Accidents and Offences.

Otago Witness, Issue 1428, 5 April 1879, Page 19

Accidents and Offences.

An accident attended with fatal results occaired at Maheno en the 27th ult. A man named George O'Brien was engaged, in company with a number of other labourers, excavating, when a mass of earth — some 50 tons weight— ftll, entirely burying him. After considerable labour O'Brien was re leased, and brought into town by train. He was taken to the Hospital, but Dr Wait, finding that the man was dying, did not deem it Tiece.-sary to irefcribe for him in any way. The poor fellow, in addit on to serious but unknown internal injuiies, had his left thigh, a-ight leg, and left arm lavken. He exjirel within a short time aftsr reaching the Hospita l . The other men escap-d uninjured, but ah ne and dray were considerably damaged by the fall of eaith. Mr Walter L. Miller, accountant of the Bank oi New South Wales at Greymoutb, committed suicide on the afternoon of the 27th ult., in n-a outhouse of the bank, by blowing out his brains A with a revolver. The deceased had been in ™ Jreymouth for seven or eight years, and was well liked, but had been under medical attendance during the las!; month, his wife's illne-s having affected him. He called at the ba-ik yesterday and quietly retired to the back, taking the revolver with him, withont < being observed. He leaves a wife and two children, the youngest about a month old. His death as much regretted, as he was a kind-heartel little fellow, about 29 years of age ; and except the anxiety about Lis wife's health, no other cause is known for his suicide. At the inqiust a verdict of temporary insanity was returned. Two lads in the employment of Ray, the %'ainer, were charged at the Christchurch City Police Coutt on tbe 27th ult. with ste ding a bag of grain, valued at lOs.The bag bad fallen off a track on the railway line, and the boys had been told by Ray to bring it in, as it was no use leaving it where it was. His Worship refused to hear the case against the lids any further, and dhmis ed them, saying that Ray ought to be in the dock instead. Irspector Hickson said it ■was possible he might bring a charge against Bay. Amarriel lady named Taylor, while walking on the rocks at Sumner, near Christchurch, on the 27ih ult., fell and fractured her left houlder. A serious accident occurred the other day to a young man named Edward Bunting, in the employ of Mr Snowden, bush contractor, Kaipara. He was fearfully cut by an axe on the jsmall of the back jusb below the belt. The •cut is bi'x inches long by three in depth. Had lie not been a most powerful young man the accident might have proved fatal on the spot. As it is, Dr Morton has some hopes of his srecovery. He still remains in the bush, not being sufficiently strong to be removed. The accident occurred through his mate's axe slipping off a log when making a blow. No blame whatever is attached to anyone. At Oamaru a man named M'Alister, whowa9 charged with setting fire to his bouse at Ngapara while his wife was inside, was discharged, the Magistrate basing his decision on the case Rex. v. March, in which it is laid down that to constitute the offence of arson It is necessary to prove that there was an intent to defraud or injure a third person. l?our young burglara, 10 to 18 yeara of age, were charged with breaking into Captain JEaton's store, at Auckland, and remanded for further inquiry. Key?, knive?, aad watches were ound upon them. A three-roomed weatherboard cottage, owned and occupied by Mr E. Osborn, and situated ©n the Cargill road, Kensington, was burned down on the 28th ult., at abjuS half -past 2 o'clock. Mr Ooborn was at work, Mrs Osborn and the children being at home. The cottage and furniture were insured in the Victoria office for Ll4O. An inquest was h eld at Timaru on the 27th ult. on the body of Jeffreys, who was severely scalded at the Meat-Preserving Works on Tuesday, and who died yesterday. A verdict of " accidental death was returned." Some stacks were turned at Greenstone Hi'l, Anck and, on the night oE the 27th ult. They were valu°d at L4O, and were insured in the Colonial Office for L2O. A man named John Madden, was arrested at Oamaru on the 26 tb, on a charge of roblery with violence. Early on Sunday morn. ing, in the heart of the town, about 2 o'clock, loud cries were heard, and the police proceeded to the s-pot and found a man named Collins, who i-t.rt.td that be had been maltreated and robbed b? Madden, who had made off. The police left Collins and went in Eearch of the fellow, but tailed to find him, and returned t© the scene of the robbery only to find that Collins also had disappeared. Some difficulty has been experibnesd in finding out the whereabouts of Collins, who has not yet been found ; feut it is Loped the police may yet be successful in their search. A fire occurred at daylight on the 28th at Mansfmd's Bay, by which a cottage occupied by Mr Griffith Jones was burnt down. The Port Chalmers Fire Brigade were promptly on the spot, aud rendered all the assistance in their The property was, we hear, insured in tbe Norwich Union Insurance Company for L 125 on house, f urnituiv, and effect?. Mr Jones was absent at the time of the fire. His wife was in the house, and retired to rest f about midnight. She supposes the wind blowing down the chimney ignited the embers and scattered them about the placo, which took Sxe about a quarter-pasb 5 o'clock in the saorning. IToiir swaggers were arrested at Temuka on the 27th, on a charge of burglary, at Geraldine. A man named Thomas Maddox, a resident of A->hburton, was arrested in Dunedin on Tuesday on a charge under ' ' The Debtors and Creditors Act" of attempting to defraud his creditors. Detective Neil, of Timaru, made the arrest, and took his prisoner ncrth. The Ashburton Mail contains the following in reference to the ca«e:— "A piece of p^cu'iarly sharp practice came to li^ht in Aehbuitou last Thursday. It appears that a man named Maddox, who some time ago w nt backrupt, or made akin to a composition with his creditors, having left the place, and being depiroii3 of taking with him certain goads and chattels, to which property he bad no further leg^l claim, consigned these to a Mta Turner, in Dunedin. The story goes that such is the proper name of the lady who has hre been regarr'el as his wife. Be this as it may, the gooris, it came to be known to his creditor?, were in the train going to Dunedin. A warrant was therefore issued without delay, and handed to a constable for execution. He went to the railway station, where a good deal of blustering was indulged in by one and another. At 1-st the stationmaster told the constable to se'ze the goods if he wished to, and oneo' the creditors excitedly called upon the man in blue to do his duty. He appeared willing eu'ui<h t»i dothis, but as the warrant instructed him to s°ize all goods in the possession of Thomas Mandox, and as those on the train werd consigned to a Mrs Turner, and disclosed

