ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20448, 30 June 1928, Page 19

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

MISHAP ON RIVER STEAMER. (Per United Press Association.) HAMILTON, June 29. The funnel of the river steamer Rawhiti was blown over in a gale to-day. A member of the crew named Frank Joyce, aged 19, of Mercer, was crushed beneath the funnel, receiving injuries to his back and pelvis. He was sent to hospital. LEVEL CROSSING FATALITY. (Per United Press Association.) HAMILTON, June 29. A verdict of accidental death was returned to-day at the inquest on John William Taylor, aged 71, who was fatally injured by a train at a level crossing at Claudelands. FOUND HANGING. (Per United Press Association ) CARTERTON, June 29. A sad suicide occurred at Carterton today. ■ Adelaide Annie Wallis, wife of D. B. -Wallis, painter, being found hanging over the end of her bed. The deceased had been suffering in health for some time past, blit, though depressed, she had given no sign of her suicidal intention. Her husband had been away all week. The children went to school as usual, returning home at dinner time. John, aged nine, found his mother dead. The deceased was 48 years of age, and leaves a family of five, aged from 16 years to five years. ■ KILLED BY FALL OF COAL. (Per United Press Association.) WESTPORT, June 29. An inquest was held to-day at Denuiston by Mr E. R. Fox, coroner, touching the death of Robert'Crawford, shiftman, in the employ of the Westport Coal Company in the Coalbrookdale mine. The evidence went to show that the deceased on Thursday, at 10.30 a.m., was laying a uat sheet into its place when a v-shaped block of coal weighing about five hundredweight, came away from the roof, striking the deceased on the head and body and burying him up to his waist. Deatn ■apparently was almost instantaneous. The deceased was a married man, with six of a family, ranging from 23 years to three years of age. A verdict of accidental death, with no blame attachable to anyone. was returned. LAPSE INTO UNCONSCIOUSNESS. (Special to Daily Times.) CHRISTCHURCH, June 29. Mrs L. Forsyth, of 21 Lincoln road, who was knocked down by a motor car on Tuesday evening, is. still unconscious at the Christchurch Hospital. She was conscious for a few minutes on Wednesday evening, but lapsed again into unconsciousness. and has since shown no improvement. A WOMAN DROWNED. (Per United Press Association.) TAIHAPE, June 29, An inquest was held to-day concerning the death of Sarah M'Bride, a domesticservant, single, who was drowned yesterday by jumping from a bridge into the Hautapu River. A verdict of suicide while temporarily insane through fretting over relatives in Belfast, Ireland, was returned. A young girl who saw her standing on a stanchion pleaded with her not to jump. The deceased said “ please run away.” The girl hurried for assistance, but on her return the deceased had disappeared. The body was found a few chains lower down by the police. DEATH UNDER ANAESTHETIC. (Per United Press Association.) TAIHAPE, June 29. A young married Maori woman, with six children, died yesterday in Dr M'Diamid’s private hospital under an anaesthetic when her teeth were being extracted by Mr De Lautour, a dentist. At the inquest to-day a verdict was returned that the greatest possible care had been taken, and there was absolutely no blame attachable to anyone. SMALL BOY DROWNED. INQUEST ON CLIFFORD HOYNE. The inquest following the death of the seven-year-old boy, Clifford Hoyne, who had been missing from his home since May 17, and whose body was found in the water at Company Bay last Saturday, was concluded yesterday morning, Mr XL W. Bundle sitting as. coroner. Sergeant Boulton represented the police. Joseph Charles Burns Marks, a waterside worker, said that on May 17 he was working at Victoria wharf near the old crane, close to the coal dump. At about 4.40 p.m. he saw two small boys there, one of them being James Thomas Ross. Witness spoke to them, and told them to go home, away from the wharf. He then asked what their names were. James Ross told him what his name was, but the other boy merely said that he lived in King street, near George street. Witness took young Ross past the crane, so that he would not get hurt. After describing the other boy, witness said that two gangs of men were working on the wharf about 100 yards from the coal dump, and they knocked off work at about 4.55 p.m. Witness said he again told the boys to go home, and when he last saw them they were going up to the Rattray street, wharf. James Thomas Rosa, aged five years, said that some weeks previously he an-1 Clifford Hoyne went down to the wharf. Whilst they were looking at a ship Clifford fell into the water so that witness could only see a little bit of his head. Witness then ran away. Constable Souter gave evidence as to finding the body. The coroner returned a verdict to the effect that the deceased was accidentally drowned, remarking on the distressing circumstances of the fatality.