CASUALTIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2056, 20 July 1893, Page 13

CASUALTIES.

An Auckland domestic servant named Florence Parker, aged 18, took rough on rats last week through some private trouble. She is in the hospital ia a precarious condition. A shepherd named Alexander Linton poisoned himself in the Masonic Hotel, Blenheim, at noon on the 12th, by swallowing a dose of strychnine. Deceased had previously been in great pain from the effects of dental treatment.

Mrs Joseph Hodgson, sen., of Waiheke,anold Auckland colonist, is dead. She arrived in the first immigrant ship at Fort Nicholson in 1839.

During the Monowai's passage from Sydney a steerage passenger named S. Solomon committed suicide by jumping overboard at 7.30 a.m. on the 13th. A boat was at once lowered, and after pulling about for three-quarters of an hour recovered the body, which was .brought on board. Life was found to be extinct. Ho was buried at sea the same day at 5 p.m. Further details show that deceased was alive when brought on board but expired in an hour, despite the efforts to restore him. The head and face of the man were terribly mutilated by albatrosses before he was found. He was eccentric and moody all the passage.

Isabella Grey, daughter of Mr Robert Grey, who was missed from her home at Wellington at breakfast time on Friday morning, was found dead in a small creek near the house at Long Acre Valley. Deceased was 25 years of age. No theory is offered as to how the fatality occurred. At the inquest the jury returned a verdict of •' Accidentally drowned." A serious accident occurred while a blasting operation was being performed at Milton on Monday afternoon. The contractor for the quarrying and burning lime at the Milburn lime works (Mr Thomas Dryden) was working at the quarry some distance away from the other men, when, the latter heard an explosion, and immediately afterwards saw Mr Dryden rolling down the face of the hill with his clothes on fire. The flames were extinguished, and the unfortunate man conveyed in a dray to his home a mile and a half way, where he was-* attended to by Dr Stewart, of Million. Mr Dryden's injuries, are very severe, aud his condition is critical. He was badly mangled about the face and head by the explosion, his eyes especially having been severely injured, while he has sustained severe burns on the body. The sufferer has a wife and 12 children. Ib is also stated that he holds a policy in the Standard Accident Company for £300. A young girl, aged 12 years, named Emma Hughes, whose parents reside in Leitb street, was knocked down by a cart at the corner of Howe and King streets, while proceeding home from school on Friday, and sustained a fracture of the thigh. She was conveyed to the hospital, where she received medical attention. Miss Ana WarniU, who was badly hurt by being thrown and dragged by a horse at Takapuna recently, died from her injuries. Walter Lee was admitted to the hospital at Wellington on Friday night, suffering from a fracture of the skull, sustained by a dead bough falliog on him while bush-felling at Manukau. He succumbed to his injuries next morning. He was about 40 years of age and married. A miner named Daniel Kuox was found dead in the Femhill coalmine at 11.40 a.m. on Saturday. He was last seen alive at 4- o'clock on Friday evening when he was working in the mine. His death is attributed to suffocation by coal damp. He resided at Green Island and leaves a wife and grown-up family. An inquest was held on Monday afternoon, at Richardson's Hotel, before Mr Coroner Carew and a jury of six, Jano Knox, wife of deceased, gave evidence that the latter was a native of Ireland, and had been about 33 years in the colony. The inquest was then adjourned for a week in order that the Inspector

