Accidents and Offences.

Otago Witness, Issue 1422, 22 February 1879, Page 9

Accidents and Offences.

A man named John Pal rick Bgan met with a serious accident on the night of the 14th, through falling down atrap-vpy at the Theatre. He -was found lying insensible some minutes afterwards, and forthwith taken to the Hospital where it was ascertained that his spine tad been fractured. He is a manied man.

Arnold Collett, the railway guard who lately sustained severe injuries while shunting trucks on the railway line at Hillside, died at the Hospital during Thursday, the 13th. The residence of Mr John M'Neil, at Balelutha. was completely destroyed by fire about half-past.3 on Saturday morning. Of the furniture, a piano and some chairs only were saved. The presence of fire was first noticed l>y Mrs M'Neil, who judged from the smell of turning that something was amiss, and awoke her husband, who on going downstairs found the kitchen in flames. The whole building was speedily destroyed. A correspondent telegraphing from Balclutha says : " The very ireatest -sympathy is felt here for Mr John M'Neil owing to the loss he has attained lay the recent fire. His loss amounts to L 2500, A3 he was not insured for a shilling. Mr M'Neil has been burned out of house and home four times during the last seven years.

A boy named Joseph Burke, aged three years, got kicked in the jaw by a horse at Hillside on Tueslay afternoon, the jaw bein? severely injured. He was taken to the Hob3>itaL A joint committee of the Legislative Houses in the Slate of Ohio (says a Home paper) are investigating a mystery. The. destruction l of an express westward-bound train, by the fall «f the Ashtabula Bridge on the Lake Shore two or three years ago, may still be lemembered in this country. The disaster was cf multiplied horror; for, beside those who •were killed or maimed by the crash, many were burned to death in tbe carriages, which caught fire as they fell ; and many more were frozen to death in the shattered ice of theiiver The sequel of the tragedy was equally sad. Mr Collins, chief engineer of the line, a man who who had previously borne the highest character, .committed suicide, as was believed, soon after the accident, and before he could be called on to give evidence at the official inquiry into the state of the bridge. The natural inference was that the unfortunate engineers brain was iturned by his painful sense responsibility. His wife, however, seems to have had reason toauspect that the assumed suicide was really a. murder, perpetrated, it may be supposed, by <or in the interest of some persons who had leason to fear his evidence. After many fruitless efforts, she appears to have collected the .materials of a priTna fade case, and has obtained from the Legislature the appointment ®f the Committee of Inquiry.