CASUALTIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1892, 15 May 1890, Page 18

CASUALTIES.

A girl, 13 years of age, named Agnes Driver, died on the 7th inst from injuries received through an accident at Long Beach, Purakanui, on the 27th of last month. On that date she was sitting on the edge of the cliff near her father's residence, when her hat blew off, and in attempting to recover it she slipped and rolled over the cliff, falling a height of about 200 ft. After the accident she remained for several hours in the position in which she had fallen, and when discovered she appeared to be so severely injured that her recovery seemed very doubtful. She was attended to by Dr Cunningham, of Port Chalmers, and died on the date already mentioned.

John M'Cann fell dead on the Bth while feeding cows at Waiuku (Auckland) ; the supposed cause was heart disease.

A youth named Byrne was found on the Bth lying senseless on the Panmure road (Auckland), suffering from concussion of the brain. He is believed to have been thrown from a horse.

Mrs C. Peake, of Cromwell, while returning home on the 3rd fell into a water race and badly fractured her right leg. An effort will be made to save the limb.

At 11.30 p.m. on April 21, during the passage of the Lady Jocelyn to Lyttelton, an apprentice named Henry Wingate was lost overboard in 46.23 S. and 110 E. He fell from the mizzen topsail yard) striking an iron davit. The night was very dark with a high sea. The vessel, which was running 12 knots, was brought up and a lifebuoy thrown over, but it was impossible to lower a boat without risking other lives.

An accident occurred at the Fernhill Company's coalpit at Green Island on Friday afternoon, by which a young man named Henry Kidd sustain! 1 a broken collarbone and severe bruises to the chest and legs through some ooal falling on him while ho was at work. He was conveyed to the hospital and arrived about 7 p.m., when Dr Copland attended to his injuries He is progressing favourably and his case is noc considered a serious one. His parents reside at Shag Point.

An accident which resulted fatally occurred on the 6th inst to James Johnston, of Waikaka Valley. He was going from his own place to his father's with a load of grain, and through the shaft horse stumbling and the leaders being scared, he was thrown against the dray. He fell heavily against the handle of the brake, broke his arm in two places, and one or more of his ribs were driven into his lungs. Inflammation set in on the following night, and then he soon succumbed.

Another accident in the football field has to be reported, a lad named Leo Kilfoyle having broken his arm in two places whilst playing in a match at Auckland.

A man aged 32, named Martin Corcor.in, was received into the hospital on Monday from Gore. Corcoran, who was following a threshing machine, by some means got incautiously near one of the horses attached to the machine while it was being removed from a farm, and received a kick from the animal which fractured his right leg. He was attended by Dr Copland, and is progressing favourably.

The Mataura Ensign reports that a very sudden death occurred at Mataura on Saturday night last— that of Mrs Stark, wife of Mr T. Stark, surfaceman on the railway line. About a quarter of an hour after returning from the township with her husband, and while sitting on a chair, she suddenly exclaimed that she was choking and fell forward on the floor dead, Heart disease is supposed to have been the cause of death. She had suffered from the complaint for two years, and had been attended by various doctors.

L. C. Richardson, an old Marton settler, was found dead in his bed at the Ffoftlway Hotel on Sunday. A bottle of bird poison partly emptied was on the table near him, and it is supposed that he drank the poison during the night by mistake.

Mra Davy, of Motueka, Nelson, went into a trance last Saturday and remained in that condition for 48 hours. On recovering consciousness her reason had gone, and suicidal mania was exhibited. With difficulty she was prevented from injuring her children, and on Tuesday afternoon she was committed to Nelson Asylum.

On Monday night a man named Robert Gross, a resident of Motueka, when passing the post office there fell and expired before he could be carried home. The cause of death was heart disease.

An adopted child, five weeks old, the daughter of a woman named Henderson, of Wellington, died at Picton on Saturday of emaciation. It had a day or two before been sent to Picton in the care of the stewardess of a steamer, and though carefully nourished it died as above. At the inquest a verdict of "Death from natural causes " was returned. The jury censured the persons who sent it over in such a condition.

The Hutt County Council have struck a rate of |d in the pound to supply the deficiency in the county income caused by the abolition of the toll gates.

Mr David Goldie, M.H.R., referring to the matter of charitable aid at the meeting of the Auckland City Council. He said that when the general Government transferred the burden of charitable aid to the local bodies it was distinctly promised bhat 250,000 acres of land should be set apart as an endowment for the local bodies for charitable aid purposes. This had not been done, and the present Government declined to set apart the reserve. As some members of the House of Representatives were trying to secure this reserve he thought that the council should pass a resolution strengthening the hands of the representatives. The mayor declined to entertain the suggestion on the ground that the meeting was a special one. No further information of any definite character has as yet been received from Mr R. J. Creighton with reference to the subsidy of £40,000 per annum which, on the authority of Mr Spreckles (one of the contractors for the present service), he gave the New Zealand Government to believe that the United States Government were prepared to contribute towards the maintenance of the mail service between San Francisco and the Australian colonies. Many letters on the subject have been received from Mr Creighton since he returned to America, but they contained no information of a specific nature. The Government have just learned, however, that some definite news may be expected by the incoming San Francisco mail in time for the full consideration of the whole question before Parliament meets. Mr Harkness, M.H.R., addressed the electors at Nelson on the 12th. He referred to the financial state of the colony with gratification at the surplus, but said that retrenchment and economy were still necessary; and hi 3 remarks in opposition to further borrowing were well received. He mildly attacked Sir Robert Stout, Mr Ballance, and the Opposition, justifying his own proceedings. He opposed the Railway Employes' Insurance Bill, and favoured the Hare system of representation. He also expressed a hope that the property tax would before long be abolished. He received a unanimous vote of thanks.