Dunedin

Mrs Jane Reid was on 21st inst. committed to take her trial at the next sittings of the Supreme Court upon the charge of perjury. Bail was allowed in one surety of LIOO, and two others of LSO each.

A man named James Miller, who formerly carried on business as a grocer at Mornington, was proceeded against at the City Polico Court, pursuant to instructions from tiie Colonial Secretary, for a breach of the Fraudulent Debtors Act of 1875 -viz., for having, as alleged, obtained goods on credit from Mr F. A. Little, merchant, within four months of the filing of his schedule. The prisoner was committed for trial, bail being allowed in his own recognisance of LIOO, and two sureties of LSO each.