CASUALTIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2409, 3 May 1900, Page 49

CASUALTIES.

A young man named Thomas Fuller, an accountant in the National Mortgage and Agency Co.'s office, Oamaru, committed suicide on Sunday. He had been suffering from pleurisy, and in the morning was wandering in his mind. In the temporary absence of the nurse, lie smashed a window-pane and committed the deed with a piece of the glass, dying a few hours afterwards. Mr Robert Rose, secretary of the Waihi Company, died somewhat suddenly ; also Mr William Buchanan, of Devonport, an old identity. James Buck, a farmer and old resident at the Lower Hutt, died very suddenly from heart disease.

Elizabeth Ballester, aged 64- years, residing at Richmond, Canterbury, was found dead on the 24th. Her husband is in the hospital.

The Hawke's Bay Herald states that- Mr Hogan, of "Wairoa, a well-known setllei, was found unconscious on the road on Thursday, and died shortly after being found. He met with a peculiar mishap at a Napier Park race

meeting shortly after the cljub was formed ; one of his ears was completely kicked off by a lacehorse. He was well-known and respected throughout ~Hawke's Br.y, and leaves a wife and three children

The Taranaki Herald correspondent report? a fatal accident at Parihaka to a halfcaste na:ned ELori, aged 21. He was riding into the pa on Saturday night, vrhen his horse stumbled and threw him. The h0r.53 was killed instantaneously, and Hori received injuries of so savere a ohai actor that they terminated fatally on Tuesday morning." The natives refused to call' in any medical assi&tance.

Tamali Hawera, four years of age, the' son of Epiha Hawea, was drowned in the Otaki River, Wellington, on the 25th while bathing.

W. B. Beveridge, of Clutha, residing at the Central Hotel, Wellington, under the name of M'Kenzie, was found dead in his bed on the 25th. He had apparently taken an overdose of chlorodyna. At an inquest, the verdict was returned that death was caused through Beveridge accidentally taking an overdone of chlorodyne. On Tuesday, 24th, as the Oxford-Rangi-ora train was approaching Mceraki, it came into collision with a vehicle driven and owned by I\lr G. Whyte, who, will- Mr -W. Thompson, was returning, to Cu&t. The trap was smashed to pieces, and Whyte was considerably injured.

The body of Patrick Hughes, 30 years of age, has been found under Auckland wharf. He was last seen ali\e on the 25th, and then appeared perfectly sober and rational. Deceased has a "brother at Invereargill, but no other relatives in the colony. Information has been received that a man. named John M'Leod has been burned to death at Alfredton, Wellington. Captain Antonio Fernandez fell from the launch Clematis on Thursday afternoon, at' Netherton, on the Thames River, and was drowned. He leaves a widow at Onehunga. He was 62 years of age.

It is surmised that the man John M'Leod, who lost his life at Alfredton through the burning of the stables attached to the accommodation house, had fallen asleep, leaving a candle burning. His parents reside at Mataura, in Southland. -

Mr W. Chicken, the chief officer of the s.s. Buteshire, met with a nasty accident on. Thursday evening by falling from the main, deck through an open hatchway into the hold. He ,was soon brought on deck, and received prompt medical aid, when it was found that luckily he had sustained no serious injuries, but, as a matter of course, was very severely shaken.

Referring to the death of Mr W. B. Beveridge, who died at Wellington through .taking an overdose of chlorodyne, the Clutha Leader says the deceased was in the regulai* habit of taking large doses of chlorodyne to induce sleep. The circumstances are peculiarly distressing. Mr Beveridge, who wa? well connected at Home, was for some yeara clerk at Clydevale "station before going to Balelutha. He was married about 18 months ago, and leaves a young widow and infant. "A" parly of three young ladies, consisting of the Salvation Army officers — Captain Houlden and Lieutenant Archer — and Miss Agnes Kerr, were driving down a hill near Na'seby on the 20th inst., when the horse bolted, and the trap was capsized. The occupants wsre thrown out with such force that they were all stunned and sustained other injuries. Fortunately, especially for Miss Kerr, who was so severely cut about the head that she would probably have bled to death had it not bean for timely assistance, Dr Schumacher was coming down the hill at the time, and immediately ran to their assistance. Miss Kerr received a severe cut, extending from the left eye (and nearly complicating the eye itself) to- the back of the" head, ths scalp being torn off the top and leaving the bone bare, and a deep cut below the eye and another on the lip. Captain Houlden had a wrist and ankle sprained, in addition to a few cuts, and Lieutenant Archer escaped with a few cuts. It will be some time before Miss Kerr recovers.

A child named £)' Sullivan, two years of age, met his death by suffocation at Waimate on Wednesday morning. The unfortunate little fellow was found by an elder brother with his head down a hole in the garden, and all efforts to revive him proved unavailing. At the inquest a verdict was returned that, the deceased met his death accidentally by falling into a hole and being suffocated. The Cromwell Times states that a /cry sudden death occurred there on Friday morning. Mr Alfred Clark, employed at Mr David Murley's farm, d3 r ing in an epileptio fit. The deceased was subject to fits, but his death from them was not anticipated.

A very serious burning accident occurred at Hawera on Friday morning last (says the Wairarapa Daily Times). A woman named -Mrs Stanley was preparing some linoleum polish of beeswax, turpentine, etc., when ifc took fire, either through being overturned, or boiling over. The flames ignited her garments, with the result that she was very badly burned on the arms, hands, and one side of the face. The medical evidence in the inquest on th«

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bocly of T. "Fuller at "Oamaru showed that edath was not due to injuries, but to natural causes, following on delirium and pleurisy. A man named Francis Cooney, 30 years of age, single, and employed by the corporation as dustman, ,met his death rather suddenly on Monday, eceased was seen about 5 o'clock sitting on his cart, driving towards the tip at the bottom of Frederick street. About 10 minutes later,-a fellow employee, coming along .behind, found Cooney lying on the road, ap--parently lifeless. He was removed to his father's house in Athol place, and Dr M'Kellar ■was sent for. The doctor found that deceased's neck was broken, and it is surmised that he sustained the' fatal injury by falling off his cart. He was subject to severe fits of coughing, being afflicted with asthma, and probably he was seized with one of these fits, causing him to fall to the ground.