CASUALTIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3714, 19 May 1925, Page 27

CASUALTIES.

HASTINGS, May 10. A little girl named Joyce Sorenson, two and a-half years old, a daughter of Mr Jens Sorenson, a sheep farmer of Mangatahi, was killed this morning while swinging on a gate. The strainer holding the gate at the bottom had rotted and the extra weight caused the gate to fall on the child, who was picked up dead about 10 minutes afterwards. WELLINGTON, May 15. Harry Chinn, 38. married, was working in the hold of the liner Corinthic when a crowbar fell down the hatch and struck him on the head. He was taken to the hospital, and is in a serious condition. WANGANUI, May 16. A serious accident occurred on the railway line to-day, when a motor lorry driven bv Kenneth Tomsott was run into by a train at Tainlock’s crossing between l'urakina and Bonny Glen. Toinsett had a miraculous escape, his head and face being cut by the broken windscreen. The lorry was badly smashed. 1 he injured men was admitted to the hospital. CHRISTCHURCH, May 14. Through a collision between a motor car and a train at Fernside, near Rangiora, last evening. William Shefford, a labourer, married, lost his left foot. The accident was due to a fog. The driver of the car, R. Dalziel, was uninjured. May 15. Henry Kempthorne, aged 41, a married man, was found dead on the Main road near Sockburn. He was last seen alive riding a bicycle, and it seems as if he had collided with some vehicle, as his skull was fractured and his body terribly injured. If a car did strike him, and there is little doubt about this fact, then the motorist must have callously made awav into the darkness without stopping to find out what damage had been done. > May 17. William Shefford, one of the passengers in the motor car which ivas struck by a train near Rangiora on Thursday night, died in hospital ut 4.15 p.m. yesterday. Ho had had his loft leg amputated. W AIM ATE. May 14. The Coroner (Mr E. D. Mosley, S.M.) returned a verdict that death was the result of burns at the inquest on Elizabeth Gertrude Owen, aged 79, a widow. Evidence was given that the deceased hod been taken out of bed and loft wrapped in a quilt beside the fire. It wns later found that*tho quilt was on fire. Death occurrod next day. DEATH OF MENTAL PATIENT. Tho police wore advisod_ on Tuesday that File bodv of the male patient, who disappeared from the Seacliff Mental Hospital on Monday had been found hanging from a treo in the grounds of the institution that morning. An inquest was held in the afternoon before tho coroner (Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M.). Evidence was given that the deceased worked with the garden gang, and was missed a quarter of an hour after commencing work on the previous afternoon. A search party was formed, and tho body

was found in the bush yesterday morning 'lhe deceased was 58 years of age, and had been working with the garden gang for many months. Ho had never given any indication of his intention to commit suicide. The Corpner returned a verdict that the deceased committed suicide by hanging while of “Unsound mind. SUDDEN DEATH. illiam<James Robertson, aged 72 years, who resided with his wife and family at 26 Pentland street, North-East Valley, died suddenly on Wednesday morning. About 11 o’clock he went out into tho yard, where he was later found dead. The deceased had been suffering from rheumatic fever for some time. An inquest will be ur> necessary. INJURIES TO HEAD. Mr R. G. M‘Donnell, secretary of the Otago Labour Party, received painful injuries to his head and face when cycling to bis home at noon on Wednesday through tho forks of the machine collapsing. Hd was admitted to the Hospital for treatment. and is progressing favourably. Ho resides at 54 Alexander street, Caversham. INJURED BY MOTOR CYCLE. Mr Steve Boreham, who is well known in Labour circles, was admitted to tho Hospital shortly after 6 p.m. on Friday suffering from a compound fracture of both bones of the left leg, a scalp wound over the forehead, and a cut over the left eye. The injuries were received through his being knocked down bv a motor cycle opposite the Public Trust Office in Princes street. It was fairly dark at the time the accident occurred. FOOTBALLER INJURED. During the progress of the Rugby football. match between Southern and Dunedin at Tahana on Saturday S.. Scoles (Southern) broke his leg. The injured player was racing for the ball, and W. Hanrahan (Dun r edin) was approaching from the opposite direction. Both players kicked at the ball at the time, but, unfortunately, they kicked each other. The impact was very severe. ITanrahan received a minor injury to the knee, and Scoles’s left leg was broken above the ankle. After receiving attention he was conveyed to the Hospital, where ho is making satisfactory progress. A MOTOR COLLISION. A motor van and a motor car came into collision at the corner of Oxford street and the Anderson’s Bay road on Sunday afternoon, and as a result Nicholas Hannani, one of the occupants of the van, was taken to the Hospital suffering from a fracture of the right arm. Both vehicles were travelling at a moderate pace"at the time of the collision. KNOCKED DOWN BY MOTOR CAR. On Thursday evening a woman named Mrs Archibald M‘Ewan, of Lcet street, Invercargill, aged 80, was knocked down by a motor car. It appears that the car, which was driven by a youth named Findlayson, was proceeding along Tweed street, when it collided with Mrs M'Ewan, who was crossing the street. The ambulance was called, and the sufferer was conveyed to the Southland Hospital, where it was found that both legs and one arm were broken. Mrs M'Ewan succumbed to her injuries at 10.40 o’clock.