CASUALTIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3212, 6 October 1915, Page 65

CASUALTIES.

Frederick Butterworth, a middle-aged man, formerly employed at the Gear Company’s works at Petone, shot himself on the 30th nit. under pathetic circumstances. About a month ago his wife died, and since then the man has been very despondent. On the 30th he appeared at the Petone Working Men’s Club, of which he was a member, and after spending about an hour there, part of the time playing the piano Butterworth. went into the yard at the back of the club. Presently the sound of a shot was heard, and on a search being made he was found bleeding from a wound in the head inflicted by a bullet from a. revolver, which was lying beside him. He was removed to the hospital, wnce he lies in a serious state. Butterworth leaves one adopted child —a girl about four years old. Janies Parrish, a farmer at Whakamura, Taranaki, committed suicide on September 28 by hanging. On Sept. 27 a young man named W. H. Grcemvood died suddenly at Jewell’s farm at Rangiotu, near Wanganui. The. deceased, who was 23 years of age, went out stumping in the morning, and later on Mr Jewell discovered him lying face downwards in a hole from which he had extracted a stump. The deceased was subject to fits, and it is surmised that ho fell into the hole when in a fit and was suffocated.

Aji inquest was held on Sept. 29 on the body of Patrick Kelly, otherwise known as John Jones, who was found dead in bed at the Salvation Army Home. The gaol surgeon stated that- Kelly had completed _ a month’s sentence for drunkenness. It is believed Kelly was a returned soldier, discharged from Egypt. Dr King, who made a post mortem, said death was caused by over-exer-tion and worry. A verdict of death from natural causes was returned. A telegram w T as received at Clyde on Sept. 27 advising that a lad named George Henrv M’Arthur, 13 years of age, had been found dead in a water race near Ophir. The funeral of the deceased, who was a former member All Saints’ choir in Dunedin, took place on September 29 at the Anderson Bay Cemetery, where 20 choir boys (in cassocks and surplices), six of whom bore the casket to the grave, participated in an impressive service conducted by the Rev. C. R. Allen. The choristers, under Mr A. W. Lilly, sang one of the deceased’s favourite hymns', “ Loving Shepherd of Thy Sheep.” The superintendent of police on the 30th ult. received the following telegram from Constable Richardson at Owaka: —‘‘John Pullar, aged 70 years, died suddenly this morning. Deceased had not been attended by a doctor recently. An inquest will therefore be held.”

Mi- Alfred Judge, of Hakataramea, met with a very painful accident on tiro 27th ult., when' driving- home in his car from Waimate (writes the correspondent of the Oamaru Mail). Everything went well until he came to a sharp turn on the Waihao Gorge road, beyond Waihao Forks, where he evidently lost control of the car and it went headlong over tbe cliff and rolled a considerable distance to the creek bottom. Mr Judge was taken _ into Waimato in an unconscious condition, whore Dr Borrio attended to his injuries. John Matthews, engaged in the Waihi mine, was killed on the Ist inst. by being submerged in a mass of quartz and dirt. The surface on which he was standing collapsed, and ho was buried to a depth of several feet. Charles Gorrin, a schoolboy, was injured by a fall at Birkdale, and died in the hospital, Auckland, on the 3rd. While Walter Seith Bevins, aged 16 years, and Robert M'Farlane, aged 20 years, were out shooting at St. Heller’s, Auckland, on the 3rd, M'Farlanc’s rifle was accidentally discharged. Tbe bullet struck Bovins _in the neck, causing paralysis, and he died next day. Robert Laskey, aged 15 years, was killed near Rangiora on the 3rd through the motor cyclo which he was riding for the first time overturning. The local police office on the 4th received a telegram from Cromwell, stating that Adam Blackley, a Labourer on the GlydcCromwell railway works, was found dead at tbe foot of a cliff near his camp on Sunday morning. An inquest is to bo held.