loulder.

no cornpction with Mr Maddox, the constable did not tee his way clear to make the deshed seizure. Accordingly the train proceeded on its journey, taking the goods with it, and also - one of the creditors of Mr Maddox— an active 1 bodied, keen-witt-d gemleman, who leapt on ■ the train just as it was leaving the station. Of > the subsequ'iit developments we have not a yet Le.vJ.'' At Wellington on Monday lash a woman 3 named Watson, who has been suffering from ' dei re- sad s-pirits, walked into the sea, but was, t j with some difficulty, rescued. A Wellington telegram relates the following incident : —A little child fell into the water at Te Aro baths, and was in great danger of drowning, wh?n Mrs Levy, who was passing, sprang into the water in her walking divss, and, supporting heiself by oi.e of the ropes which run across, managed to rescue the child, although at considerable personal risk. Mr W. Pitt, solicitor, of Reefton, was drowned on Monday night while crossing the Arahura River. On the coach arriving at the lower ford the horses became restive, and were taken out of the coich. The passengers — Mrs Evans and Messrs Kerr and Pitt— alighted, and each mounted a horse. Whilst crossing, the horse Pitt was on bucked, and threw him into the water. A rope was thrown to him which ho missed. As he was floating under the bridge seaward, he was heard to call out, " Which is the best side to get out ?" Nothing was seen of him afterwards, though both banks of the river were well searched by residents and Maoris with lanterns. An inquest wa3 held at Akaroa on Monday on the body of William Black, engineer to the Akaroa lighthouse. He left Akaroa on Thursday to ride to tbe Heads, not being sober at the time, and was found d j ad yesterday. It is suppesed he per'shed in the storm that swept over the district that day. His saddle was found nearly a a mile nearer Akar a than the body, and it is supposed he must have got off his horse and attempted to walk into camp. A verdict of " Found dead " was returned. A wholesale fruit- dealer at Napier, for sellinj decayed fruit was recently fined L 5 and costs. TheconspiracycaseagainstDonnellyand Price of Napier, for endeavouring to defraud Renata Kawepo, a Maori chief, by agreeing to run up the prices of the racehorses Otupai and Tawara to a fictitious value, was brought to a sudden conclusion before half tbe witnesses fcr the defence were examined. Mr Stuart, R.M., stated that in his opinion a case had been made out 'for a jury; on which Mr Cornford, solicitor for Donnelly, said he should not go on any further with the case. Both defendants were then committed for trial at the next Supreme Court sittings at Napier. Mr Rees ma'ie an application that the trial should be held in Wellington, in consequence of the Napi-r sittings not being held til June, and also because, in his opinion, any case between Maoris and Europeans could not get a fair trial in Napier. Mr Cornford said this was a most extraordinary doctrine for Mr Rees to lay down. He strongly opposed the tiial being at Wellington, in consequence of the expense to his client. The Magistrate took Mr Cornford's view, and refused Mr Rees' application. A further conspiracy case against Sutton, M.H.R., Kinross, George Buckland, and Worgan was postponed till Thursday, the 9th instant. Mr John Wilson, traveller for Messrs Hawson, Petchell, and Co., met with a nasty accident in the neighbourhood of the Elbow the other day. It seems (says the Southland Times) that in one of his travels he met a ferocious-looking boar pig, which immediately made for him. A struggle ensued, and in a very short space of