ACCIDENTS AJSP FATALITIES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10265, 24 January 1895, Page 3

ACCIDENTS AJSP FATALITIES.

f ATAL ACCIDENT AT THE WATER-

FALLS.

A cad accident occurred at the first waterfall in the Woodhaugh Valley shortly after midday yesterday, whereby a lad named Thomas Jenkins met with his death. Deceased was climbing up the face of the hill on the left-hand tide of the fall, when ho suddenly lost his hold and fell a distance of some 30ft, nearly bringing bis brother Arthur, who was just, behind him, down alto. Arthur descended as speedily an passible, and found hi^ brother lying head downwards in a rocky pool. Dr Guughtrey was communicated with, and rode to the spot in haute, but found life to be extinct, the bones of the face up.d the base of the ckull being broken. Deceased was a son of Mr James Jenkins, bootmaker, Green Island. At the time of the accident no one v/aa present bat deceased's brother. Tho body was removed to the Great Northern Hotel, where an inquest will probably ba held to-day.

THH WAIHAO MYSTERY,

The evidence which was called at the inquest at Wnimato on the remains cf the man who wap found dead at Waihao went to show that de* ceased had been wandering about the settlers' places at Waihao for two or three days, and had been acting aa though ho were insane. The last place at which he called wes M'Oftrthy's, and the M'Carthy family state that after they bad turned him away they heard him during the Bight, siueing oat or crying at some distance a««,y.: Tha nest evening the rnaii was found dsad on the road about three-quarters of a mile from M'Cacrhj'a wish bin collar bone and left leg broken, a bruiee on tha forehead, and other bruise? vix Lis tody. Tha doctor deposed that the bru'sss had been caused by some blunt instrument; that the stomach and intestines were empty, and that the man waa In bid health generally; and that the injuries could not have been self-inflicted. A resident oi Wa,imate asserts that the name of deceased is John O'Reilly, a maa who did odd jobs about the district, cooking, &o. A tele gram in la?t night's Oamaru Mail says tint JsrtmUh M'Carthy, who has been arrested in connection with the fatality, was yesterday brought before the Magistrate's Court, Waimate, and charged wiih wilful murder, and that the case was adjourned. Accused was admitted to bail in his own recognisance pf £500, with two sureties of £250.

yVhile a five-horee waggon was going over a bridge across the Kaihiki river, near Okato, it collapsed. The team was eventually rescued, but the horses were much cut about. The kingbolt of the waggon also broke. Mr Julian, who Was driving, luckily escaped uninjured.

The police have received information by wire from' Lawrence that the body of John Roher j;Bon, one of the mta drowned in the Qlutha river on the 14th inst while attempting to board the dredge Hope of Dunkeld, was found on Tuesday. At an inquest, held before IMr T. Pilling, J.P., a verdict of "Accidentally drowned" was returned. The jury added a rider recommending that boats connected with dredges on the river should have lifebelts on board, so as to minimise risks in c&ses of accident.

A narrow escape from drowning and a plucky rescue took place at Brighton last Friday afternoon. It appears that three youngsters, a son of Mr Cnddie (of Mosgiel), a son of Mr Pryde (fecretery of the Education Board), and his little sister wandered up the river, and when opposite what is known as the " Gianfs grave " youug Cuddie, whs is sged 11, climbed a tree to get at a bird's n«st. The branch broke with him and he fell down the precipice into tho river, which is 10ft or 12ffe deep at the place. Soung Pryde, who is a little over 13, seeing what had happened, sent oS his little sister (nged 7) for assistance to the nearest house, ■which ia fully half a mile away. He himself got into a buat which was moored close by, rowed to the spot where Guddio was, and caught him as he was going down for the third time. With some difficulty he got the boy's hnad above water, pulled him into the boat, rowed to a landing place, carried him ashore, untied his nhirt, and took the preliminary steps for restoring tho apparently drowned, and was busy rubbing hiß companion when assistance arrived. Cuddie was unconscious when rescued, and it was half nn hour before he came round. All who saw th 3 place where the accident occurred and the action that was taken, are loud in their praises of Pryde's presence of mind and promptitude of action. When asked how he koew what to do, he replied that "he saw Mr Ferguion give a lesson on the apparently drowned some time sgo, and he did what he caw done then."