ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21242, 24 January 1931, Page 12

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

ELECTRIC LINESMAN’S DEATH. (Per United Press Association.) WHANGAREI, January 23. When engaged last evening in changing “ dead ’’ wires from one arm to another on a pole in Kamo road, Whanmirei, Archibald Hall, of Onerahi, a widower with no family, came in contact with a live wire, and was rendered unconscious. Prolonged resuscitation efforts on the scene by ambulance brigadesmen failed, the victim expiring en route to hospital. TWO BROTHERS KILLED. EVIDENCE AT INQUEST. (Per United Press Association.) NAPIER, January 23 At the inquest on Wilfred Selwyn Osborne and Bernard Augustus Osborne, the two brothers who were killed in a motor accident at Devil’s Elbow, Main North road, on January 2, a verdict of acci-, dental death was returned, no blame being attributed _to the other motorist. The coroner said that the evidence established the fact that the car of the deceased Was on the wrong side of the road, and went over a bank in seeking to regain the correct side. DOUBLE DROWNING FATALITY. (Per United Press' Association.) WELLINGTON, January 23 An inquest was held at Otaki into the deaths of S. A. Longuet and Theresa Burton, who lost their lives by drowning at Otaki Beach yesterday. The coroner, Mr P. H. Harper, after hearing the evidence of a number of witnesses, returned a verdict of accidental death by drowning. He said it was regrettable that there was no life line on the beach. KILLED BY RAILWAY ENGINE. An inquest was opened at Palmerston yesterday afternoon on_ the body of Duncan Macpherson, a widower, 78 years of age, residing at Tumai, who met his death on Thursday as a result of being struck by a railway engine at the Tumai station. Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M., sat as coroner. Evidence of identification was given by the daughter of the deceased, who stated that her father had been working in a paddock below the railway line, and he had started towards the station to collect a cream can when he was struck by the engine of the Oamaru show train, as he stepped from between two stationary trucks. He was very deaf, and had apparently walked right into the engine. Dr Thomas, of Palmerston, stated that he had been called to the station to examine the deceased, who had been brought to Palmerston on the train. He had attended to the injuries, but the man had died 20 minutes after reaching Palmerston. In witness’s opinion death was due to a comminuted fracture of the skull and shock resulting from severe injuries. Witness paid a tribute to the manner in which first aid had been rendered by the railwaymen, and the inquest was adjourned to a time and place to be fixed later, PLAYING WITH FIRE. A small boy named Hadley Gough, eight years of age, residing at 25 Wills street, Morningtony was admitted to the Hospital at 5.15 p.m., suffering from severe burns to the face and legs. The injuries were received when Gough, with another boy, was playing with a petrol tin in which they had a fire. There was some petrol in the tin. and this exploded.