time Mr Wilson found himself completely mastered. The boar, it would seem, caused him to turn a somersault in the air and perform various other gymnastic feats in the mo3t approved style. Unfortunately for Mr Wilson, he sustained a very severe injury on one of his thighs, which was ripped up for a considerable distance, and in other respects he was somewhat bruised and pretty considerably shaken. Yesterday he was conveyed into town, and is now, we are pleased to learn, progressing very favourably. A very clever and daring attempt a!; desertion was made last Saturday by a seaman of the ship Peter Stuart, named W. Henderson. Finding that Captain Van3tone kept too smart a look-out for him to g-=t away by a boat, he lowered a washdeck tub over the side, and made it fast under the ship's bows. Having made up a couple of bundles of clothing he lowered them into the tub, and was about to follow when the captain, who was quietly watching his proceedings interposed and put a stop to his trip. It, appears Henderson had written requesting those on board to dray for his body if he should drown while making for the shore. A very narrow escape from fire occurrpd on Tuesday at Milton. A ctai'd, the son of Mr R. Humphreys, watchmaker, was playing with a box of matches in the bedroom, and while doing so ignited some, and set fire to the lining and his pinafore. A neighbour observing the flames rushed at once and gave the alarm, and prompt assistance being rendered the fire was put out. The damage was not extensive, but Mr and Mrs Humphreys will suffer a great deal of inconvenience. It may be mentioned that Mrs Humphreys was at the rear of the premises washing, and was unaware of the occurrence until all danger was past. Mr Humphreys was away shooting. The Hon. H. S. Chapman, Mi-3 Chapinaa, and Mrs Williams met with an accident while driving round the Town Belt on Tuesday afternoon. They were descending a hill near Montecillo when the pole of the carriage broke, and the occupants were thrown out, fortunately without receiving any injury beyond a shaking. Three men, named Duncan, Lee, and Smith, were charged at the Police Court on Tuesday with wilfully and maliciously setting fire to a gorse hedge in the Forbury Park on Sunday ( afternoon last, and committed for trial at the • next Criminal Se33ions. One of the prisoners, ■ we believe, is a candidate for the police force. j At 10 o'clock on Tuesday night a fire broke out in a boarding-house in "View street, occupied by ] Mr M'Carthy. The alarm was given imme- , diately, but before the water could be got to ] play on the building the fire had a firm hold of < it, and it was impossible to save it. The men:- j bers of the Brigade were occupied for fully ( three-quarters of an hour in extinguishing the fire, but with the water supply at command j there was no danger of it spreading. No one ] was in the house when the fire broke out. Mrs M'Carthy left the house at about 9 p.m., and there was then a fire in the kitchen, and a lamp ' burning in the sitting-room. The building was J the property of Mrs T. B. Muir, and was insured in the New Zealand Insurance Company 1 for the sum of Ll5O. The furniture was in- i sured for L 63 by Mr Benjamin, who had a < lien upon the household goods. Mr M'Carthy ] estimates his loss at about L3O, the household effects being valued at L9O. Very little was ] saved from the fire, and the house was com- ] pletely destroyed. The origin of the fire haa ] not been ascertained. The fire alarm rang ] twice between the hours of 5 and 7 p.m., but ; in neither case were the services of the firemen, j who turned out promptly, required. Two ;

