ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20288, 22 December 1927, Page 12

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

DEATH FROM SHOTGUN WOUND. (Special to Daily I'imes.) WANGANUI, December 21. An inquest was held to-day to investigate the death of Donald Gunn Poison, the 16-year-old son of Mr W. J. Poison, New Zealand president of the Farmers Union. The evidence went to show that deceased lad was accompanied by a little boy named Neagel, nine years old. He was obseffi cd by farm hands some 200yds away crossing a hawthorn fence situated on a sod bank, at the same time directing a dog. He cither put the stock of the gun downwards in crossing the fence or used the stock to prod the dog, nnd the charge exploded. The deceased received tho full charge under the right arm, and expired within a few minutes. Tho verdict was that the deceased was accidentally shot by the discharge of a gun he was using at the time of tho mishap. Deep sympathy is felt for Mr and Mrs Poison, and to-day numerous telegrams of sympathy were received from nil parts of New Zo.iland. ACCIDENTALLY DROWN ED. (Pee United Press Association.) GISBORNE. December^2l. At the inquest on John James Keane, Cook Countv engineer, whoso body was found in the Wnimata River on Tucsdav, with the side wheels of his motor eai balanced over the river and the door open, evidence was given that the deceased ha a taken tho corner sharply and had just avoided running over one side of the bridge. He swerved to the other side and apparently fell or was jolted through the door into tho river. . , A verdict was returned of accidental drowning during tho course of his duties ns county engineer. WELLINGTON WHARF ACCIDENTS. (Pf.b United Press Association.i WELLINGTON, December 21. Two accidents occurred on the wharf to-day. W. Manning, of 157 Upland road,” a clerk, received a crushed foot as tli result of being run over by a trailer, p. StapeLs, a waterside worker, suffered a fractured nose through being struck by q frozen carcass. DEATH FOLLOWS SEVERE BURNING

(Per United Press Association.)

WELLINGTON, December 21. ■ At the inquest on the body of Thomas Shanahan, single, aged 43, who was severely burned in the retort house at the gasworks on December 8, and who died 10 days later, a verdict was_ returned that deceased died from heart failure follow ing extensive burns accidentally received. From the evidence, the Coroner said it seemed that the ordinary precautions had been followed, and that it was one of those accidents which happened so suddenly that there wa s no chance of preventing them.

FOOT SEVERED BY MOWER. (Pen United Press Association.! BLENHEIM, December 21. Eric Clifford, aged nine years, got in tlic way of a mower driven by a lad named Scott, tbo knife almost severing the lad’s foot. The sufferer was sent to the hospital, whore it was found necessary to amputate the fool at the ankle. disappointed in love. (Special to Daily Times.) CHRISTCHURCH, December 21. In the evidence given to-day at the inquest concerning the death of John Dunnett, aged 39, who was found dead in front of the homo of his ex-fiance at 146 Peterborough street, on December 7, it was said that the stomach contained about two grains of strychnine. The inquest was further adjourned. SHUNTER’S THIGH CRUSHED. (Pee United Pr-ss Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, December 21. During shunting operations at Darfield Station about 10 a.m. to-day, C. A. Willcox, of Montreal street, Christchurch, had his thigh crushed by a truck. He was brought to the Christchurch Hospital, and his condition is reported to be satisfactorv.

FOUND DEAD BY LAKESIDE. (Special to Dailt Times.) QUEENSTOWN, December 21

At 9 o’clock last night the local police wcr e informed by telephone from Closcbnrn Station that the dead body of n man had been found on the beach at Bob's Cove by a lad named Archibald B. Camp, bell, who was fisliin« in the lake, about 6.30 p.m. This morning Constable Dunn proceeded by launch to Bob’s Cove, and on examination he identified the body as that of Henry James Hillman, a labourer, who .had been posted ns missing since October. The remains were in a n advanced stage of decomposition, and Ibe bodv was lying face down on the beach.

Hillman was a man of ecceiiti-u- habits. Some months ago lie was a; u- t'-d for vagrancy, and was committed to the Borstal Institute at Invercargill, the warrant bearing an endorsement that Hillman b" kept under medical supervision owing to his eccentricities. He left the institute niter a month’s detention, and returned to the district, where he did a certain amount of labouring work. It is conjectured that he was making for Olcnnrchy, whore he Ind spent pome vears. and that he was having a drink from the lake, and was

overcome in- a -• ■ i i which ended fatally. •An inquest was held this afternoon, before Mr H. F. burherland, when a verdict was returned that Hillman m.-t bit f!• •i: ij from natural onuses. The derca- r-, 1 was about 50 vea: s efa go lie v.-> a native ■ f An ‘wiia, and wap unmarried.

A ('ll icago ina i I; -is b.-; • : -i . 3 1 ■.' in a local ban!- »h t u <- -t iy-la'i that it shall be (cir to draw .3 par cent, interest, i-omi aa-.d d hail'-vca; ie. ;br a period r,f 3no years. In 2-127 the resu'tao! fund is t ■ I • d : -; r3m‘ c■ • 1 ani-u.r his iro-'c <h da :d s. i' b- cab-u'af •-,! that the fund will then be 2,900,000 do),