CASUALTIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3593, 23 January 1923, Page 29

CASUALTIES.

Glory "Winifred Morris, aged two years, whose_ parents reside at New Plymouth, died in Palmerston North Hospital as the result of severe bums. A Chinese lantern suspended over the child’s bed had been lighted. The candle burned low and ignited tlie paper, which fell and set tire to the bedclothes, enveloping the child. James Duff Cruiekshank, 69 years of age, a well-known business man, was found dead in his office in Wellington hanging by a rope. He was for many, years in business at Masterton. A Chinese woman, Shee Ming, aged 33 years, jumped or fell from the upper storey of a shop in Taranaki street, Wellington, and died in the hospital on the 15th. At the inquest at Romahapa o,n the 13th on the body of the young woman, Elizabeth Jane Cull, who had died suddenly on the previous day, the evidence showed that the deceased had not been in good health for some time past. She was employed as an assistant by Mr A. C. Miles, storekeeper, and on the day of her death had complained of weakness, but had kept on working until her employer persuaded her to lie down. She retired to her room, but a few minutes later was heard to call out, and Mr Miles on entering her room found her lying in a chair in an exhausted condition. He called in Mr Peterson, of the twine mill, who rendered first aid, and in the meantime Dr Brown, of Balelutha, was sent for. The doctor arrived within half an hour, but the young woman was dead when he got therq. The medical evidence was to the effect that death was probably due to heart failure, brought about by the deceased’s run-down state of health and anaemia. The jury returned a verdict accordingly. A man named David Windram Cheyne, in his sixtieth year, residing in Union street, Milton, committed suicide in the early hours of Sunday, 14th inst., by plunging head first into a well at the rear of his residence. The tragedy was first discovered about 7 a.m. by the deceased’s young son, who noticed that the lid was off the well, and on looking in discovered two feet projecting above the water. Assistance was procured, and the body recovered, but medical evidence showed that death had occurred about two hours previously. At the inquest the evidence showed that deceased had suffered for years from a nervous complaint, and had suffered much pain at times. He was in his usual health on Saturday night, but on New Year’s Eve had remarked that “he sou Id not continue like this, and would have to cut his throat or Qo something.” The Coroner returned a verdict that deceased committed suicide by drowning whilst in a state of mental de-res-sion owing to ill-health. W. H. Newland, a married man, employed as a ganger on the railway, was killed on the 16th inst. through being overtaken by an. engine at a bend while on a jigger inspecting the Westmere-Aramoho line. At an inquest on John Crudckshank, aged 67 years, labour agent, who was found hanging- in a lavatory at his office in Wellington, it was stated that deceased was in financial difficulties. Though the amount owing was not a large one, it worried him considerably. In the police evidence it was stated that when the deceased was cut down life was extinct. A verdict was returned to the effect that deceased committed suicide while temporarily insane. At the inquest of Ng Shu Ming, 41 years of age, a Chinese woman, who met her death by jumping out of the window of her residence in Wellington, passers-by said that they saw a woman at a window raise herself, place her knees on the window, sill, jumping outwards, striking the footpath. Her husband said that there had been no quarrel. Deceased was always happy and contented. In recording a formal verdict of death from a fractured skull, the coroner said that there was no discernible reason for the woman’s act. Stanley Davis, an electrician employed by Messrs Turnbull and Jones, while engaged in wiring on the roof of a dwelling at Ryal Bush, fell to the ground,* sustaining fatal injuries. His parents reside at North-East Valley. The dead body of an elderly man named David Brown was discovered on the foreshore of Bluff Harbour at 7.40 a.m. on the 16th. Deceased had been on a visit to Bluff, and was last seen alive on Monday afternoon. The body bears no indication of vio-' lence. and it is surmised that deceased fell into the harbour. A Maori lad named Hina Whitu, 17 years of age, was drowned at Kimiha, near Huntly, while endeavouring to save another boy named Te Tahu, ’aged eight, who was also drowned. Te" Tahu was in a canoe with three others crossing the Waikato River when it capsized. Ernest John Meade, a lorry driver, aged about 45 years, and married, was found on the 18th hanging from a beam in a store room adjacent to the stables at Pahiatua where he was employed. While working at Bishopscourt on Thursday afternoon, Robert Herd, a plumber, who lives at Kailcorai, fell to the ground and fractured the elbow joint of his left arm. He was taken to the Hospital, where his injury received attention. Douglas Kent, a lad about 13 years of age, was drowned whilst bathing in the Waihopai River at 4 o’clock on January 19. Kent endeavoured to climb into a boat with another boy, when it capsized. The other boy got ashore for help, but when Kent was brought out it was found that life was extinct. Frederick George Chapman, an inmate of the Gisborne Hospital, was found dead at 2.30 on the 19th with his throat cut bv a razor. Deceased was married, and had five children residing at Muriwai. Eva Green, a married woman, aged 40, was killed at Kirwee on the 18th through the overturning. of a car driven by a stock agent, Patrick Guiney, who was returning to the cify. Airs Green’s nec'k was broken. Guiney escaped with slight injuries. A child of Air A. P. Perano, of Picton, aged 17 months, choked itself with a pea pod, which lodged in its windpipe, and it died before a surgeon could remove the obstruction.