CASUALTIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2779, 19 June 1907, Page 34

CASUALTIES.

An old man named John Wiliiams was found dead in bed in a hut off Walker street on June 7. Deceased was last seen alive about 2 p.m. the previous day outside his residence by a neighbour named Wm R. Ward. Death is supposed to have resulted from natural causes. Deceased lived by himself in a small right-of-way, and is said to be a widower, 73 years of age. He was a stonemason by trade, but had not followed his occupation for the last two years or so, owing to having sustained an injoiry to one of his eyes. He was in receipt of half-wages from an accident insurance company, arid a Post Office bank-book was found in the house with a credit balance of £I*o. On Thursday, June 6, he complained of a burning pain in the chest, and frequently complained of pains in the head. As he was not seen about next day a neighbour named Martin Naylor informed the police, and on Constable Baird forcing open the door ho found deceased lying- dead in bed. Dr Gordon Maodonald being- of opinion that death was due to natural causes — probably heart disease, — the coroner's jury returned a verdict to that effect. The three-weeks-old . daughter of Mr Joseph M'Laren, of Hope street, died suddenly on Sunday, 16th. The child appeared to be all right up to 4 o'clock in the morning, but afterwards became ill, and medical asistance was called in, but when the doctor arrived the child was dead. At the inquest Dr Williams gave it as his opinion that the child died in the first stage of whooping cough, and a verdict to that effect was returned. An accident occurred in the Tyneside mine whereby two men named Griffiths and Veal were badly injured by a fall of coal. Griffiths received a cut on the head 9in long and Veal was badly hurt about the body. An inquest concerning the death of Robert John William Evans, who was killed by being run over by a tramear in Cathedral square, Christchurch, on the 4th, was held to-day, when & verdict of accidental death was returned, the jury adding a rider that no blame was attachable to anyone. A young man named John Hume, at one time a. resident of Stratford, in going to Midhirst from Napier on the 4th inst. by the express, ie supposed to have fallen off tho train in the Waipuku station yard. He was not seen to fall, but was missed by his friends, and a search party waa out all night. This morning Hume found his way to Midhirst. He was suffering from serious .'njuries to his head, and, was taken to the Stratford Hospital. John Aspden, aged 55, a visitor from Reefton, died suddenly at South Hokitika early on the 6th inst. He had been suffering from a strain of the heart. At the inquest at Gi6borne on a seven-months-old infant, the mother stated that hhe left the child in charge of a nursegirl, with instruetione to give it half a teething powder during the day. This was given, but the child took convulsions and died.- The doctor deposed that the appearance of the intestines was consistent with the possibility of the child having received art irritant poison. The inquest wae adjourned till an analysis had been made. A miner named John Leece, about 45 years of age, a married man with a family of 10, died in the Westport Hospital as the result of a fall of coal in the Westport Coal Company's mine this morning. Deceased was formerly a newspaper proprietor in New South Wales. A two-year-old child named Newbury fell in a well at Maharahara, near Woodville, on the Bth, and was drowned. The four-vear-olcl son of Mr Geo. Price. a Rarapu.ro settler, wae burnt to death, )ve clothes catching fire while his parents were out milking. At an inquest on the 10th concerning the death of a woman vtfio died in an Auckland restaurant on Saturday, the jury found that dr-ath was caused by pneumonia, followed by heart failure. There was no direct ev 'donee of identity, but fiom a communication received from Master-ton, deoeased was supposed to be Annie Ilobbina* A fatal trap accident occurred at Petane on the 10th inst. A trap containing two marr.cd ladies named Marshall, and the infant son~of one of them, was proceeding through a cutting near Wairoaiti, a short distance from Petane, when the horse atl trchod to tho trap commenced kicking, with the result that the vehicle was oap».zod and the occupa.nte thrown out. The i l>aby was killed instantaneously, his skull boing fractured. The child was 10 months' old. . A serious trap ace-dent occurred in Wanganui on the 10th inst., resulting in serious injury to an elderly eetrler named Samuel Wilson, a resident of ilans Hill. As a result of the. collision, Mr Wilson was thrown out and sustained concussion. At a late hour this morning he had not recovered consciousness. John Beaufort, surveyor, foil downstairs, and* died at tho Pahiatua Hospital. He leaves a grown-up family. At the inquest the jury returned a verdict that death resulted while deceased was under the influence of liquor. A buggy accident, caused by the horeas bolting, occurred at Tiraumoa. Tho dnver (Hansen) was rendered unconsciousness, and is still in that condit.on. So was Mrs Holmes, but she has recovered. Other passengers were knocked about more or i les9 - , t Tho post mortem on Arnold James Kingsland, the boy who died under chloroform while having teeth extracted, disclosed hoalthv organs. The doctors could not explain the occurrence of death. At tho inquest a vordict of death under chloroform no blame being attachable to anyone, wae returned.

