ACCIDENTS AND OFFENCES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 8398, 23 January 1889, Page 5 (Supplement)

ACCIDENTS AND OFFENCES.

Ihe criminal sessions of the Supreme Court closed on the afternoon of the 11th inst. In the case against Samuel Shaw for making a false declaration in registering a death a verdict of " Guilty " was returned, and the defendant was fined 40s. A conviction was also obtained in the last case, a charge of false pretf.nces preferred against a lad who was indicted as Albert Sinclair, but whose name, as staled by his counsel, was Harry Marks. There were, however, legal questions raised regarding the indictment, and these being reserved for the consideration of the Court of Appeal, his Honor directed thac if satisfactory sureties were forthcoming the prisoner should be released from custody, the amount of the bail being one surety for £100 or two of £50 each, in addition to the prisoner's own recognisance.

The body of a female infant was found in the harbour at 3 30 p.m. ou the 15th inst. A little girl named Jessis Beath was, in company with some other childreu, walking along the road at NorthEast Harbour, near the residence of Mr G. G. Russell, when she saw the naked body of the infant floating ou the water, a few yards from the shore. She gave information to Mr Keller, gardener to Mr Russell, who took it out of the water and placed it in the boathouse, where it remained until taken charge of by Constable Hartnett, who removed it to the Bay View Hotel. There were no signs of violence on the body, which was somewhat decomposed. It was high water at the time it was floating up the harbour, aud a strong north-east wind was blowing up the bay. At the inquest Dr Alexander in his evidenco said that he, thought the child had been born from 12 to M days. Decomposition was too far advauced to say if it lived after birth, but he believed it had. The jury returned a verdict of " Found drowned." The police so far have bucu unable to ascertain the name of the mother.

A sad boating accident occurred at Pourere, Hawke's Bay. Mr Dixon, manager of Pourere run, and three other men named Tylee, Cox, and Kennedy went out ou a fishing expedition. By some means the boat was upset. Tho firstnamed three reached the shore, but Tylee aud Cox were insensible, and restorative measures had to be applied, which were successful. Mr Dixon, a gentleman of exceptional physique and athletic powers, was not exhausted, and seeing Kennedy (a blacksmith ou the station) drowning, went in agaiu to save him. Mr Dixon either became exhausted or was clutched by Kennedy, for he sank and both were drowned, Dixon was married only a few weeks ago. A child named Droney, a daughter of a publican at Meauee, Hawke's Bay, while playing with crackers got her dress ou fire, and died from the injuries received. A verdict of accidental death was returned at the inquest. Alexander Beattie, an old man, who for years has worked as a farm labourer iv the Awamoko district, was found drowned in the Awamoko creek on sth inst. Beattie about eight years ago was tried at the Supreme Court for murdering his wife, and acquitted. The case created great sensation in this district at the time, the body of the murdered woman being found in a creek some days after she was missed. Beattie was ably defended by Mr O'Meagher. The jury in the first trial could not agree, but on the second trial a verdict of " Not guilty" was returned. Beattie was given to indulging in periodical sprees, and it is supposed that during one of these he committed suicide. At the inquest it appeared that the deceased told Mr John Daigleish on the 27th ult. that he intended to do away with himself, and that he had loft money at the Papakaio store to pay for his funeral; that he was to be buried decently, and that word was to be sent to a Mr Matthews, of Temuka, Mr Dalgleish said the man had been drinking, aud no notice was taken of his remarks, it never being surmised that he intended to carry out his threat. The money had been left at the store, but Beattie did not state for what purpose it was to be used. A verdict of " li'ouud drowned " was returned, A man named John Dewhursfc, who had been residing at the Criterion Hotel, Oamaru, for some

few days, committed suicide about 1 a.m. on Sunday, 6th inst., by jumping through the bathroom window in the upper storey of the hotel. About midnight Mr Manning (the landlord) on his way upstairs to bed met deceased at the top of the stairs, when he said he was very ill. Mr Blnuning persuaded him to go to bed. Shortly after retiring Mr Maiming heard a heavy thud, succeeded by groaning. He got up, looked through his bedroom window, and saw deceased lying on

his facts in the middle of the street. Mr Manniug called some of the boarders and carried Dewhursfc into the hotel and laid him down on a sofa. Dr Wait was scub for. Deceased was quite conscious whou picked up, and dioU about three-quarters of an hour afterwards. Dewhurst has for some time past been engaged as tutor for Mr Duncan Sutherland, Omaraiua, Upper Waitaki. He was 32 years of age and married, his wife and o.'ie child residing in Scotland.

