CASUALTIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2170, 26 September 1895, Page 18

CASUALTIES.

The honss of Mr Michael Doideys, at Weit Oxford, O»nt°tbiry, was burnt down at 3 a.m. en tho 17oh, and bin daughter Bridge-, aged 13 years, pp riwhed iv tho fl mv s. An elderly m irried womtn named Margaret Tierney, of iutemperate habits, died fuddeuly during the night of tho lGch init. at Wellington. At the inquest the evidence showed that she and her hu-band had both been drinking. Tho last he remembered of her was seeing her sitting on the table, and in the morning she was on the floor dead. It is supp sed she foil off the t&blo, and being of stout habit was »uffica'od. A little girl named Grace Bellworthy, three or four yea»s of age, whose mother was in Dunedin on a visit, aud was going to Wellington by the ttanmftr Tasmania, mt-t with anasty acoidtnifc on the afternoon of the 17th, which necessitated her removal to the hosp'tal She was playing about tho deck, and htr foot by some meaua caught in the rnnnnig chain and git bully crushed. At the inquest on tbe body of Jmn-JB Day, who died at Wellington under chloroform, the medical testimony given showed that the deceased was huffering from a mouth dUoiMJ and wished to have his teeth extracted. Chloroform was administered by tho medical superintendent iv the p eience cf the dentist, and before the operation an examination wts made of Day, but no abnormal sound in the heart was heard. The post mortem examination showid that he had a longstanding brain disease, an affection of the liver and spleen, fatty condiiiou of the be*rfc, and disease of the aorta. Tho evidence proved that apart from the • opeiMiiou any excitement might have cau?ed death. The verdict was that deith whs CAUied by syncope, the result of misadveniuro. John Webber's house at Otaki was destroyed by fi<-e on the 18th, and Webber, who was one of Wellington's pioneers, was burned to death. Webber was a labourer, aged 80 years. When last seen he was under the influence of drink. At the inquest ou H*nry Lapthorn, who was killed on the railway line at Timaru, the driver of tbe train (Bracefkld) stated that deceased threw himself in front of the engine. Evidence was also given th*t deceased lived in great poverty and had been despondent about the future of his children. The jury in their verdict said they did not know whether deceased's act was intentional or not, and they exonerated the driver from bUme. Jinoeß D&y, formerly well known in racing circles along the weat coast of the North Island, died in the Wellington hospital on the 17th. He had taken chloroform while a tooth was being extracted, and died from the effects of the drug. At Cbrißtchurch on the 18th W. L. Mountfort, ron of a well - known architect was fcuud drowned in the Avon. Deceased had charge of the Wanganui telegraph office, but was on sick leave and stopping with his father. His health had been bad for rome time. At the inquest the evidence showe 1 that deceased was in very bad health and subject to fits, and had pr^b.\bly fallen into tbe river while attacked by one. A verdict of " Found drowned " was returned. The Fairlie branch train, when coming in on the 18th, ran over and killed a man at the borough boundary. The decoded was reoogni>ed as a labourer named Lapthorne, who had been in bad luck and was among tho unemployed. He was a widower, and leaves aeveral children. News has been received tt Invercargill that Dona.!d Stew*.rfc, of Waitepeka, wag aecid-ntaUy killed at Onraka recently. The S-m'hland Times st&tes that Landretb, who owru the next Bection to that recently taken up by Stewart, noticing deceased's horse in the paddeck, went over to his hut, and ot op ninj? the door saw he hid not leen home. He had not heard the sound of his axe for two day», n.nd, thinking something was wrong, went to tea oh, when he found deceased! lying under a broadle&f tree, which had fallen upon him, quite dead. Stewart came to the colony from Inverness, and Lad resided in the Clutba district for 33 ye*rs. The body of a newly-born infant was found in the bueh at Grey town North, Wellington. The boiy of Mr Robert Muhouey, architect, of Auckland, was found on Friday near his yacht. An open verdict of " Fouud drowned" was returned. / Mr John M'Aulay, a shepherd on Mr J&s. Robertson's run, Livingstone, was badly burned while rescuing a sheep fr«m a tussock fire. Hits clothes took fire, and everything was burned off him except an undershirt. Prompt assistance was r< ndered by his neighbours (Messrs Whittocks and M'Coue) and the sufferer was conveyed to Duntroon and thence to Kurow by fcrAiu, where Dr Stevens attended to his injuries. Mr M'Aulay was badly burned about the hands, arms, face, and eye?, but ia now progressing favourably.— Oamaru Mail. A man named Collins, formerly master of the schooner Marmion, was preparing to use dynamite for fish at Auckland when it exploded, injuring his right hand bo -severely that it bad to hs amputated. A young man named George Ridd, ag»d 21, was killed at Dungaree station, near Blenheim, while workiug at an oat-cruaher. A yachting tccid'-nr, . which terminated fatally, happtned at Wellington oa Suaday. The yacht Pastime, with five occupants, was cruising about the harbour, and when off Norton's Boatsheda, at Thornden, was caught in a sudden gnst when coming about, and capsized. Four of the occupants were rescued by tho Star Boating Club's crew, but yp^flfth, Jnm(s Wykes, a stage band connected with the Opera House, was very much exhauited, and died after the attempt to reßuscitate Lim lnd been kept up for three houts. A young man nimnd Ha ivy Ohctwynd, staying at a boarding house in Manchester etie.t, Chriolcburcb, was found ou Saturday bleeding from two wounds in the left breast. He stated that he had tried to commit suicide. He was taken to the hospital, and is making satisfactory progress. Mr Williaoi Fenwick, editor of tbe Otago Witness, met with a painful accident on Saturday morning. He was descending the stone steps at the main entrance to the Otago Daily Times and Witness office, when he slipped anil fell, with the result that tho bone of the left

leg was fractured in two places. Dr Hooken, who was sent for, set the log, and Mr Fenwick was conveyed to his home, in High street, in an ambulance waggon. At the inquest on the body of Eroki Whaka Bourftiiak', who fell off hii horse aud broke hia neck riding to a tnugi r6 Tc Kuiti, a verdict of ac(idcn f al death was returned. Mahuki stood in front of the tent where the body lay, and dec'ared that no European should view the body. Iv spite of his objection, the coroner, jury, aud Dr Bewa viewed the body and held the inquest. Tho Australia which called in at Mercury Bay on her way from Auckland to Napier, brings news of a cutious affair. A party of 10 were drinking about a week ago, and left for their work in tho couutry. Oue, named Julius Anderson, a German, seemed ill, and was loft on the side track by his comr&des about nine miles out. On one of them returning five dajs afterwards they found # him dead where ho was left. The result of th*e inquest was not known when the Au<tralia left.