The infant child of a married woman named Margaret Campbell, died suddenly in Cumberland street on tbe 10th inst. The child was born on Saturday, Bth inst., i certificated nurse being in attendance. l)r Evan*; was called in on Monday morning, and finding the child dead, he could not see his way to priv© a certificate without an inquiry being held!.

Henry Smith, a cab driver, ag-p<l about 50 died suddenly at Auckland on tho 11th. Samuel Wilson died at Wanganui from tho result of an accident on the 10th lntt. Through & coJligioa he was thrown out of

a trap on to his head. He never recovered consciousnees.

Tho woman who died suddenly in. Wellington on Sunday has been identified as Mary Murray. , r A serious accident occurred at Kaiapoi on Saturday, June 8, to the eldest daughter of the Rev. T. Trestrail, who has recently taken charge of the Kaiapoi Methodist circuit. The girl, who is 13 years of age, waa with her brother when he was liberating a usually quiet hone into the field." The animal playfully kicked out, striking her on the forehead and rendering her unconscious. Drs Davies and Crawshaw peformed an operation to relieve pressure on the brain, but up to Monday the sufferer had not regained consciousness, and another operation will be performed. The Rev. Mr Trestrail was in charge of the Cargill Road Methodist Church prior to his transfer to Kaiapoi. William M'Laughlin, of Papatoetoe, a prominent figure in Auckland sporting circles, died 1 on the 12th from the effects of an internal injury caused by a horse falling on him 6Ome years ago.

The four-yeax-old daughter of Mr Bydder died in Wellington Hospital as the result of injuries received by falling in the fire.

A man named John Hetherton, a carpenter, 55 years of age, was found dead in bed at his residence, 216 Leith street, on the morning of the 13th. Deceased, who resided with his wife, retired to rest on Wednesday uipht in his usual health, and on his wife returning to the bedroom about 7 o'clock to see why he did not rise, she found him dead. A medical man was called in, but was not able to give a certificate as to the cause of death. At the inqresf. A verdict was returned that death resulted from come form of heart disease.

A seaman named Ruff and Gonsvales, of the s.s. Waiotahi, was washed overboard and dro\:ied during the passage of the steamer from Auckland to Tauranga. The deceased was a native of the Cape do Verde Islands, and came to New Zealand about 25 voars ago in a whaler. He leaves a wife and a large family. G. Bull, carter Jor M'Gavin and Co., was driving into Invercargill when the horse became fractious. Bull was thrown out, and a wheel passed over him. He died at the_ hospital on June 14. At the inqucet the evidence showed that the deceased and another had driven to the Wallacetown Hotel and had drinks, but were sober. Bull attempted to drive while standing up, but fell out of the trap and was run over. He got up unaided, and later on 6poke jocularly of the mishap, but afterwards complained of a pain in the side. -The doctor who attended him found that several ribs had been broken. A verdict that the deceased was accidentally run over and that no blame was attachable to anyone was returned.

Shortly before 5 p.m. on the 16th inst. the Port Chalmers police received information that a cap, with the oars and rudder of a boat, belonging to R. J. Sutherland, a fisherman at the Kaik, had been found on the beach, though no sign of the owner could be seen. It appears that Sutherland left the wharf at Port about 3 p.m. on Saturday in company with a man named William Ward. They went to Carey's, where Ward and Sutherland went on shore for a time, the latter leaving for the Kaik by himself about 4 p.m. Upon search being made for him his son discovered a number of articles which had apparently been washed ashore from the boat. Sutherland, who is about 49 years of age, was an expert boatman, and it is surmised that he fell over-board while trying to rig the mest and sail. Charles Thomas Mansell, aged 25. formerly in the Telegraph Department and latterly on the farm of his uncle, Mr J. Thorn, near Nelson, was missed on the 13th inst., and was found in a shed, face downwards, suffocated amongst the sheaves. He had been subject to emleptic tats. A verdict was given accordingly at the inquest. The parents of deceased live at Wellington. They were in town on a holiday visit to relatives, and arrived to fin-d their eon deadAn inmate of the prison camp at Dumgree,, named Charles Hamilton Moir, aged 27, servinsr a sentence of 18 months, was drowned in the Awatere River on Saturday, 15th inst. A gang of prisoners were collecting firewood. Moir waded out to secure a floating lop. which struck him and cairied l.im oat of h ; s depth. Another prisoner had a narrow escape in trying to rescue the man. The body was recovered in 10 minutes, but life was extinct.