On the 4th inst. a boy, aged 14, named Robert M'llroy, was drowned in the lagoon, Cobden,

He got out of his depth while bathing only a few fuet from a bank. The body was recovered, and a verdict of "Accidentally drowned " returned at the inquest. Bridget Brophy, agtd four years, daughter of Mr K. Brophy, of Pleasant Valley, near Geral-

dine, met with a mishap on the 27th ult. al

Geraldiue, which has since resulted fatally. The little girl rose at 7 a m., and by some means obtained possession of a box of matches, in playing with which she set lire to her nightdress, and was instantly enveloped iv flames. Before assistance could be rendered the child was so severely injured that she died on the following morning. Timothy Denis, aged 60, fell over a precipice on tho Ahiiura river, Greymoutb, 60ft on to a shingle bud below, and was killed instantaneously. The body was terribly crushed. Deceased kept a hotel at Daylesford in the early days. While riding in a race at Wrey's Bush on the Ist inst. two boys—J. Morgan and T. Leonard— were hurt, tho former so severely that he died on the following day.

A passenger uamed James Bartlett, assistant bailiff at the Central Police Court, Sydney, jamped overboard from the Ringarooma. Tho body was recovered by the officers, who failed to restore animation.

George Forbes M'Gregor, the three-year-old sou of James M'Gregor, a factory operator at Mosgiel, met his death by drowuiug on the 3rd insfc. At the inquest, the mother of the child, Mrs Eliza M'Gregor, deposed to last seeing him alive at the back of the house, iv the garden, with two elder children. Tweuty minutes afterwards she found him in a well iv the garden. He was doubled up, and it appeared as if his head was in the water. She took him out so quickly that she could hardly tell. His head was wet. Heappearedtobedead. She called Thomas Kirk, who was goiug along the road, and then took the body into the house. Several people carte in, and they tried for an hour to restore animation. A doctor was scut for, and he also tried for an hour and a-half to restore animation, but without success. The well was2ffc deep, and there was about a foot of water in it. It was kept covered. Witness found the cover in the well. It had falleu iv endways. After

further evidence the Jury returned a verdict of " Accidentally drowned." A sad accident, attended by fatal results, happened at South Kurori, Wellington, on the 13th. Father Tower, accompanied by a youth named Joseph Brennan Macdonald, aged 15, son of E. Macdonald (Casey acd Macdonald), was being driven in a carriage, to Blak;;ra to conduct service, when one of the horses bhieil and threw the vehicle olf the bank. Mac-.lonald was killed almost instantaneously, Father Power had his collarbone broken, and also received severe bruises and n bhouk to the sysU;ui. M'EUcryott, the driver, UM-.nptd uninjured. One horse was killed. On thi! morning of the 20th ulfc. the Ijugi;ate punt, on which was the Luggate mill waggon, and a loam of four borrow?, was carried :>way while, crossing the Olutha river. It appears lh:\t the upper punli collapsed, and gutting waterlogged sank so deeply into the water that the leading rope broke. The whole was then swept down the river as far as t.hu Devil's Whirlpool, where t-Ui: men ami horses (the latter had buun loosed meanwhile) swam ashore. Tho punts and Ihu waggon are completely wrecked. Fortunately the waggon contained only about 1000 ft sawn timber and a few bags of Hour. The accident is not due to any carelessness on the part of the puutlreepcr. Mr E. IT. (Jsrow, district coroner, held an inquest at Outram on 2i)lh uit. upon the body of Edward F. Kic.h irdson, a child two years and four months old, who was found dead in Wluiro creek. Ths! circumstances disclosed by tho evidence were as follow :—The. child w;is last seen by his mother at the Glen Flour Mill, which is near their homo, and missing him shortly nftorwards shu began a KC.ivrdi of the neighbourliood, but witboul. result. dealing an accidiint, thi: f.itliii- then ob'ainwl a boat at the Taieri riv(-r, mid fioc.-mp:\meu by the propcH-.h.r cf the mill rowed up the crec.lt. Here, after some. Unit' they came- first upon tins child's hat, and then upon the body, which was caught in some branches of a willow tree th.-it overhangs the w:-.ter. Thn child, it is surmised, must have .sirayed to the bin!; of tin: creek, fallen in, and bei.-n \va--hi.-! down to this spot. A veHie.t of ■' Ar;:idenUl death " was njturncd by the. jury. While removing 111') boo'li from tru; ,Sowl;!irll laeriiUiUKij Oil the 5!7t1l tilt. (;;ay:i tin: Mount Ida ("irouicle) Jarat;3 OhinisitU; ini't with an r.eei-lcu'; v.'liich terminated fatally. lie, «-a.-; li-a-liog a !;or.=(; by tb.; hi:od. v/'hon it sud.kt.ly bolltd, mid C'hi'ms'ule was thrown on tlie yr.juu'J, Ihu (iray (which coutaiued 12swt) p.is.iii)j; ovtr hia bcicb. Several ptrsous went to his iir-.Ubmcr, but ho lived no longer than three or fo;tr mv-ut."«. If" wr.s *(> y!'".r" rf rt^'-, -mv! hr. \ br- ,-, riviiiieid ni- oovii^rn for koid:; y(..»rs. [! ■: ]. .v,..- ■, nili,-,; :m.(I :.. li.r.'i! ftll.ih'.

