CASUALTIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3383, 15 January 1919, Page 40

CASUALTIES.

Gordon Henderson (30), a returned soldier, was found dead in bed on the 7th inst. at Onehunga. He had been gassed at the front, and suffered from influenza after hie return. The adjourned inquest regarding the death of Anstice Rainbow, aged 10 years, who was drowned at Devonport on January 2, was concluded on the Bth. The coroner returned a verdict that the deceased died on the 2nd insfe, the cause of death being drowning, duo to rough sea and a strong gale which was blowing at the tune. The coroner commended the action of the boy "Victor Murray for his effort to save the deceased, and also on his success in saving the life of the girl Alma Rainbow. Albert Marshall, a returned soldier, aged. 23, was killed by falling over a cliff at Taylor's Mistake, near JLyttelton Heads. The police authorities on the 7th were advised that a boy, 11 years of age, named Thomas M'Grath, belonging to Limeh'ills, had a hand blown off (reports the Southland Times). It appears that he and another lad were out with a gun hear the orchard of the parents of one of the lads. Later an explosion was heard and the boy was found lying seriously injured. He was taken to the Southland Hospital, where he is doing as well as can be expected. The body of a boy was found on the 10th lying in shallow water not far from Auckland city. The lad was dead, and had a fishing rod clutched in his right hand. He had evidently been drowned while fishing, probably from the cliffs or the wharf nearby. The body has not yet been identified. A tragic drowning accident occurred at: the Wellington wharf on the 9th, the victim being John Stephens, a schoolboy. _ The father and his three sons were fishing at the, end of the railway wharf about 6 p.m., when some other boys came on the scene and commenced "skylarking." John Stephens, who was about 10 years old, was standing at the extreme end of the wharf, and by some means was precipitated into the. water. It is alleged that he was accidentally pushed into the sea by another boy whose name has not yet been ascertained. Sydney Patterson, a married man, 34 years of age and a native of Tasmania, was drowned on the 11th while crossing on horseback the flooded river near Charleston, West Coast. He was accompanied bv William, Woodhead, who was also on horseback. The latter was carried some distance down the river before making a safe landing. Woodhead saw Patterson swimming down the river and then suddenly disappear. He was not again, but this morning one of his boots was .discovered attached to a "snag. It is surmised that the boot was torn off his foot while the body was being taken down the river, as the boots were fully laced u|> when he left the farm camp prior to coming down the stream.

An accident of a very serious nature befell Mr John Mont-ague, of Wellington, at Otako last week. Mr Byron Brown was motoring a party from the beach to the "tennis courts, and overtook Mr Montague on the road. Mr Montague accepted a lift, and as the car was full he stood on the step. When the car was rounding the Bank of Australasia corner he was jerked off, and, falling heavily, fractured his skull. He. was removed to the Otaki Hospital, where he has been lying ever sipee in a critical condition.

The Haunui correspondent of the Eketahuna Express reports that a man named John Edwards committed suicide a few days ago by shooting himself, at a neighbour's place. Deceased, who was a widower, was 55 years of age. He had met ,with an accident about three months ago and was an inmate of the Masterton Hospital. At the inquest a verdict was returned that deceased committed suicide while in a 'depressed state of mind. A head-on collision between two motor cars at Levin on Saturday resulted- in the driver of one, -Charles Cotter, a resident of Levin, being seriously injured. The occupants of both cars were thrown out. Cotter was taken to the hospital. Mr Cyril Beasley, of Truth staff, an occupant of the second car, who was en route to the Feilding races, was badly shaken. A fatal motoring accident occurred on the IOtR in the Hawkins River. A car driven by Mr Albert Frederick Smith, of Ashburton, was crossing the river, when the wheel broke, and the car overturned. One of Mr Smith's sons, Clifford, aged nine years, was pinned underneath and killed instantaneously. The other boy,. Murray, aged seven, broke his left arm and collarbone and sustained injuries •to the chest, while the father had several fingers broken. A young man, Stanley Godfrey, was accidentally shot in the back while rabbiting near Wellington on the 12th. He was brought by the ambulance to the City Hospital. His condition is serious. '—**' A young Chinaman named Yufu met with a serious accident while riding a cycle down one of the steepest streets in Wellington. He lost control of his machine and collided with a fence, the rider being thrown - over the fence head first against the wall. of a house. He was removed to the hospital, and is suffering from concussion of the brain. ;His condition is serious. On entering the Automatic Bakeries, Wellington, on the 12th the foreman found the body of Fireman George Adams suspended to a rafter, with a wire rope round his neck. Death was due to strangulation. Adams, who was 44- years of age, was married, with two children. He left a note near the body bidding his wife good-bye. John Frederick Parsonson was admitted to Christchurch Hospital suffering from a bullet wound in the chest. The circumstances of the injury are not ascertainable. A few weeks ago Parsonson was reported missing-, and was eventually traced to the West' Coast. He is a well-known- man in the city, employed as a clerk by the legal firm of Lane and Neave, but since his illness at the time of the epidemic he is stated to have had a lapse of memory. Charles Roy, garage proprietor, of Southbridge, was found dead two miles from Ashfev Gorge bridge. He had been camping with his family at the gorge, and left the camp on Saturday morning. He failed to return that night, and search was instituted. It is Relieved that death was due to exposure.