ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19966, 7 December 1926, Page 10

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

A BODY IDENTIFIED. (Special to Daily Times.) AUCKLAND, December 6. The body of the man found on an old gumfield about four miles beyond Milford, between the East Coast road and Albany, with a gun beside it has been identified as that of Charles Robert Hewett, aged 63, a farmer, whose home was near Cambridge. An inquest was opened before the coroner, Mr F. K. Hunt, S.M. Evidence of identification was given by Basil Hewett, son of the deceased, who stated that he last saw his father alive on September 30. He was then in financial difficulties over his farmland had abandoned it to the mortgagees. The deceased had loft his home on that day for Auckland, stating he would not communicate with his family. They were therefore not alarmed at not hearing from him. The gun found beside the body was registered in deceased’s name at Cambridge. Deceased, who did not drink, had alwaysi enjoyed good health, and had never talked about committing suicide. Witness had expected that his father would have lett New Zealand. The inquest was adjourned sine die. FATAL MOTOR ACCIDENT. (Peb United Press Association.) TAURANGA, December 6. An inquest as held this morning into the death of John Odlin, who was killed in a motor accident on Saturday. Dr M'Diarmid stated that deceased had a multiple fracture of six ribs on the left side and four on the right side. A verdict was returned that deceased was killed in a motor accident .as returned. The condition of Mrs Odlin is still serious. A DROWNING ACCIDENT. (Pee United Press Association.) TAUMARUNUI, December 6. A fatality occurred in the Wanganui River this morning, when Thomas M'Kenna, a single man, 30 years, together with three draught horses, was drowned. M'Kenna was riding in a dray driven and owned by W. W. Webster, and they were crossing the river to view a metal deposit on the opposite side preparatory to working it to-morrow. The horses got into deep water ..nd wc n drowned. Webster and M'Kenna struck out for the shore, the former landing in an exhausted condition. M'Kenna suddenly disappeared . when he appeared to be swimming strongly, the body has not yet been recovered. Webster valued his horses at £IOO. BODY FOUND IN RIVER. (Pee United Press Association.) WANGANUI, December 6. The body of Martin O’Halloran, a middleaged man, who has been missing for a week, was found in the river this morning. BODY FOUND IN HARBOUR. (Special to Daily Times.) WELLINGTON, December 6. The body of a middle-aged man was found in the harbour near Clyde quay wharf at about 9 o’clock this morning. The body appeared to have been in the water from a week to 10 days. No papers that would give any indication of his identity were found in his pockets. Investigations are being made. DAZZLE CAUSES ACCIDENT. (Per United Press Association.) BLENHEIM, December 6. A motor accident occurred late last ! evening on the Picton-Grovctown road, a car driven by K. Patchett crashing into a post. The driver was dazzled by the lights of an oncoming car. W. Satherley was wounded in the back of the neck by glass from the shattered windscreen, and was taken to the hospital, where an operation was found necessary. The other occupants escaped with a shaking. | TRAMCAR AND LORRY COLLIDE. (Special ro Daily Times.) CHRISTCHURCH, December 6. A tramcar and a heavy lorry met in a ' head-on collision in Lichfield street this afternoon. The motor lorry was considerably damaged, and was thrown on its side. The driver of' the lorry, a youth of about 18 or 19 years, was not injured, though he was severely shaken. A protective cab over the driver’s seat saved him The driver of the tramcar reefeived cuts from flying glass, but otherwise he was not hurt. The crash of the impact was heard several blocks away. Both front tyres burst as the lorry fell overMOTOR TRUCK SMASHED. iS~scial ro Daily Times.) CHRISTCHURCH, December 6. A collision between a motor truck and a tramcar at the intersection of Cashel and Tancrod streets reduced the motor truck to pieces. The tramcar was slightly damaged, but no one was injured. AN INQUEST ADJOURNED. (Special to Daily Times.) CHRISTCHURCH, December 6. An inquest concerning the death of Martha Walker, who was found dead in her residence at Duke street yesterday, was opened and adjourned, pending the result of a post-mortem. COLOURED COMEDIAN’S DEATH. (Peb United Press Association.) NAPIER, December- 6. A coloured comedian named Murray, a member of the Ferris Jazzland Revue Company, was knitted to hospital seriously ill yesterday, and he died to-day. An inquest will be held to-morrow. FATAL FALL FROM STAGING. (Per United Press Association.) TIMARU, December 6. Whilo working on a staging at the oil tanks on the waterfront this morning Sydney Thompson, aged 22 years, a native of Brixham Devonshire, England, overbalanced and fell 30 loet. He received a severe fracture at the base of the skull and died on the way to the hospital.

SUDDEN DEATH. DUE TO HEART DISEASE. A woman named Josephine O’Rourke, aged about 56 years, the wife of Peter Henry O’Rourke, residing at 67 Maitland stre-et, collapsed suddenly just after she had gone to bed on Sunday night, and expired before medical assistance could be procured. An inquest was held before Mr H. W. Bundle, B.M. (sitting as coroner). Sergeant Dunlop represented the police. Thomas O’Rourke, carpenter, and a son of the deceased, gave evidence that the deceased had enjoyed good health recently. She had had a bad cold about eight months ago, but did not receive medical attention. She went to bed about 10.15 on Sunday night, and witness’s lather followed a few minutes later. The deceased complained of feeling unwell, and asked for a drink of water, but she could not drink it when it was given to her She collapsed, and died about 10 minutes later. Dr Murray was sent for at once. Dr Murray stated that ho received a call about 10.40 on Sunday night to see Mrs O’Rourke. He was told that she was choking. He arrived at the house at 11.5 and found that life was extinct. Death had apparently just taken place, the body being still warm. From the history of the case death seemed to have been due to natural causes, probably heart failure, following some disease of the great vessels of the heart. Ho could not give a more definite opinion without making a post-mortem examination. The Coroner said the cause of death was quite clear from the medical evidence, and there was no necessity for a post-mortem examination. His verdict would bo that death wa due to heart disease. COLLAPSE IN PADDOCK. Advice was received yesterday from the -.police cor stable stationed at St. Balhans that Edward Paine Huddleston had been found in a dying condition on Sunday in a paddock, about a quarter of a mile from his home at Auripo (Maniototo County). He succumbed later. 'An inquest will be held.