CASUALTIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3400, 14 May 1919, Page 49

CASUALTIES.

At the inquest regarding the death of George M'Kent, who was found dead at Waitakere, _ Auckland, with a gunshot wound in his head, evidence was given that deceased suffered from a severe attack of influenza about Christmas, and never recovered thoroughly. A verdict was returned that deceased died as the result of a gunshot wound in the head, self-inflicted while he was in a state of mental depression. Edward Walter Crockett, nine years of age, fell from, a tree at Spreydon on the 7th, and on striking the ground he hit a pieioe of broken glass which severed the main artery, causing him to bleed to death. A boy named Alexander BilsJand was crushed to death by timber falling on him at Quinn's mill, Hihitahi, near Taihape, on the 3rd. The lad, who was eight years of age, left home after dinner, and was found dead 40 minutes afterwards, an inquest a verdict was returned of accidental death. Thomas Wilson was found dead on the 9th handing from a beam at his residence in ChriStchurch. Wilson was a returned soldier, and he suffered from nervous trouble.

While a Maori named Motomanu was carting firewood in the bush near Waikato, off the Mokai-Putaruru railway, on the Bth, a load upset, and crushed him, causing his death

Alexander D. Matheson, a returned soldier, aged 34 years, and single, residing with his uncle at Belfast, Canterbury, was thrown from a horse on the 9th, and was killed, his neck being broken. Evidence showed that the deceased, who was riding a young, restive horse, lost the reins, and in endeavouring to regain them fell and broke his neck. A verdict was returned accordingly. # Tho_ deceased was a returned soldier, having just arrived by the Kia Ora. His people live in Scotland. An inquest was opened at the Hospital on the 9th concerning the death of Alfred Ernest Hawkins. It appears that the deceased, who was a coal miner, was employed at the Kaitangata mine up to July 8 of last year, but met with an accident on that date through a fall of coal. He was removed to the Dunedin Hospital and died at 9.30 p.m. on Thursday. Mr E. D. Moseley, S.M., opened an inquest at the institution last night, when _ evidence of identification was taken. The inquest was formallv adjourned till May 19 at Kaitangata. Senior Sergeant Murray represented the police. The body of a man about 30 years of ago was found on Saturday hanging by a strap to a tree on the bank of the Oroua River at Kairanga "A soldier's pay-book marked with the name Thomas Parker, was found on the body of deceased, together with a letter to a relative in Manata. So far the body has not been 'dentified.

A motor car driven by a younpr man named Eric Yates and a motor oycl© ridden by Lance-corporal Bajcer collided in Auckland. Lance-corporal Baker _ was severely injured, ucA now is in hospital semi-con-scious.

A married man named Henry Street, aged 44 years, slipped while gettinir on ft tramcar in Auckland, and fractured his skull.

He died an hour after being admitted to the hospital