chimneys had taken fire— one in Stafford street, the other in Rattray street.

A fire winch broke put in the shed of John Learning, tinsmith, Victoria street, Auckland, on the 30th ult., is supposed to have been an act of incendiarism, a loafer having taken shelter in the buildiDg for the night.

At Auckland on Friday, the 2Sth ultimo, a collision occurred between Mr Fiber's trap, a Corporation trolly, and a vehicle driven by Mr Patterson, at a, street corner, resulting in severe damage. Both drivers were pitched out and contused. One of Fisher's hoi&sp, w( rth L7O, will probably have to be destroyed. Shortly aftervvard's Fisher's so^ Walter was thrown from bis horse and had his ollar-bone broken.

At 3 a.m. on the 28th ult., Langdon ani Co.'s sawmill aid Gillespie and Co.'s ch:«n-y and coffee works, between St, Aeaph and High streets, Cbri.stchurch, were burnt to the ground. Gilleppie had LI2OO worth of stock or> the premise?, the whole of which was destroyed, as also some machinery. The origin of the fire is very doubtful. Several accounts are given, and a young man stated to the police that he aaw a man in shirt-sleaves jump over the gate hading to the premises just as the fire bi-ol<6 out, and that the man returned no answer to a challenge, but bolted in a suspicious manner. The proprietor of the grocery store in front of the coffee works, in which the fire apparently began, was on his premises at half-past 1 this morning, and says that he smelt fire then, but after waiting about an hour detected nothing, and went home. Gillespie was insured in the South British for L 550 ; his estimated loss is LISOO. LangdoQ and Co. were insured in the New Z-alaud for L 150 0; estimated loss between L2OOO and L3OOO. Most of Gillespie's machinery was saved, but that in the timber factory was ruined. Goodman, grocer, lost L3O or L4O worth of goods by removal. He was insured for L7OO in the Standard and Manchester Companies.

THE LOSS OF THS BONNIE DUNDEE.