of Mines might receive the statutory notice by the coroner. On Wednesday afternoon (says the Ashburton Mail) a fine boy 13 months old, who had just begun to toddle, the son of Mr Archibald M'Cormick, of Nicholas's farm, Spread Eagle, strayed to the bottom of his father's garden, and was unfortunately, drowned in a creek there before his absence was discovered. A man named John Bowers, employed at Messrs Findlay and Murdoch's timber yards, was admitted to the hospital on the 12th, suffering from injury to his hand, caused by a circular saw at whioh he was working. It was found necessary to amputate one of the fingers, after whioh Bowers proceeded to his home. , . . We (Cromwell Arguß) regret having to announce a serious accident to Mrs Sammon, who resides, half way between Cromwell and Clyde. ' While crossing the river frem htr residence to the 'main road side of the river, and just as she was about to get off the chair, the knot of the rope which she had tied slipped, and she was carried back holding on to the side of the chair. Before her daughter, who was standing on the landing stage, could render assistance, the unfortunate woman dropped on to the rooks, a distance of 40 ft. Assistance beiDg procured, she was conveyed to Mr Reilly's Half-way Houee Hotel, and the services of Dr Morris, of Cromwell, obtained. The doctor, on examining her, found that she had both ankles smashed, and her left leg broken below the knee. Up to the time of going to press, we are pleased to be able to state that bhe sufferer is progressing as favorably as can be expected under the circumstances. An escape from a serious accident occurred at Wellington on Saturday. Something went wrong with the brake in which a football team were returning from Island Bay, and the men got out at the top of the hill. The horses then became restive and bolted down hill, colliding with a 'bus containing upwards of 30 Wellington College boys and two ladies, who were also returning from a football match. The vehicle was completely overturned, but not one of its occupants was injured. The horses, however, were rather badly knocked about. Thomas Dryden, who was seriously injured by an explosion at the Milburn lime works on the 10th inst., died on Sunda^from the effects of the accident. x . „. The police have received information that Mrs Simmex died on Monday night at Carterton, through poison haviDg been administered in mistake for medicine* the labels having been put on,wrong£ottles. • A skeleton was found on Monday on Flaxbourne run, 55 miles from Blenheim. A miner named Andrew Anderson, at Kyeburn diggings, was found dead on Tuesday at the foot of a cliff, having evidently slipped over the face during the previous night. The Bruce Herald states that a fine little girl, five years, old, the daughter of MS J. E. Robertson, died on Monday evening. She was seized with a fit about 9 o'clock in the morning, this being the third she had had within five months, and never regained consciousness.

SUICIDE IN GBEAT KING STREET. > Elizabeth Campbell, wife of James Campbell, butcher, carrying on business at the corner of Howe and King streets, committed suicide by hanging herself about half-past 3 on the afternoon of the 13th. Mr Campbell states that he set out to go to the Burnside saleyards at half-paßt 10 in the morning, lowing his wife in charge of the shop. Before he left she said that he ought not to buy any more beef, as they were doing no business. On his return he met a customer, who went with him into the shop, to get some-meat. He called out to his wif e, and on getting no answer went out into the wash-house, where he saw her hanging from the 'roof by a rope tied around her neck. There was a chair near by, and her feet were about 6in from the floor. He cub the rope, and on the floor deceased breathed for a second or two, and then died. Dr Gordon Macdonald, who was sent for, arrived soon afterwards, and pronounced life to be extinct, death being due apparently to strangulation. Deceased was last seen alive about 1 o'clock, when she went to the Prince Alfred Hotel with a leg of mutton. She was 54 years of age, and with her Husband had been in the colony for about 12 years. They formerly carried on business in George street. jCampbell further states that his wife attempted to commit suicide by eating matches some two months ago at the British Hotel, where the pair were stopping.

THE INQUEST. An inquest was held on Thursday at the Prince Alfred Hotel before Mr Coroner Carew and six jurors, f>f whom Mr James Patrick was chosen foreman. Dr G.ordon Macdonald deposed that he was called in to see the deceased on Wednesday afternoon. He went into the butcher's shop, and the body of the deceased was lying on"the floor in the kitchen behind the fshop. Life was extinct, ■apparently -quite recently. There were marks round the neck, as if caused by a rope, indicating compression. He saw a piece of rope hanging to a hook in the roof, with a chair immediately underneath it,. The mark might have been made by the rbpa he saw. In his opinion death was cause by suffocation by hanging. Thomas Hutcbinson, licensee of the Prince Alfred Hotel, stated that he knew the deceased. He last Bawaher alive between 12 and 1 o clock on Wednesday, fche came to the hotel, and brought a leg of mutton. He noticed nothing wrong with her. She was evidently on her way; up town. Witness had not an opportunity of. judging by her conversation whether she was in her right mind or.not. She was not in the hotel more than three seconds. . - . . , . . . The witness, while giving his evidence, was interrupted once or twice by the deceaseds husband, who was in a very excited frame of mind, and was ordered by the coroner to be removed from the room. Laura Hutchinson, daughter of the last witness, deposed that when the deceased came to the hotel on Wednesday she brought a leg. of .mutton. The meat had been ordered about an hour previously. Witness asked her how much the meat would be, and she said Is 9d. Witness's father paid deceased, who afterwards came into the kitchen and askedfor some bread and cheese. Witness gave her some, and she stayed in the kitchen about 10 minutes. 1 While she was there Bhe said trade was very bad— that there was nothing doing. Before that she came to the hotel and told witness that they were leaving the shop, and as there was a lot of mutton left she asked witness if she would ask her mother if she would take some. Deceased was quite sober. She never had any drink when she came to the hotel. To the Foreman : The deceased seemed more thoughtful than usual. „ . , -„ Geranimo Sanmartin, a Bhirt-maker, residing in King street, stated that he knew the deceased slightly- He saw her about 3 o'clock on Wednesday. He was at an upper window of his house, and the deceased was in the street, going towards her house. He did not notice anything unusual about her. She appeared sober, and he never saw her otherwise. She was a sensible-speaking woman. He saw Mr Campbell go home, perhaps half an hour after he saw the deceased. The Campbells' had been living next door to him about four weeks. After Mr Campbell went home he saw a crowd round the shop. He then went into the shop, .and saw Mr Campbell with his wife in his arms. He had heard Mr Campbell complain that his wife was not right in her mind. He often said that when witness went to buy a piece of meat. Witness never noticed anything wrong with her himself. Mr Campbell was a

