CASUALTIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3019, 24 January 1912, Page 34

CASUALTIES.

At the inquest on the body of Gavin M‘Vio, who was drowned in the Waikato River at Huntly, the jury returned a verdict of “ Accidental death,” and added a rider that notices should be posted at all prominent places along the river bank giving instructions regarding the restoration of the apparently drowned in cases of river accidents.

Shortly before nocn on the 16th an elderly woman called at tho residence of Mrs Hymes, and was shown into the drawing room. She asked for a glass of water, but before she could take it she fell on the floor and expired. Mrs Hymes knew’ the woman about seven years ago in Christchurch. She was then living in Litchfield street, and practised clairvoyance, but Mrs Hymes docs not know her name. The deceased was about 60 years of age. A five-year-old child named Marjory Campbell met her death in a painful manner at Mosgiel on the 16th. She was indulging in the familiar habit, common to children, of playing with matches, when her clothes caught fire. The injuries incurred were so severe as to cause death. At the inquest the coroner returned a verdict to the effect that “ Death was due to shock, the result of extensive burns, caused accidentally when playing with matches.” Hoong On, a Ttiarnes Chinese laundryman, was found dead on the 17th. When some customers called they found the premises locked. A window was opened, and the Chinaman was seen lying in the kitchen chad. He had placed a revolver in ins mouth and fired. The roof of his mouth was shattered. The evidence showed that deceased was in bad health, and that his relatives had decided to send him back to China The night before he killed himself he was hoard walking on the verandah of the house and muttering.

Frank Hargreaves, a porter on the railway, was knocked off a moving train at Port Ahuriri on the 17tli and run over His right arm was cut clean through above the wrist, and his loft leg was severely crushed from the hip downwards. The foot is hanging by a few sinewy only. Hargreaves was 25 years of age, and married. He died in the hospital this afternoon.

A shocking accident occurred on tho Racecourse road. Gere, on tho 17th. The agent of tho Southland Farmers’ Co-operative Asoociation (Mr Edward Smith) was riding a motor bicycle, and collided head on with a motor car. It appears that the rider was on the wrong side of the road, which was in bad order, and he attempted to cross with tho result that ho collided violently with the car. When he was picked up ho was unconscious', and was bleeding profusely from an extensive cut over the left eye. The bicycle is a total wreck. Mr Smith’s condition is thought to be serious, but it is not ascertainable in the meantime.

11. W. Evans a young man, was found at Piooio, 16 miles from Te Kuiti„ on tho 17th with a revolver shot in the head and a. weapon in his hand. Ho died shortly after. Evans arrived in the Dominion from England about two years ago. Alfred Ivory, 36 years of age, a farmer at Fairview, near Tirmaru, was found dead on the road on the 18th. The previous night he wont out riding on a young horse. He was apparently thrown and dragged some distance. When found he had been dead for some hours.

Mr Harry Fiold, aged 45, a carter employed by the Public Works Department, mot with a serious accident at Rakauroa, near Gisborne, on the ]Bth. He was driving an empty dray along a nkrrow road, when the horse shied and precipitated the vehicle over a cliff, and all fell 70ft to the bottom. The man was thrown clear of the dray, hut received serious injury to his back, and was badly bruised. Ho was conveyed to town in the evening by train, and was admitted to the hospital. His condition is net critical. Mr Field is a single man.

A man named Peter Campbell was the victim of a very painful accident at Owaka on the 18th. While he was engaged in cleaning down a table where a circular saw was at work, a piece of wood was caught by the saw. Mr Campbell had hold of the wood, and, unfoiinnately, failed to let go, the result being that his right hand was cut off. The Sufferer was attended to by Dr Stenhouse, and sent on to town by the express arriving here at 7.5 p.m. He is making good progress. A boy named William Trevor Gatehouse, aged three years and nine months, son of Mr James Gatehouse, of Victoria terrace. Woolston, met with a fatal accident on Monday. 15th inst. He went (says the Press) for a drive in the express of Mr Marquet (his uncle), and while the vehicle was going in a gateway in Princes street it) gave .u bump, and the boy waa throw'n out. The wheel passed over part of his head and crushed the base qf his skull, death being practically instantaneous. At the inquest Mr Ht»W. Bishpn (coroner) returned a verd'ct of accidental death.