The loss of the steamer Bonnie Dundee is thus reported by the Melbourne Argus of the 12th hut.:— " The steamer Barraboo', which arrived at Sydney on the morning of the 11th instant, reportad Out she came into collision with a steamer at 8 30 p.m. on the 10th inßtaat, which proved to be the Bounie Dundee, bound for the Manning River. The vessel was first set n on the starboard bow, crossing to port, and Captain Clark, of the Barraboo 1 , ported his helm. The other v«ssel then returned acro-s, and Captain Chrk stopped his engines, and went astera full spec 1. The two vessels then came inti collision. The Barrabool struck the Bonnie Dunriee almost right amid3hip», on the starbrardside, and ran into her deck at least three feet, cutting her below the water's edge. Immediately she went on her beam endp, and commence to fill rapidly. In four minutes after she had been struck she went down, with a plunge head first. When the collision took place the chief officer was in charge, and the passengers with the exception of one lady, were all on deck. The Bonnie Dundee at the time carried five passengers and general cargo. The male passengers and several of the crew jumped on hoard the Barrabool, and the cabin-boy tried to do the same thing, but fell back into the starboard-boat of the Bonnie Dundee, and ia supposed to have injured himself so sever* ly that he was unable to move. This boat was cut in two. Everything that could possibly be done was done to save the lives of the passengers. The port-boat was got out and manned, and the chief officer says that he had just lime to jump into her and push her away from the sinking steamer when the latter went down. At the time the captain was standing on the bridge with four ladies, and he states that he gave each of them a lifebuoy, and told them to jump, and after that he found himself carried down by the suction of the vessel a considerable depth, but eventually regained the surface, struck out for the Birrabool, and was picked up by one of the b )ats. The chief officer of the Bonnie Dundee caught hold of a child thit the stewardess had in her arms and saved it. 'I he Barrabool remained on the scene about an hour, and endeavoured to recover the bodies. The body of Mrs Brown, wife of Mr David Brown, produce merchant, wag recovered near a hencoop, and when taken on board ihe Barrabool life was not extinct, but »he died a few minutes aftenvwda. The names of the three other ladies whose bodies were not recovered are Miss Brown, daughter of Mrs Brown, who died ; Mrs Dugdale, wife of one of fie directors of the Manning Kiver Company ; and Mrs White, the stewardess. " The Bonnie Dundeee is insured in the Victoria Company for £6000, but is valued an a good deal more. The cargo is uninsured.

" The only injury which the Birrabiol has sust\lned is a hole on the port bow, sufficiently lar,*e for a man's head to go through. This is now being repaired, and the vessel will sail for Melbourne to morrow.

" Captain Clark, in charge of the Bitrabool, states he cle 1 red the Nobby?, at Nev ca-tle, at half-past 6 p.m. on the 10th inst , steering S.S W., and by compass at 20 m'nutfs to 8 p m., when off I ake Macquarie, he Bighted a steamer's mastheid light beating about two points on the st^board bow. He put the vessel's head to a course S. by W ]W. His green light was then showing well on the starboard bow. To give the steamer ;i wide berth he starboarded a liitle, but before the oi der was executed the second officer reoorted her s howincr her red light suddenly. He then ordered the lu'lra had apoit, and stopped the engiues. By this time the vessel was showing her rod light three points on the port bow. Suddenly both her red and gieen lights appeared, when he immediately telegraphed • Eugine3 full speed astern.' In the me'intime her red lisjht disappeared from view. About three minutes afterwards the ships collidid, hi 3ye at the time hiviny nearly lost all headway Seeing the othervessel seriously injured he stopped the engines, a>d sent a boat away in charge of the chief officer to rendor all assistance possible. The boat was alongside in two minutes aftsr the collision, but had to back a'-teni to avoid the motion of the sinking Vtsacl. Ai'er the boat returned to the Bairabool he found four ladii-s and one boy missing fr^m the Bonnie Dundee, and sent the boat* to look among the dtbris f r them, but only succeeded in finding one lady, who was brought en boa'd senseless. The boat again returned to the place of the wreck, but did not succeed in recovering any more. The Barrabool remained upon the spot for an hour, and all endeavours were ijsed to restore life to the unconscious lady, but with no avail. After a thorough eearch the Barrabool proceeded on her voyage, and arrived at Sydney at 4 o'clock this morning. •'The Bonnie Dundee was a steamer of 131 tons burden, Clyde-built, owned by Gr. and B. Nicol, and chattered by the Manning River Company."