CASUALTIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2287, 30 December 1897, Page 19

CASUALTIES.

Antonio Beauchini, who committed suicide at Wellington on 20th, was a draughtsman in the Lands and Survey depaitmeut. He appeared to be in very comfortable circumstances. Deceased, who had been very ill with iufluenza, came home in the afternoon, and, being irritable, commenced to quarrel with his wife, who eventually ran outside. A neighbour came in, and Beauchini went into another room, saying : " Ah, I will kill myself altogether." The neighbour did not pay much; attention to the j remark, but shortly afterwards .'he heard a revolver nbofc, and rushing into the room found Beauchini lying on a sofa dead. He had placed the weapon to his ear and shot himself straight; .through the head. Beauchini, who was 50 years of age, leaves a wife and one daughter. The body of George Cameron, who has been missing from his home at Mauricevillc, N.1., since December 9, was found on the 21st; and taken to Masterton. From the evidence it is plain that Cim^ron deliberately took his life by placing the muzzle of a gun iv his mouth while kitting against the stump of a tree, and , tying a string from the trigger to his legs. Iv deceased's coab pocket was an envelope, on which was written, in Cameron's handwriting and signed by himself : "Dear brother and sister and brother-in-law, — I am incurably ill. I honestly believe lam better dead. I hope to be forgiven for this action. I can honestly say that I have never wronged anyone bub myself. I trust this is a manly and straightforward action." The jury found that Cameron did the act while temporarily insane. Robert Johnstone, who was drowned off the Eai-nscleugh dredge .on Friday last, was the eldest son of Mr T. Johnstone, manager of the Bruce Dairy Factory. The Bruce Herald ! states that he was very popular, and well known as a cricketer. A farmer named James Liddell, aged 56, who resides -at the Taieri Mouth, was received into the hospital on the 21st, suffering from a fr&c- | tured thigh. He was riding in to the wool I sales when his horse shied, and, the stirrup iron breaking, he was thrown to the ground and sustained the injury mentioned. John Abbott, 47yeavs of age, in the employ of Mestis Murdoch and Co., timber merchants, died ralher suddenly oa the 21st at hi* residence. H« was at hiswork aa usual yesterd*y morning, when he was seized with a fit. He was taken to his home, where Drs Fulten and Riley attended to him, bub despite their skill he gradually sank under the exhausting fib«, and died at 7 30. He leaves a wife and four children, two boys and two girls, the youngest being a boy of 10 years. B) both hia employers and his fellow workmen he was "well respected, and was a steady, sober, and industrious man. Matts Mattsoo, a Swede, was drowned on the 22nd Dear Paremata. A party of 10 were out fishing, and he attempted to swim the channel, bub sank in sight of his comrades. . The body has not ytt been recovered. James Mitchell, a shearer, from Oatram, was received into the hospital on Thursday. It appears that he was opening a pair of 6hears with the object of making them wider, when his hand slipped and the sharp blade severed the tendons of three of the fingers of the right hand. At the ir quest on the body of Mrs F. Battfey, killed by a train at Kingsland crossing, Auckland, a verdict was returned of "Accidental death," no blame being attached to anyone. Mrs Northcoat, wife of a farnr-r at Waikaia, dropped dead whilst walking with her son in a field on Friday. She was 57 years of age. A patty of Auckland lads went on a rabbitshooting excursion to Motutapu on Saturday. Arthur James Harrison, aged 15 years, bought a gun at a local pawnbroker's for 13s ; but the boy, not being uned to firearms, overloaded ib. Toe weapon burst, and the charge went into Harrison's side, inflicting wounds from which he died shortly afterwards. Deceased was a son of Mr Tobias Harriion, a shoemaker at Parnell.

George Mamou and Charles Pym were shooting at Gebbie's Valley on Saturday, when the latter shot at a rabbit, but the charge struck Manson and blew off half of his skull.

At 6.30 on Sunday morning a youth named Comer Ford, a clerk in Whifceornbe and Tombs's,' at Cb.ristchurch. and sou of the master of tbe

Native school at Mtungamuna, was drowned at Surnner while bathing. He dived from a boat, and did not come to the surface again. The body has not been recovered.

Charles Bonckha, an elderly man, was found dead in his cottage in Hokitika, having evidently hanged himself. He was rather eccentric in his manner at times, but there was no reason to suspect that he contemplated suicide. He was an old miner, unmarried, and ia believed to have been in comfortable circumstances.

Mr William Watt, a storekeeper well kuown in Hokitika, died on Friday night. He had been in a bad state of health, and did not get over the shock caused by the fire which destroyed the buildings opposite to his own dwelling a week ago. Oa that occasion he had to be moved out of bed, as his dwelling took -fire several times. Deceajed was an o'.d settler, acd took great interest iv the volunteer movement.

William Rowland*, aged about 36 years, met his death on Saturday night or Sunday morning by falling down the stairs of the Terminus Hotel at Duntroon. He stayed at the hotel over night, aud nothing was known of the occurrence till the morning, when he was found by the servant girl with his neck broken.