At Christchurch on the 19th inst. a motor car-'accident occurred in front of Warner’s Hotel. A car driven by Mr Reginald Blunden, of Bennetts, turned from Colombo street towards Warner’s Hotel. An elderly man named Mr Thomas Ryan hesitated, and the car ran into him. knocking him over. Ho sustained severe injuries to the fibine, and his left leg was broken. He was taken to the hospital, where lie died at 8.30 n.m. An expressman named Harry Fleet, who resides in Great King street, had his leg broken in a somewhat remarkable manner on the 19th. He was sitting in his express, driving up High street, when the horse suddenly lashed out. and by some means struck him on the leg, breaking it below the knee Mr Fleet was conveyed to the Hospital, where he is makirur favourable progress Mk’ There has been a chapter in accidents at the Kaitangata mine last week (Says the Kaitangata correspondent of the Free Press) but very fortunately none of them was serious. James Forrester was on Monday night badly bruised and cut about the head and face principally, but is now making good recovery J. J. Godsby had his head bndlv cut on Monday evening, and several stitches had to bo put in. John Bonnie, senr., came to grief on Tuesday evening and was somewhat severely crushed and bruised by a fall of coal, and is under the doctor’s care. It is pleasing to le a r n that the three injured men are making satisfactory progress. At the inquiry into the May Queen mining fatality a verdict was returned that no blame was attachable to anyone, and that the part played bv Crawley and James was- drawing of high recognition by the

Royal Humane Society. The jury also added a rider that the stopping and restarting of the Roots blower, which is used to ventilate the deep levels, should be notified. to all mines connected thero- | with. Steps are being taken to secure the I King Edward medal for Crawley. ! H. Bow, a labourer, was killed by a fall of earth on the railway works at Kaikohe, Auckland, on the 19th. He has relatives in Auckland.

j A seaman named Edward Thomas Mul- : land, when going aboard his vessel at Wan- ' ganui about 19 p.m. on the 19th, fell between the vessel and the wharf. A companion dived into the river, but could not find the man. j The -body was recovered at an early hour this morning by the police. There was an abrasion on the forehead. Evidently the . deceased hit a stringer of the wharf. At the time of the fatality the man was under the influence of drink. An inquest was held this afternoon. The victim recently came , from Wellington to join the vest'd, and ! was 33 years’ old, but whether married or single is unknown. At Wellington on the 21st inst. Misfi Janet M‘Andrew, 60 years of age, a servant employed by Dr Gilmer, was discovered in an unconscious condition lying in a paesage of the house. Dr M‘Gavin was summoned, ; and on it being noticed that there was a strong smell of lysol about her, the doctor used a stomach pump for an hour, but the woman did not completely recover consciousness'. She was sent to the hospital in a very low condition, and it is considered there is little hope for her recovery. Dr M'Gavin lias no doubt that a large dose of lysol, mixed with ether, was taken by the woman. There was no one else in the house at the time, but before Miss M‘Andrew collapsed she was able to call out for assistance.

j John Spencer, an old and respected minor, was buried in a claim at Fox's, near Hokitika, by a full of earth on the 19th inst. The body was recovered by a rescue I party this morning. i At the inquest on Alfred Ivey, who was thrown from his horse on Wednesday night, ; a verdict of accidental death was returned. I The evidence showed that the base of the skull was fractured. / A man named John Parkes fell from a horse in Cumberland street on Saturday, and was removed to the Terminus Hotel. | He wae a little dazed by the fall, but ' suffered no injury, and was able to proceed to Ids homo after a few minutes’ rest. Dr Rosa Collier met with a rather exi citing incident on the Ravensbourno road 'on Saturday. She was coming to town in , her gig. A .Logan’s Point she met Mr Daniel Haynes’s car on its way from the city. The horse jumped into the fence on the bay fide, and then bolted. The groom was throw’ll out and dragged for 30 yards, but placidly held on to the reins and stopped the horse. Dr Collier was not injuicd, but the groom’e arm was bruised. I As a large number of trippers were disembarking from a launch at Whan.garoi on i the 21st, a pea rifle owned by Mr Briggs, I a local solicitor, accidentally discharged, i The bullet whizzed close past the head of one of the excursionists, and pierced the forearm of Mrs Brigg’s mother. ' At the inquest on the three-year-old girl Beatrice Alice Forbes, who died as a resuit of her brain being pierced by a pellet from an air gun discharged by her ninc-ycar-old brother, at Opotiki, the coroner returned a verdict of accidental death.

Alfred Hall, a single man, aged 49 years, employed by Mrs Cooper, of Wainui, was found dead in his bed on the 2nd. O'n Saturday deceased complained of pains in his chest, and, thinking they were due to indigestion, ho took medicine. He failed to milk the caws on the farm this morning, and was found as described. The coroner decided that an inquest was unnecessary on receiving a report regarding the man’s death.