CASUALTIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2059, 10 August 1893, Page 17

CASUALTIES.

» - William Ricketts, of Rangiaohia, Waikato, was found dead on the roadside close to his home. Hewns in the township in good health and spirits, and left on horseback for his home in the afternoon. His horse was found tied to a farm gate, and the body of Ricketts in the fern close by. ' Matthew Smith, 4 residing at St. Albans, attempted to commit suicide on the 2nd by cutting his head with a tomahawk. He was in a depressed state through suffering from incurable heart disease. An old resident at Clyde, named Charles Burton, aged 77, shot himself on the Ist inst. on the bauks of the Molyneur, and died at 1 o'clock the following morning in the Clyde Hospital. He gave as his reason for the deed that he was tired of life. He was unmarried. At the inquest on young Tippett, killed on the football field at Bannockburn, a verdict of " Accidental death" was returned, a rider being added deprecating the rough play. The body recently found on Takapuna Beach has been identified as Margaret Smith, the wife of a gumdigger. Mr Arthur Cox met with a serious accident while driving from Temuka to Geraldine with another gentleman. The horse began plunging, and the occupants of the trap were thrown out, Mr Cox's skull being fractured. His condition is reported to be most critical. At Sydney, on July 14, a wharf labourer was 1 gored to death by a bull which he waß endeavouring to place on board a steanier. Just as he was about to apply the rope the animal rushed at him, gored him in the right thigh, and pinned him against the fence. The animal had to be hoisted before the unfortunate man could be released from his position. W. T. Henderson, a carter, aged 29 years, was ridiDg on the shaft of a dray at Auckland, when he slipped, the wheel passing over him. He was taken to the hospital, where it was found hisribs were broken and his collar bone fractured. He died on Saturday morning. At the inquest a verdict of "Accidental death" was returned. A .woman named Rebecca Woolfred, 73 years of age, when Bitting in. her house, near Lumsden, on Friday night, in company with a lady friend, fell to the floor dead. Her husband had died only the previous day. Miss Annie Smith, of the nursing staff of the Auckland hospital, died of blood poisoning contracted while in the execution of her duty. Mr Arthur G. Cox, the third son of the late Alfred Cox, a pioneer colonist, who met with a trap accident on the 2nd mat. at Geraldine, died on Monday morning from concussion of the brain. Deceased was- well known in sporting circles, and was ona of our best amateur tiders. A young man named Melbourne Barrett met with, a somewhat serious accident about noon on Monday in George street north. He was sitting in front of a dray loaded with shingle, and when in the acb of jumping to the ground the horse he was driving took fright and bolted. Barrett clung |to the horse's back, but the dray coming into contact with the kerbstone, he was thrown to the ground, and one of the wbe sls?passed over him. He was picked up and conveyed to the hospital, where he receded medicsl attention. Although the man ha? sustaintd no broken bones, it is not yet known whether he has escaped without internal injury. . James Miller and a boy named Harry Raines were milking cows in a shed on the propertyof W, Raines atiPahiatua when a large white pine tree fell across the structure, killing the man, boy, and two cows. Miller was formerly a resident of Timaru and Palmerston North. The- boy Raines was seven years of age, and had followed Miller into the shed. He had just got two cows bailed up ready to commence milking, when a tremendous white pine tree, Bft in diameter, fell right on top of the shed. Miller was smashed to pieces, his brains being scattered all about the place. The boy was struck on the head and had his legs broken, death being instantaneous. A north-west gale was blowing at the time. The tree was living, but the ground Was rotten through excessive rain. , A stoker, named John Anderson, employed at the Corporation Gasworks died suddenly on Tuesday morning about half-past 10. He had been working, with two men named Sheridan and Bellett. He complained of a pain in his chest and sat dowD, but in a few minutes he was seen to fall from his seat. The men rendered what assistance they could, but Anderson died in two or three minutts. Dr Barnett, who was sent for, arrived in a quarter of an hour, and pronounced life to be extinct. Death is supposed to be due to . heart disease. Deceased was about 45 years of age, and had been employed at the gasworks for about 15 years. He w,as married and leaves a family of j.O to mourn their loss.