ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22329, 1 August 1934, Page 10

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES

HEAD BLOWN OFF GELIGNITE ALONGSIDE BODY. .A grim discovery was made at Omatane, near Taihape, on Friday afternoon, when. Mr. Percy Becker came across the headless body of . an elderly man at the rqar of a roadman’s whnre situated near the Omatarie' bridge on the' road from Utiku. The body was later identified as that of Mr John ,M‘Qormack, a single man, aged 63, an employee ,bf the Rangitikei. County Council; Alongside the body was found a portion,' of a stick of gelignite. ■ ■' At an inquest before the coroner, Mr W. H. Fookcs, J.P., DfM. Kronfeid stated that he had conducted a postmortem examination,, and ip his opinion death was caused by an explosion, .probably a stick of gelignite held in the mouth, as pieces of burnt fuse still adhered to the neck. The’ remainder of the body was unwourided with the exception of a laceration on the right hand, seemingly caused by a piece of skull bone. Dr Kronfeid was able to identify the body by means of tattoo marks on the arms, observed when attending him professionally in the past.. .The coroner returned a verdict nf suicide while of unsound mind, and in accordance with the medical evidence.

TRAPPER’S BODY FOUND

(Peb United Press Association,)

WELLINGTON,. July ,31

Searchers in the Orongorongas to-day found the body of Frank Blytheman, a trapper, of Ohiro road, Brooklyn, who had been missing for 10 days from his/ camp at Wainuiomata. The body was found shortly before 3 pirn, by Constable R, Griffiths, who was, in charge of, a search party, and, Mr B. Pullen., It was discovered in a creek about 400 yards from the camp and about 40 feet off the track. Blytheman had apparently slipped while -coming out, of the bush in the dark and fallen over some, rocks. The indications were that he died about 10; days ago. The body was brought into. Lower Hutt to-night. ' ’ ‘ ,

DEATH IN ' HOSPITAL

(Peb United Peess Association.) WELLINGTON, July 31. John Henry Cook, of Picton, avenue, Auckland, was found unconscious in Waterloo quay a week ago, and died in the hospital'this morning. It is not known how he came by his injuries. .