CASUALTIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2009, 25 August 1892, Page 26

CASUALTIES.

• A man named Hartwell, injured by a distressing accident at the dredge at Gillespie Beach, has died from his injuries.

The body of a man was found on the 14th floating at the western tee, Auckland. From the papers found on the body itis believed to be that of George Tang, labourer, Tupaki. On the body were a bank deposit receipt on the Bank of New Zealand for L3OO, one on the Union Bank of Australia for Ll5O, a credit note on the Auckland Savings Bank for L9B, and a small sum in his pockets. At an inquest on the body of Robert Ludwell, the shepherd who was drowned in the Mararoa on the 9th inst., was held before Mr Allen Browning, J.P., acting coroner. Ludwell had been camped at Te Anau, and on Monday was not able to catch his horse, and was obliged to walk about 15 miles after it. On Tuesday he went to the Key of the Lakes Hotel for tobacco, arriving there about 11 a.m., and leaving about 2 p.m. He had had lunch and a little drink, but not enough to have any effect upon him. On leaving he remarked that he was going to take it out of his horse, and went off at full gallop. Mr Bench and several others watched him as far as the river (about a mile), and saw a great splash, and thinking he had met with an accident, J. Gallagher jumped on a horse and the others ran as fast as possible to the river. Ludwell was taken out of the river quite dead, about a-quarter of a mile down, and in less than a-quarter of an hour after the accident. As the river "was quite low at the time, it is supposed that he was stunned in falling off the horse. A verdict of "Accidentally drowned" was returned. Ludwell was about 57 years of age. He was of a genial and pleasant disposition, and greatly liked and respected by all who came in contact with him. He had been over 20 years in the colony, and as far as is known has no relations here. — Southland Times.

A young man named Charles Hillier, a bush labourer, shot himself through the head with a pistol in the City Restaurant, Wellington. He had influenza about 10 months ago, and had been in ill-health since and out of employment. Of late he had been very despondent owing to his inability to obtain suitable employment.

James M'Kenzie, of Ponsonby, a storekeeper, died suddenly on the 18ch. He had been out with his cart, and came home drunk, and went upstairs to his bedroom. His wife went to see if he was all right, and found him kneeling on the floor with his face buried in the bedclothes. It is supposed he was accidentally suffocated or had a fit of apoplexy. He had been drinking heavily of late.

A man named Brown, employed for a number of years as a shunter at the Christchurch railway station, was killed on Friday. He was engaged shunting a coal truck, and while running in front of it, caught his foot in the cluck point 3 and fell, the truck passing over him and killing him instantaneously. He leaves a widow and five children.

A girl named Sincock, aged 12 years, while playing on Saturday morning near a stack of timber in M'Callum's yard, Oamaru, was badly hurt by a quantity of timber falling on her. She died two hours afterwards.

The body of an elderly man was found on Monday by a small boy underneath the Hobson street wharf, Auckland. It had evidently been in the water for about a fortnight, and the features were decomposed beyond recognition ; but the body was soon identified as that of Moses Bird, an employe of the Railway department, who had been missing for the past week.

The five-year-old son of Mr Carl Pagel, fisherman, of Moeraki, has been missing since the 12th inst. He was last seen on the jetty at Moeraki, and it is supposed that he fell off and was swept out to sea. Before going out the little fellow had asked his mother for a piece, and while she was getting it for him he ran outside and asked his father for a ride. The father said it was too cold, and told him to go into bed. Instead of doing this he followed after a loaded dray towards the beach with the result given above. The parents are naturally very much distressed at the sad occurrence. A serious accident happened at East Gore on Sunday afternoon, when a 3£ year old son of Mr William Day strayed — lett his father for a moment — and fell into the quarry at the river end of Halton street. The drop is from 20ft to 30ft, and the resting place by no means a pleasant one, there being jagged rock and loose stones in abundance. The child sustained a fracture of the skull, and Dr Warren (who is in attendance), while hopeful of averting fatal results, is by no meaus certain of saving the child's life. The wonder is it was not killed outright. — Gore Standard.