CASUALTIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3316, 3 October 1917, Page 50

CASUALTIES.

Duncan Hepburn, 76 years, who died in the Auckland Hospital as the result of injuries, supposed to have been self-inflicted, was found lying on the floor of a shed behind his residence at Onehunga. His face and head were covered in blood, and a tomahawk lay besido him. Ho was a retired bricklayer. * 3 Our Waitahuna correspondent reports that Mr Achcson, S.M., held an inquest on the 24th respecting the death of Samuel Chant. The evidence showed that the deceased left home about 7.30 on Saturday to dig out rabbit burrows, and was last seen alive about 10 a.m. Mr J. K. Brown, tho farmer by whom he was employed, went to look for him during the afternoon, as ho rerjuired his services on another part of tho farm, and found him pinned under a rock. Death had evidently been instantaneous. Deceased's lunch was found near by, indicating that the fatality occurred in the forenoon. • A verdict of accidentally killed was returned.

A child named Marie Slimpson, aged three years, the daughter of Mr and Mrs Simpson, of 215 Melbourne street. South Duncdin, was admitted to tho Hospital on the 25th ult. suffering from severe scalds, sustained through falling into a tub of boiling water. It appears that Mrs Simpson left tho receptacle unprotected momentarily and during her absence the accident occurred. At a late hour last evening tho child was 'still on tho danger list. Information hae been received (says the New Zealand Herald) of the drowning at sea, on August 23, of a member of a largo steamer known in Auckland waters. Tho man —a scullion, —who was entered on the ship's articles as John Flynn —though his real name is said to be Smith—and whoso address was given as 64 Shorthand street, Auckland, by some means fell into tho water. On the alarm beinjr .given by a steward the ship was stopped and a boat lowered. . The vicinity was searched for over half an hour, but no sign of the man could be seen. The Christchurch Press states that James Stafford, 70 years of age, employed by Mr T. Richards, farmer, Rakaia, while engaged unloading chaff on his employer's farm on tho 24th, fell from the dray and broke his neck. A drowning fatality occurred at Omarama on Wednesday evening, when Edmund Davoy, a returned soldier, holding a section at Behmore,-lost his life (reports the Oamaru Mail). Mr Davey had visited the Omarama township, and it is presumed that when returning he had taken the short cut instead of the longer journey round the road to his home. Tho short cut necessitated tho fording of the Ahuriri River, which was in flood, and it is presumed that his horse got into difficulties and was swept away. The body of the horse was discovered on an island yesterday morning, and later in the day the body of the unfortunate man was recovered. Deceased was well known in Oamaru, having been employed in tho North Otago Farmers' Co-operative store, and residing in Chelmer street for some time prior to his enlisting for the front. Ho left New Zealand with an early reinforcement, and saw service on Gallipoli, where he received wounds which caused his return to New Zealand. Some time after his return he drew a section at Benmore, and with his wife took up his residence there some six months ago. An inquest was held at Culverden on the 24th on the body of a man named Hugh Black, who had been employed by the Public Works Department on the Cul-vcrden-Waiau railway, and who was found dead in his tent on Saturday evening with his throat cut. Evidence was given that Black suffered a good deal from rheumatism. Ho returned from Christchurch on Thursday after a 10 days' holiday, apparently in his usual health, and showed no signs of anything unusual in his manner. Ho was told to start work on Friday morning, but he did not do so, and was last seen on Friday about midday. As he did not turn up to work on Saturday inquiries were made, and on his tent being opened on Saturday evening the body was discovered. A bank book on deceased showed a credit of about £6O. A verdict was returned that deceased had taken his own life while in a state of temporary insanity. A labourer named William Berry, a middle-aged man, shot himself through the mouth with a shotgun on the 28th ult. at Turakina. He is in a precarious condition. He was removed to the Wanganui Hospital. The cause of tho deed is attributed to financial worries. There is little hope of his recovery. He has a wife and nine children. George Edward Riccard, seven years old, a son of Mr Frederick Riccard, of Okaiawa, Taranaki, was apparently electrocuted on the 29th. It appears that he climbed an electric light pole and came in contact with live wires. ' At the inquest on the body 'of Hugh M'Caffery, who succumbed on September 26 to burns received at a fire at Fox's board-ing-house, Wellington, on the 19th, the coroner returned a verdict-that death was caused by hvpostatic pneumonia, ctue to bums received in a fire, the man being at the time in a state of intoxication.