CASUALTIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3148, 15 July 1914, Page 30

CASUALTIES.

A somewhat lengthy inquest was held on the 7th concerning the death of Thomas Butland, a workman, who foil over 30ft on the 6th while engaged on a building in Auckland,- and who died almost immediately. The deceased was on a heavy girder, which was being lifted into position by steam power. A link in a heavy chain suddenly broke, and a falling block fro in the tackle struck the deceased on the head, and he fell on to some logs below, receiving fatal injuries. Expert evidence was given to the effect that the metal in the steel chain was rendered brittle by frost the-pre-vious nigiht, and this probably caused it to break. After a full inquiry the coroner found that death was accidental, no blamo being attachable to anyone. The body of William Cochrane, who was drowned in the Motu River a fortnight ago, was discovered at -a spot near wheie the man’s erics were ,heard on the night of the fatality. A sudden dcatb occurred at .c oxton enoitly before 5 p.m. on the 7th inst. Mrs Henderson, relict of Mr William Henderson, a well-known Marton settler, was on a visit to her daughter (Mn A. Hawke), and had just returned) from paying an afternoon call. She complained of feeling unwell, and passed away in a few minutes. Death was duo to heart failure. The deceased- loaves a grown-up family of two sons and four daughters. Robert M‘Whirter. who was injured by falling out of an upstairs bedroom window in a country hotel, died in the Gisborne Hospital. A man named M‘Gowan, 65 years of age, was killed at Waiotara on the 7th through a fall of earth in a gravel pit. - At the inquest a verdict of accidental death was returned Albert Liddie, aged 45, son of Mr John Liddie, a well-known theatrical manager a quarter of a century ago, and a brother-in-law of the Horn W. Pitt, of Sydney, committed suicide. He was found in h>s Wellington office on the Eth with a bullet wound through his head and a revolver tied to. his hand. Ho was last seen on the 6th, when he appeared in good health and spirits. Ho had acted as superintending architect at the new Grand Opera House. The inquest into the circumstances attending the death of Peter Ewart, who was killed by a tramway accident at a West Coast sawmill on June 30 was resumed on the 7th inst. before Mr Hewitt (coroner). A verdict was returned that deceased met his death by being; thrown from a runaway truck on which ne was acting brakesman. Very bad luck is following John Buchanan, a young man residing in Aldwin s road, Woolston (says the Christchurch News). He is employed at Strange’s furniture factory, m Manchester street south, and while working a planing machine on Monday, 6th, had the misfortune to get his left hand foul of the knives. Tho top of his left thumb was cut clean off, and the first fingei' was badly lacerated. Buchanan was taken to the ’hospital, where his injuries were attended to. About a month ago he mot with a similar accident, and lost portions of his second and third fingers. Buchanan considers that the working of a planing machine is too risky a business, and. looking at his mangled fingers, is beginning to think that tho game is not worth the candle. Information was received by tho police on the 9th to the effect that Mr William Samson was found dead at the gate of his residence at Burnside. He is said to have just arrived home in a motor oar. A doctor who was called in refused to give a certificate, and the matter was reported to the coroner, whose instructions the police now await. v While shooting at Kumeti on the sth a youth named Victor Meagher, son of Mr J. F. Meagher, of Kumeti, had a hand severely injured by gunshot (says the Dannovirke IS/ews). The gun Mr Meagher had been using was propped against a fence. It slipped, Mr Meagher caught hold of the muzzle to save it from falling, and in so doing accidentally pulled the trigger. The charge entered his right hand, fearfully injuring the limb, every bone being broken. The accident occurred about four miles from Mr Meagher’s home, and this distance had to bo walked before the sufferer was sent on to the Dannevirke Hospital, where it was found neo’essjry to amputate the two inner fingers of the hand. As already stated, every bone of the hand was broken, and only with the utmost care and skill will tho hand itself be saved. Robert Lynch, a barber, was found drowned in the river at Wairoa, Hawke’s Bay, on the 10th. According to a telegram received by the police at Christchurch a fatal accident occurred on tho 9th inst. in North Canterbury. A labourer named R. Crump, who was working on a bridge which is being built between Hawarden and Hurunui, fell off a derrick, sustaining severe concussion of the brain. He was taken to the Hawardon Nursing Home, where he-died early this morning. A shunter named John Dugdale, 56 years of ago, married, was run over by some trucks and killed at Tborndon station yards, Wellington, on the HtK. At the inquest a verdict of accidental death was returned, no blame being attached to anyone. J. R. Charlton, a well-known veterinary surgeon, who has resided and practised in Christchurch for a long time, was found dead on the 11th under circumstances that pofnt strongly to suicide. Tho deceased boarded at The Shades Hotel for a good many years, and on the 10th he was in the

commercial .room about 11 p.m. There was nothing m Jus appearance or manner to indicate that ho was m anything but his ordinary state of health, though he had complained of something being wrong with ills back, and had said that he would see a doctor in the morning. A housemaid at the iiotel became alarmed at tlio tact that Charlton remained in iiis room longer than usual, and that ho did not rcxily to calls or raps on the door, and she gave an alarm. Mr W. J. Larcombe, the licensee, saw that there was something wrong, and he reported the matter to the police, and on Constable Packer being sent along to investigate ho ,found the deceased lying on his bed, fully dressed, with his left hand in his pocket. A smalt bottle that smelt of poison was standing on a duchcsso tabic, and the deceased’s clothes also smelt of poison. Dr Wostonra was called in, and ho could merely pronounce life extinct and say that the deceased had been dead about six or eight hours. From certain letters that were left behind by the deceased it would appear that there is practically no doubt that the rase is one of suicide, and that the unfortunate man had long suffered from illhcalth. The deceased was a married man, and some years ago he held the position of lecturer on veterinary science at the Canterbury Agricultural College. Subsequently he held a Government position as inspector of meat, etc., and latterly- practised his profession nvately. At the inquest the coroner returned a verdict that deceased committed suicide by taking poison. A sad double drowning fatality has occurred in the Mataura River. Mr Thomas F. Goldie, a farmer of Wendonside, situated 23 miles from Gore, and his wife, both of whom are between 40 and 50 years of ago, visited Cattle Flat, seven miles from Wendonside, on Thursday evening and stayed with friends. They left at midnight on Friday in a trap, and had to ford the Mataura River A party of young men, including two of Mr Goldie’s stepsons, were going to Balfour to play football, and at 3 p.m. on Saturday they found the smashed trap on the river bank and the horse loose. A search was made and the body of Mr Goldie was found 100 yards below the ford in a paddock about 20 yards from the river. Mrs Goldie’s body was found a mile below the ford in a pool of the river.

William Taylor, a baker by trade, who resided in Wellington, was found dead on the 13th inst. He rose from bed at 3 a.m., informing his wife that he was going to work, and at 7 o’clock Mrs Taylor discovered his dead body lying on the floor of the wash-house. There was a gaspipe close to the corpse, and the gas was turned on. A doctor was summoned, but his services were of no avail. The deceased, who was 66 years of ago, complained the previous day that he was not feeling well. An elderly married woman, Emily Hanson, committed suicide at Templeton on Sunday by Shooting herself with a revolver. She has been in ill-health for some time. At the inquest a verdict of suicide was returned. Dr Borrie, of Port Chalmers, was called ont on Monday morning at 2 o’clock to attend Mrs Robert Mitchell, at Waifcati Flat. On arrival there he found that Mrs Mitchell had been dead about two hours. Deceased was 32 years of age, and the cause of death is attributed to heart failure.