very noisy man— very much the same ho was in the room that day. Mary Grisdall, residing in Clarendon street, stated that she had known the deceased for about sixyearp. Between 3 and 4 o'clock on Wednesday afternoon witness was going across the street to see Mrs Campbell, when she saw Mr Campbell get off the tramcar. He asked her if she was going to see his wife. She replied that she was, and went to the shop with him. He then called his wife, but got no answer. He opened the sitting room door and afterwards the kitchen door. As he opened the kitchen door, witness saw Mrs Campbell hanging from the roof with a rope round her neck. Mr Campbell aßked her to cut the rope, but she told him that she could not do so. He then lifted the body up, and witness released the rope from round deceased's neck and put it over the top of her head. Deceased was quite dead and the body was growing cold. Wit* ness last saw the deceased alive one day last week. Deceased went up town with witness. She seemed very miserable and said she wished Bhe was dead. She often complained of the way her husband ill-treated her. Witness did not think he was right in his mind. Witness did not think that the deceased waß quite right in her mind lately. Witness said to her that Bhe was getting almost as bad as her husband. Deceased replied, "Well, I think I am." She laboured under the delusion that somebody was going to do something bad to her. Witness heard that Campbell had been in the asylum for 13 years. James Campbell, husband of the deceased, was then called upon to give evidence, but he seemed in the same excited condition as wh«n he was previously ordered out of the room, andaß there seemed little probability of. getting him to answer questions rationally, it was decided to dispense with his evidence. Sergeant Geerin stated that the deceased called at the King street Police Station at about halfpast 9 o'clock on Wednesday morning. She said Bhe wished he would stop her husband from going to the cattle yard that day, as he was going to purchase cattle. They were doing no business, and she did not know what they should do, as all their means were exhausted. She also stated that her husband had commenced bußiness in King street against her wishes. Witness told her that the police could not interfere under the ciroumstances. He also suggested to her to go to some confidential friend that might have some influence over her husband. She, however, said no one had any influence over him, and she had none herself. She seemed considerably depressed, but was perfectly sober. Her husband told him that she had attempted to commit suicide twice by eating matches. The deceased had complained to witness a good many times— but not lately— that her husband ought to be in an asylum— that he sometimes raved like a lunatic. ,Her husband once told witness himself that ho had been in an asylum in Ireland as a .patient. Campbell had been drinking that day (the day of the inquest), and smelt very strongly of drink. Witness inquired at the British Hotel about Campbell's statement with regard to his wife attempting to commit suicide, but could get no corroboration of it. Deceased on one occasion said to witness that Campbell was not able to look after the business, and she feared the result would be that she would be thrown upon the world/ To the Foreman : Witness had sometimes smelt drink on the deceased, but had never known her to be the worse for drink. The Foreman said he had always known tha deceased to be a quiet, sober woman. The Coroner remarked that the evidence tended to show that. „.,., ~ ... j. The jury returned a verdict to the effect tnat the deceased killed herself by hanging whilst temporarily insane.

Mr J. E. D. Conolly, who has returned by the Alameda to resume the duties of United States Consul at Auckland, states that the appointment is only temporary, and he ia promised a fresh appointment. He had been instructed by his Government to return owing to the critical state of affairs in Samoa.