CASUALTIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2436, 21 November 1900, Page 51

CASUALTIES.

An elderly man named William Exeter, of Poro-to-roa, died suddenly on Friday on board the Waikato train, between Mercer and Pokeno, presumably of heart disease. A verdict of "Accidentally drowned" was returned at the inquest on the body of James Wilson, keeper of the coal hulk Ladybird, 1 who fell into the Wellington harbour on the 10th inst. At Waipu last week, in a drunken squabble, one Maori bit off the nose of another. William Fiddis, of South Dunedin. met with an accident at the railway crossing in Rattray street on the 13th inst. It appears that a number of trucks were being shunted into the railway yard, when Mr Fiddes attempted to cross the line. The horse just managed to get over, the rails, but one of the railway trucks collided with the dray, smashing the axle and overturning the dray. Mr Fiddis was thrown out on his head, and received some scalp wounds, a cut ear, and a bruised shoulder. He was taken to the hospital, were he received surgical attention, and was reported next morning to be making favourable progress. A boy named Alfred Foster was received into the hospital on the 13th inst., having fractured his skull through falling while playing with some boys in Forth street. At the inquest concerning the death of Mrs Robinson, of Pon,«onby, who died as the result of injuries sustained at a fire in her house on November 1, evidence was given of the great difficulty in getting a medical man, several having declined, for various reasons, to come. The Coroner adversely commented on the conduct of the doctors, and the jury returned the following verdict: — "That Mrs Robinson died of shock received by reason of burns caused by herself while temporarily insane, and that the jury are 'of opinion that the conduct of medical prac•titioners who were called on and declined to go is highly unsatisfactory." A girl named Ethel Foster, 5 years of age, living in Brightiing's lane, died in the hospital at Christchurch on the It4h inst. from burns sustained through her clothes catching fire. An iinfortunate accident happened at Invercargill on Wednesday (says the News) during the volunteer manoeuvres. Private Watt, of the City Guards, and a private ,in the Mercantile Rifles were at close quarters, when the latter discharged a blank cartridge, the full force of which Watt received in his face. He will be incapacitated from work for some time. A young woman named Mary Malone was driving out of Gisborne with her brother on Saturday night, when ho horse commenced to kick. She attempted to jump out, and fell on to the back of her head, sustaining fatal injuries. She was immediately driven to the nearest doctor's surgery, but expired before che reached there. She was to have been married in a few weeks. Alice Millar, aged 13 months, daughter of William Millar, farmer, of Eweburn, was found drowned in a creek near her home by her mother at 6 o'clock on Friday night. A lad named Wilson met his death in a ; peculiar manner at Hastings on Saturday. , He was running along Market street to the scene of the fire when his head came into ' contact with an iron bar on the fire brigade station door, iust as they were being thrown open. The doors are secured by falling bars, which project some distance from the doors. The lad dropped stunned, but soon recovered consciousness. He s;ot worse during the day, and died in about 24- hours from fracture of the brain. A verdict was returned in accordance with the medical evidence, with a recommendation to the brigade to adopt some other form of fastening for the doors. Mary Hunter, wife of a Government messenger, died suddenly at her residence at Wellinsrton on Monday last. She was taking tea with her daughters, seeming-ly in her usual health and spirits, biit suddenly fell from her chair and expired.