CASUALTIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3021, 7 February 1912, Page 63

CASUALTIES.

At Whakatahuri, Marlborough, T. D. MManaway, sen., was drowned by falling off a launch anchored at the wharf. His son had left him to go to a house close by. Shortly after the body was seen by deceased s daughter floating in the water. He was 70 years old. Sydney Mitchell, the boy who was drowned while bathing at Kaka Point, Port Molyneux, on Friday, 26th ult., went into the surf with seven or eight other boys, all of whom were under 14 years of age. The 6pot where they wer e bathing was supposed to bo very safe, but there was a low tide and at the time there was a heavy sea running, with a backwash and current to some rocks about 100 yards away. Young Mitchell went out the furthest, and Miss Mona Anderson, who was also bathing, called out to him that he was getting too near the rocks and kelp, but she received no reply. She saw no reason for apprehension till the other boys were leaving the water, and Mitchell was not among them. She then ran on to the rocks, and saw him floating some distance out among the broken rocks and kelp in rough water. She told a man (John Gordon D. Dempster, of Caversham) who was strolling on the beach of the boy's danger, but when he got out on the rocks he could not see any sign of the victim. John M'Guffog was called, and he waded in, seeing the body floating face downwards, after it had been carried some distance nearer shore. He recovered the body in about 3ft of water, but life had been extinct about half an hour. The boy could swim a little, but it is believed that he was floating and swimming about, and feeling himself being swept away by the current tried to " depth," and got a mouthful of salt water and immediately got into difficulties. Where Miss Anderson saw him floating it would have been impossible for anybody but an expert swimmer to rescue him, so rough was the water. An inquest was held at Port Molyneux on January 27, and the jury unhesitatingly returned a verdict that deceased met his death accidentally by drowning while bathing, no blame being attachable to anyone. The body was interred in Balclutha Cemetery on Sunday .afternoon. The hearse was escorted by the Balclutha Troop of JBoy Scouts (of which deceased was a member) and the Balclutha Brass Band (in which hie father takes a prominent part) followed in a body. Patrick J. Rots was run over by a Train at Motueka and died from pneumonia caused by the accident. At thi> inquest a verdict of accidental death was returned. Pani Ngcru, aged 21 years, committed suicide at Hawera on January 30 by shooting himself with a double-barrelled gun. It is said that he was troubled over a love affair.

A young man named A. J. Moore dropped dead in a house- i.r. Burke street, off Windmill road, Addington, on the 31st lilt. Dr Gibson was summoned, but on hij arrival ho could only certify that life was extinct. At an inquest held subsequently a verdict waj recorded t.liat death was due to distention of stomach affectin;r the heart.

Devenham Scott, aged 12 years, eon of Mr Robert Scott, a sheep fair mer at the Willows. Kaitaratahi, near Gisb:irne, was drowned in the Waipoa River on the Ist inst. The deceased, with another boy, swam across the river, and on the return evidently got cramp and tank. Tho body wa6 Tecovered.

William Stuart, a miner employed at Huntly, Auckland, met with a serious accident on the- Ist while blasting logs in: ft drain near his home through a charge of gelignite going off before ho was able to get clear. His right hand was badly shattered, and both hi s eyes so seriously injured that it is feared he will lose the sight of one, if not of both. He was removed to the Waikato Hospital, where four fingers have been amputated. In connection with the fatal accident which occurred in Cathedral square, near Broadway's Corner, Christchurch, on Fridav, January 19, when Thomas Ryan was knocked down and run over by a motor car, bis injuries proving fatal in a few hours. a.n information has been laid charging the driver of t.hc car (Reginald Blunden, of Bennetts) with manslaughter. The case will be heard next Thursday afternoon.

A boy named Fred. Hansen, whilst bathing at Waikouaiti on Wednesday last, sustained a cut on his knee, the result presumably of contact with a broken bottle. He was removed to the Dunedin Hospital, and his injuries received medical attention. At the inquest on the Timaru quarryaccident the ooroner returned an open verdict. Ho commented on the conduct, of Calvert (foreman) and Hayes (labourer) the former for not seeing that everything was right, and Hayes for not drawing attention to the fact that the fuse was too short.

