CASUALTIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2427, 19 September 1900, Page 24

CASUALTIES.

Alfred Scopes, aged 14, was leading a horse at Mannkaii Heads, when the animal took fright. The lad was dragged through stumps and logs, and when found he was quite dead. The body of the mailman Williams, who was drowned at Nuhoka, Hawke's Bay, has been recovered. A middle-aged man named Geoi^e Burson was drowned in tbe Waipaoa River, Hawke's Bay. He was proceeding to Arowhana station to take a position as cook, and was travelling in company with the mailman. The latter, who was ahead, on looking round, saw Burson's body floating down the stream. It is supposed his horse slipped on a ledge of papa, and that he fell off on, his head. A man named James Galloway, who arrived from Scotland last year, and worked for Niven and Co., fell down dead at Napier after leaving work. He had a wife and family in Scotland, having come out for the benefit of his health. Miss Emily Smythe, aged about 21 years, who resided with her mother in Wellington, met her death on the 12th inst., under very distressing circumstances. She went to the,, bathroom at 2.30, and an hour and a-half ■'afterwards her mother found her dead in the bath, which only contained water to a. depth of about 18 inches. The girl was subject to epileptic fits, and it is supposed she was overcome by one of these seizures while she was in the bath. At Christchurch, on the 12th, William Hutton, who was to have been married that da/, died suddenly a short time before the ceremony was to have taken place. He was suffering from consumption. A bad accident happened at Arrowtown on the 11th, whereby Mr W. M'Whirter, a very old and respected miner of the district, lost his life. A fall of earth occurred at his claim at Whitechapel, and his body was discovered underneath the debris on Tuesday morning. A man named Albert Burson was drowned in the Waipawa, Hawke's Bay, on Thursday. He is said to ze well connected, and was expecting £5000 from England shortly. An. accident occurred at the breakwater quarries, New Plymouth, whereby three men, named Bagley, Fitches, and Ware, were injured. On Wednesday they laid a charge which failed to explode. Next morning on proceeding to withdraw the charge an explosion took place. The men were not seriously injured, though they had a miraculous escape from falling boulders. Mrs Rebecca Lambardt died at Wellington* while chloroform was, being administered to her preparatory to a surgical operation. The j medical men, before giving the chloroform, had applied the usual te&t, and were satisfied that the woman's* heart was not affected. At the Bluff, Daniel Bowen, of the ship Hermione, which arrived from Nelson on ITiiday, fell from aloft whilst engaged in making fast the fore topsail, and was killed. He wad 50 years of age. The Macaura correspondent of the South.em Standard states that a boy named John Craig met his death by drowning in the Mataura River on Monday, the 10th. The boy, who was about eight years of ago, had been to school, and his non-arrival laome caused a search to be made for him. His body was recovered from the river the next ' day in very deep water, appearances indicating that he had slipped into the water. ! The Mount Benger Mail reports that a very sudden death occurred at Roxburgh on Thursday night, when Mr W. Wilkes, who was at the Oddfellows' social, expired in the hall. Shortly after resuming his seat at the conclusion of a dance ho fell to the floor, and died immediately. Mr Wilkes was much respected, and had resided at Roxburgh for a long time, rendering many useful services to local institutions. A painfully sudden death occurred at Hordern and White's Carriage Factory early on Monday morning. A man named Harry Dent, who had been in the employ oi the firm for

some 13 yeors, dropped dead just before the timo arrived to start work. Dr Colquhoun was immediately sent for, and gave it as liis opinion that heart disease v.as the cause of death. An inque&t, will -be held this afternoon. William Newberry, who received serious injuries at the Awatere railway co-operative works through a truck pasfing over his legs, died in the hospital on Satuiday afternoon. He lea's es a wife and five young children. An inquest was held in the Lower Harbour on Wefljiosrlay afternoon, before Mr"C. C. GiaLoni, distinct coioiior, touching the death of the daughter of Thomas Lean. There was a jury of six, and Mr S. H. Wilson was chosen foreman. Dr W. A. Borrie gave evidence that he was called upon to visit Lean's house on Wednesday morning, and found the dead body of a child in the bed. The child had been dead for some hours. The bed was a double one, and the people told him the body had not been moved. The face of the 1 lfant was under the pillow. The mother stated that she had slept at the hont of the bed and her si&ter at the back, the child between them. It appeared to bo a healthy child, and theie were no maiks of violence on the person. There appeared to have been some pleasure, and the child fiom appearances had evidently been overlain. Death resulted fiom suffocation. Florence Lean, mother of the deceased child, deposed that she awoke about 6 o'clock on Wednesday morning, and found the child dead. She awoke hexsister, and sent for Dr Borrie. Emma Brooks, sister to the last witness, deposed that on Tuesday night the .child appeared quiet, and was not restless during the night. Tt woke once, and witness grave it the bottle. When her sister awoke her they put the baby in a bath, and tried to restore animation, but failed to do so. The jury returned a verdict that the child died from suffocation caused by its being overlain.