ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21216, 23 December 1930, Page 9

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

BODY FOUND IN RIVER. (Per United Press Association.) MASTERTON, December 22. The body of a middle-aged man was found in the Whareama River at Tinui to-day. According to a certificate of unemployment found in his pocket it is that of John Watson, care of the Public Works, Whakataki. The body had apparently been in the water for about two weeks. The deceased is believed to have had no relatives in the Dominion. AN OPEN VERDICT. (Pee United Pbess Association.) MASTERTON, December 22. An open verdict was returned to-day at the inquest concerning the death of Arthur Charles Gunther, borough ent: ployee, who was found dead in a whare on Sunday evening with a gas fire turned on but not lit. There was' no direct evidence to show whether death was accidental or not, and was given that the deceased was a healthy man of cheerful disposition, a. good worker, and showed no suicidal tendencies. INJURED IN MOTOR COLLISION. (Per United Press Association.) NEW PLYMOUTH, December 22. With the toes of one foot caught in the steering wheel and his body suspended over the side, of his car,' Adjutant M'Kenzie, officer in charge of the New Plymouth Salvation Army, was injured about the head, shoulders, and chest as the.result of a motor collision. Springing from the driver’s scat when he saw a collision with-a fish van was imminent, he attempted to jump over the wheel on to the road. His car-was struck side on by the van, the lamps of which left an impression on the two doors. The car was.pushed 20-feet before it stopped. . WOMAN’S NARROW ESCAPE. iPer United Press Association.) ' CHRISTCHURCH, December 22. Mrs Downing, of Templeton, had a narrow escape at the Sockburn railway crossing early yesterday morning. She was driving a horse and cart towards Christchurch on the main road, and failed to notice an approaching goods train from Springfield. The engine killed the horse, smashed the cart, and tipped Mrs Downing out on to the bitu-, men road. She was later admitted to the hospital with nothing more than a scalp wound. CHILDREN FATALLY SCALDED, (Per United Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, December 22. By a tragic coincidence two little boys, each aged two, died in the hospital yesterday from scalds accidentally received. One of the , victims "was Spencer Forrester, son of Mr M. Forrester, of Fisherton. On Saturday the child : s mother was washing clothes when the little hoy fell backwords into a dish of boiling water which she had ready for use. % The other boy was Tyrell Odgers, son of Mr 0, T, Odgers, of Bromley. His mother was heating milk ready for separating, and placed a pan full of the hot liquid near the door. Her son, who was playing in the yard, fell backwards into the pan, MOTORING ACCIDENT. TWO GIRLS IN HOSPITAL. (From Our Own Correspondent.! MILTON, December 22. A motoring accident occurred about 11 o’clock yesterday morning in the vicinity of the Milburn Presbyterian Church, as a result of which four persons suffered shock and more or less serious injuries. The motor'car, a flveseater tourer, was driven by Mr John M'Ghie, of Mosgiel, who was accompanied by his mother, a sister (Miss Essie M'Ghie), and Mr Peters, all of Mosgiel, also Misses Mary M'Caw and Essie M’Caw, of Abbotsford, aged 13 and 10 years respectively. On nearing the church the motor car skidded in loose gravel, ran into a water ditch on the roadside, and one of the front wheels collapsed. The car- then overturned, pinning all the occupants, with the deception of Mrs -M'Ghie,- who was thrown clear, but suffered cut lips necessitating stitches, and two fractured ribs, Mr Peters and Miss M'Ghie escaped with slight abrasions, whilst the driver received a cut on the head. The two girls M'Caw, however, received severe concussion and body injuries, and were admitted to the Milton Hospital. The girls intended to visit friends at Milton and the remainder of the party were journeying to Roxburgh. Assistance was rendered by some Milbum residents in rescuing the victims pinned under the car and conveying them to Milton for medical attention. FOOT CRUSHED. A man named Alfred Hall, 25 years of age, residing at Rutherford street, Caveraham, was admitted to the Hospital at 4.30 p.m. yesterday suffering from severe injuries to his foot, which was crushed by the fall of a heavy casting at C. and W. Shiel’s brickworks at Fairfield.