CASUALTIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3315, 26 September 1917, Page 46

CASUALTIES.

At the inquest at Auckland on Margaret Davis, who died in the hospital from poisoning, Mr Frazer, the coroner, found that death was caused by deceased drinking spirits of salts. He said that husband had made contradictory statements to the police, which gave rise to certain suspicions, but his statements were corro- ' borated by other witnesses. There was nothing to show that Davis and his wife had led other than a happy life, but ho had been possibly negligent in placing spirits of salts in a cupboard with spirits of nitre in a similar bottle, bearing a similar label. The (Superintendent of Police received word on the 18th that a single woman named Maria Patterson M'Oleary, aged 25 years, employed as a domestic servant at Henley, had fallen into the Taieri River during the morning while drawing water, and was drowned. The .body was afterwards recovered ilenry Stewart, aged 20 years, a lettercarrier at the Birkenhead Post Office, was found dead in a paddock on the 19th, shot through the mouth. He borrowed a revolver the previous afternoon and disappeared. A search revealed the fact that ho had committed suicide. Ho volunteered for active service recently, but w T as rejected by the Medical Board, and had since been dopressed. At the inquest on the 19th a verdict of suicide was returned. An inquest was held at Henley on Tuesday, 18th inst., in regard to the death of Maria Patterson M'C'ieary, single, aged 25 years, who was drowned through falling into the Taieri River while drawing water. Tho evidence showed that the bank was very slippery at the spot where Miss M'Oleary was drowned. A verdict of accidental death was returned. Lancelot Rangiuia,- employed by the Tolago Bay Dairy Company, died as the result of injuries inflicted through his arm. being drawn into the machinery. Mrs W. Bowie, wife of a Seadown farmer, and an old and respected settler, left home on the 19th at 10 a.m. in a gig for Temuka. She would ford the Opihi River near its mouth. Her body was found in the river next afternoon. The horse and gig returned home. An unidentified Maori, aged 36 years, was found dead in a house at Port Ahuriri on the 21st, hanging from the_ stairs by a handkerchief. The deceased is believed to have come from Opotiki, and was known locally as George. Appearances suggest that he had been been dead for three days. He left a note saying that ho intended to take his life Owing to ill-health. Allen Milnes, aged 10 years, whose parents reside in Ross street, Ravensbourne, was admitted to the Hospital on Friday in a dangerous condition. • It appears that the boy was riding a horse which got out of his control, and tho lad was thrown to tho ground and fractured his skull. The Superintendent of Police at Dunedin was advised bv telegram from Waitahuna on Sunday thai; Samuel Chant, a labourer, aged 41 years, had been accidentally killed through a rook failing upon him while he was out rabbiting. He was a married man. A young man named James Capstick was tho subject of a sudd eh attack of hemorrhage or the lungs while engaged at his work as machinist at the Alliance Box Factory on Saturday morning, and died while being conveyed to tho Dunedin Hospital. Deceased, wno was 21 years of age, had como to Dunedin only a month ago from Cromwell, where he was under treatment at the hospital, from tuberculosis. At the inquest a verdict was returned of death from haemorrhage of tho lunge. A man named Alexander Lucas, aged 65 years, died at the Dunedin Hospital on Saturday at 9.30 a.m. from acute pneumonia, indirectly attributable to an accident. On tho 15th inst., at 7.15 p.m., he was walking down Frederick street, and as he was in the act of crossing King etreet he was knocked down by a motor car, driven by a man named John Barnes, who was going south along King street. Lucas was picked up and taken to the Hospital by Mr Barnes, and was placed under the care of Dr Newlands. An examination revealed only a slight bruise on the left hip. Deceased remained in tho institution, and on the 18th was about to bo discharged, when one of-tho sisters in the Hospital discovered that his temperature was rising. He was returned to the ward, where it was discovered- that he was suffering from pneumonia. Ho gradually • became worse, and died on Saturday as stated. It is something of a coincidence that three days before the accident a collision took place at the same place between two motor cars, the drivers of these being also named Barnes and Lucas respectively. The Mr Barnes who was the driver of the car which knocked the old man down stated to the police that he was travelling at the rate of six miles an hour at tho time. Deceased was a carpenter by occupation, and was a single man residing at 529 George street. An inquest was opened on the 24th, but was adjourned after the taking of formal evidence. Alfred Henry Hawkins, a middle-aged man, when nlitrhting from a tram at Takapuna before the car stopped, fell and fractured his skull. Ho died shortly afterwards. The deceased leaves a widow and seven children. Robert E. Smith, a railway porter, known as " Baby" Smith because _of bis great weight, was killed instantly in the railway yards nt Palmerston North. He was oiling points in a high wind, and was struck by a truck which had been " kicked off " by a shunting engine. John O'Brien, nged 55 years, an inmate' of Nazareth House at the Benevolent Homo, Christehurch, was found dead in bed on tho 24th inst. with his throat cut.»' A verdict of suicide while of unsound mind was returned at the inquest. George Riley, a single man. aged 46 years, and employed as a labourer by the City Corporation at Waipori Falls, was preparing a charge of gunpowder on Saturday when a premature explosion occurred. Riley, who was badly burned about the face and arms, was admitted to the hospital, and 13 making good progress.