CASUALTIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2433, 31 October 1900, Page 23

CASUALTIES.

A 'bushfeller named John Hansen smashed a looking-glass in the Argyll Hotel, Gisborne, with his fist last Tuesday, and with the pieces of broken glass cut at his throat, inflicting a severe wound, which bled profusely. He is expected to recover. An inquest was heki by Mr Wm. M'Ccnnochie, J.P., of St. Bathans, and a jury of six (Mr Wm. Gay, foreman), on the. 18th inst., on the body of Mr William Williams, whose death was recorded by our correspondent last week. The verdict was that the deceased was accidentally killed while working in a prospecting claim.

At the inquest at Ashburton on the 27th inst. on the body of the man found dead in the Rakaia River bed, there was no evidence forthcoming to identify deceased. He had one composition leg, and small hands and a foot. A verdict was returned of "Died from suffocation."

The fireman. John Thomson, who met with an accident on the railway near Waitati on Monday last, died on Thursday afternoon at 3.25 at the hospital. The boy Harry Cole, aged 12 years, who was shot by his brother on the afternoon of the- 17th October, the bullet from a pea rifle lodging in the brain, died in the hospital at Timaru at 8 o'clock on Monday night.

A miner named Frank Winter was killed in the Nightcaps coal mine on Thursday by a fall of coal. He was 46 years of age. The coroner has been informed.

A boy named Reardon, six years of age, had a narrow escape from • drowning at Mastevton on. Friday, 19th inst. While standing in a rapid in the Waipoua River he lost his feet, and was carried 200 yards down stream. A lad named Cecil Dixon, 14 years old, bravely plunged in and rescued the child, who was exhausted, from almost certain death. It is said the plucky action of young Dixon will be brought under the notice of the Royal Humane Society.

On Thursday at Ashburton some youths gathering firewood from the Rakaia River bed found the body of an elderly man under a blanket. There were no papers on the body. Constable Stanley brought in the body from some six or seven mile 3 below the bridge. No one about,there appears to have known deceased. He was wearing an iron instrument on one leg.

During the voyacre of the ship Macquarie, which arrived at Melbourne on October 8 from London, a young apprentice named L. M. P. Waller fell overboard from the mainyard and was lost. While a boat was out looking for him, the vessel was driven away, and was lost sight of for some time, but was eventually picked up. The Macquarie is fitted out in accordance with Lord Brasaey's scheme for training young men for the mercantile marine, and she has a lull complement of cadets on board.

A man named Robprfc Wilson, baloer. 65 vpsii'3 of age, employed by Messrs Anderson Bros., Hi<rh &treot, died suddenly in the bakery on Monday morning. He was observed to fall to the floor apparently lifeless, and Dr Smith was summoned wish all haste. He found the man beyond his j-k-ill, and gave the opinion that heart disease was the cause of death. Wilson lived in South Dunedin, and went to work to all appearances in his usual health. The men with whom he worked state that he was always complaining of a pain in his left breast.

The constable in oharsre of the .Henley district came into town on Monday and reported that a young woman was drowned in a lagoon there on Sunday.

An old resident of Ngahere (West Coast) named Mrs Baybutt met with a fatal accident on the 20th inst. As she was In the act of getting into her cart the horse bolted, throwing her under the- wheels, which passed

over her. Assistance was immediately at hand, but she died within 10 minutes.