Iff !,.-■• Wr-"!i, (■'.•(!!; of \'v::->-. W:iih', jumpc] i.il..> t):: ; O.j-ika, :ic Bloil-i.i., f...r :i swim sum xi. dcnv.Mrci. lie wns 2:> .years of »(*<•, and .single.

The bodies of two men named Duncan Johnston (commonly known as "Perry Davis") and Nicholas O'Connell were found on the beach at Mount Nicholas, Lake Wakatipu, on the 30th ult. From the report of the inquest in the Lake County Press it appears the men left Queenstowu in a boat and met with some mishap, as the boat, which was found with the bodies, had been apparently washed ashore. Both men were sober when they l<;ft Queenstown. O'Connell had been employed by Government breeding ferrets, and Johnson was gathering wood fur the station, O'Connell is known to have relatives in Toronto, Canada.

A hawker named James Thomas Hallyman was found dead on the -lth at the Petone railway station, Wellington, with a bullet wound in his head and a revolver clutched in his hand. Deceased left town iv the 10 o'clock train the previous night, aud was not again seen clive. He was 33

years of age, and he came from Gisborne. The bullet eutered at the mouth and came out at the top of tha head. From the evidance at the

inquest it appeared that monetary difficulties led to the deceased taking his own life.

It appears that Constable Morouey, who comtnitttd suicide at Maketu, Auckland, was at one

time stationed iv Otago. Deceased had been in a depressed state of mind for sorce time past, and his body was found in a swamp with a bullet wound in the head, and his revolver by his side. The following written statement was left by the unfortunate man:—" Things I Did Not Do. Maketu, ICth December 1888. I never robbed Robert Moor Bell. I never stabbed Thomas Moore. I never cut Asher's hose. I never cut Haggertie's nets. Moore, beyond all doubt, stabbed himself. I never robbed any man that

Inm aware of. I never struck or beat any man but two meu —one in Otago and one iv Auckland. I have been persecuted by police for 14 years. I regret I did not take Mr Thomson's advice, and leave five years ago. I have no illfeeling against auy man in the police. I understand all the police are employed looking me up. lam mad ; have been for 20 years since I was iv Queensland. —B. Mokoney." The jury returned a verdict, " That the deceased committed suicide while iv an unsound state of mind."

A fatal accident occurred to a littlo boy namud William Himry Jeffs shortly before noon on the 11th iust. The lad, who was eight years of age, was fishing iv company with another boy named Coombs, off the railway britlge just beyond Pelichet Bay station, aud while sitting on the bridge lost his balance aud fell into the water, and was not seen again alive. On the boy falling in his companion immediately raised an alarm, but although the police ard several civilians were promptly on the scene and made diligent search, the body of the child was not recovered till about half-past 12, when it was found in about six or seven feet of water. The body was taken charge of by Sergeant O'Neill and removed to the father's residence at the corner of Cumberland and Frederick streets, where Dr Coughtrey tried every means to restore animation, but without success.