David Gaudion, the eicht-year-old son of Mr G. G. _ Gaudion. of Mataura. was drowned while bathing in the Mataura River below the falls on Saturday. The little lad—David Arthur M'Auley—who was injured at South Dunedin some time ago by getting his foot caught in the wheel of a drag, died at the Hospital on Saturday morning. The immediate cause of death was lockjaw. At the inquest the coroner returned a verdict of accidental death, no blame being attachable to anyone.

Alex. Adam Hunter, 19 years of ase. dropped dead while walking* on the foreshore near Anderson's Bay road on Sunday morning. Deceased was a single mar:, and lived with his parent.! in M'Bride street, South Dunedin. Ho was employed as a clerk at Messrs Hogg and Co.'s timber yard at South Dunedin. When examined by Dr Will for the Territorials recently he was rejected owing to his suffering from a weak heart, and in view of the doctor's report the coroner (Mr C. C. Graham) does net think an inquest is necessary

Purakanui, a favourite seaside resort, lias lost A well-known fijrure by the sudden death of Mr Joseph He ward, familiarly known as " Old Joe." Deceased, who lived alone, was not seen about ss usual on Saturday morning; but this occasioned no surprise to residents, as ho had been to Port Chalmers the dav previous, and after that journey u.sually spent the morning in bed. As the afternoon wore on, however, and ho did not make his appearance, a youns man—a visitor from Dunedin—went to the house to investigate the cause, and help him if need be, and found the old man in bed, apparently asleep, but on approaching the bedside ho was startled to find that " Old Joe " was dead. Deceased was about 80 years of age, and had resided in Para-

kanui for some 40 years, until recently follcwinar the occupation of a fisherman. Hispatriarchal appearance, his interest in children and animals, and his stories of early tailoring days combined to make him a particularly well-known charaoter of the district. At the inquest Dr Borrie gave evidence that death was due to heart disease and congestion of the lungs, and a verdict to that effect was returned. Howard was a native of Southampton, England, and was 80 years of age. A young man named Alfred Skinner was drowned at Bowentown Estuary on the 4th. Me was swimming out to anchor a boat, and when close to the boat ho was seen to throw up his arms and sink. Hie body was recovered an hour later.

A plucky rescue of a boy in imminent danger of drowning was performed at Cobden on Saturday by a young man named James Robinson, secretary to the Greymouth Regatta Committee. It appears that several boys went into the Grey River for a swim, when one got out of h:& depth and was carried out by the eu.rreot and eventually began sinking. Robinson went out to the spot, and after several ineffectual attempts succeeded in locating the boy, whom he brought to the surface and then to the shore after an hours effort. Animation was restored, and the boy has practically recovered from his accident, which so nearly ended fatally. Robinson's action was plucky, and is worthy of recognition.

James Cameron (35) was drowned on the 4th a mile below the Mongonui Bluff. Three other men narrowly escaped. They were net-fish: np:. and rounded a heavy school of fish, when the backwash carried thetn off their feet in a deep basin. Cameron was unable to reach the shore, and sank. His body has not yet been recovered.

A distressing burning accident occurred at Naseby on Friday at midday, and ended fatally on Saturday evening. As Mrs Robert Paisley was attending to a bonfire in her yard on Friday, her clothing accidently caught fire, inflicting such severe burns that, though 6he was immediately conveyed to the Naseby Hospital, and received medical attention at once, death from shock and her injuries combined followed the next day. The deceased lady, who was a very highly respected resident of Naseby, leaves her husband and family surviving her, most of the latter being grown up. 0 Our Lawrence correspondent telegraphed on the sth that John Martin O'Donohue, aged 52 years, an old settler of Tuapeka Flat, met his death with tragic suddenness on Sunday afternoon. It appears from the evidence tendered at the inquiry held at the Hospital on Monday afternoon that ho and a young man named Walker were engaged in giving a young horse a run in a light brake. Walker was driving, and O'Donohue stood on the step at the rear, which was only about nine inches from the ground. Going up the hill near the Tuapeka Flat School Walker noticed the shafts suddenly go down, and on pulling up and looking round he saw Mr O'Donohue lying on his back on the road. Walker got out and found him breathing heavily, but in about five minutes ho expired. Walker then communicated with the doctor and police, and th© body was later removed to the Hospital morgue. Dr Sutherland, at the inquest, said ho found no marks of injury, and gave it as his opinion that death was due to sudden heart failure. A verdict in accordance with the medical testimony was returned.