An old miner named Philip Bevan, about 70 years of age, deliberately blew himself in pieces with dynamite at Waiomo, near the Thames, because his Christmas crushing of quartz wag very poor. The following letter was discovered in Bevan's whare :—" Waiomo, December 22. — I have this day taken my life by placing a mustard tin of dynamite under my head, and letting it off in the usual way—viz , with detonator aud fuse. My reason for writing this is

that if my remains were found, no man shall be blamed for ray death. — Philip Bevan." The remains were found iv a gully, only the trunk being left, the head and neck being completely shattered and blown away by the violence of the explosion, as the mustard tin used contaiued three charges of dynamise. The scene of the tragedy presented a sickening spectacle, fragments of brain and neck being scattered about on shrubs aud trees in the vicinity.

An accident of a serious nature, which it was at first feared might have fatal results,

took place between Butcher's and Oonroy's Gullies on the 31st ulfc. The Dunstau Times states that Mrs Field of Butcher's Gully Hotel, her eldest daughter, and a man named Edward Buckwell -were driving into Clyde, when the horse bolted and at a sharp turu left the road, tumbling over an embankment between 20 aud 30 feet high into the gully below, taking with it buggy and all. By the fall the horse had two legs broken and had to be shot, the buggy was smashed to atoms, aud the three occupants terribly knocked about. Mrs Field had one of her arms and some of her ribs broken, and her face bruised and cut. Miss Field sustained injuries abnut the head and had her collarbone broken, while Buckwell besides other injuries had one of his legs'brokon.

[fc was not for an hour or more after the aceilent thut the unfortunates were discovered in •heir helpless condition, and it being a fenrfully ■iofc day, the circumstances must have been

indeed trying. They were at once removed to the hospital, aud as Mrs Field, besides the result of the shock aud the injuries, was suffering from

internal hemorrhage, her condition was considered very critical. She has since then, however, made good progress.

A death under painful circumstances (says the Mataura Ensign) occurred at Maudeville recently. Mrs Ellen Mowlam, whose husband recently left for Victoria, was confined upon the day mentioned, and in the absence of a skilled nurse somn neighbours' wives attended her. After the birth of the child, however, hemorrhago set in, and although Dr Cox was sent for

at once and went up by the afternoon train, he

arrived only to iiud the unfortunate wnnan' dead. It was deemed expedient to hold an inquest, and Mr G. M. Bell, with a jury of six, conducted the inquiry. Dr Cox's evidence was to the effect that death had resulted from hemorrhage after childbirth, and indicated that the-attendance of an experienced midwife would probably have averted a fatal result. The jury brought in a verdict of " Death from natural causes." There are six children now left motherless, including the baby, and the father is in Victoria. A miner named Frederick Bingham was killed by foul air iv a shaft at Hauhau ou Saturday afternoon. A neighbour's cow had fallen down, and ha went to try to gat her out, having his foot in a sling. Before reaching the bottom he fainted aud fell. The body was recovered last night, another man well secured going down. Tho air was so bad that a caudle would not burn 4ft below the surface.

David M'Gilli'.'My, aged 12 years, son of tt carpenter at luvercargill, lost his life on Saturday in the estuary, some miles from town. Deceased went oub in a sailing boat with a party of young boys, aud was struck on the head aud knocked overboard by the boom, the halyards

having given way as the boat was going about No clear account of the occurrence can be gol from his companions; but from tho fact thai the boom, a heavy one, broke ou his head, it i

irobable that the boy was stunned and disabled

from any attempt to keep afloat. A son of Mr Mussen, Crown Lancils ranger, was thrown into the river at the same time, but swam till picked up. M'Gillivray had only recently recovered

from severe injuries sustained iv a fall throusth a trap-door iv the upper floor of a flour mill. The body has not been recovered.

A man named Archibald Macalister, foreman on the contract for the construction of the Heleusville - Knukapakapa line, Auckland, was killed on Friday. Ho was in charge of an engine, which was running to a gravel pit with a number of tracks, aud for some reason which cannot be explained Macalister jumped off the engine and fell backward, the trucks passing over him and causing his death. The uufortunate man was 50 years of age, and, as far as known, was single.