CASUALTIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3774, 13 July 1926, Page 37

CASUALTIES.

GISBORNE, July 5. Mrs Georgina Alderston was found unconscious on a road in the suburb of Mangapapa on Saturday night, having been knocked over by a motorist, whose identity has not been established. The woman was removed to the hospital, and is still suffering severely from shock. HAWERA, July 5. An inquest was held at Opunake this afternoon concerning the death of Henry Coombe, 19 years of age, a resident of Oaonui, who was killed through a motor cycle crashing into a bridge near Opunake on Sunday. Mr Tate, coroner, returned a verdict of accidental death. July 6. William Ogle, aged 70 years, and single, fell from a trap last night as the result of the horse stumbling in Union street, Hawera. He sustained a bruised forehead. No other injuries were apparent, but he died before reaching the hospital. The coroner returned a verdict that death was due to shock. WANGANUI, July 5. An inquest concerning the death of Joaquin Lancaster, aged 52 years, who succumbed on June 25 to injuries sustained as the result of being gored by a bull in the hold of the steamer Gale two days previously, was held to-day. Douglas G. Moore, a shipping clerk, gave evidence as to the loading of the cattle into the hold of the vessel. About 7.30 on the night in question some men went down into the hold to pen up the cattle. Deceased was among the number. During the operations one of the animals charged without warning and gored the deceased, lie was immediately conveyed to hospital by the ambulance. A verdict of death by misadventure was returned. An inquiry into the circumstances attending the death of William Pirati, who succumbed to injuries sustained in a Rugby match on Saturday, was held this afternoon. Kumeroi, captain of the Parakino team, stated that his team was playing against the Makirikiri team at Upokongaro on Saturday. The deceased was a member of the Parakino team, and during the progress of the match he was injured. The Makirikiri team had possession of the ball when the deceased and a player collided. They both went down together Both got up again, and the deceased ran about 40 yards and then staggered and fell. Deceased was between 17 and 18 years of age Dr H. Hutson said the lad was admitted to the hospital during the afternoon and died the same evening at 9.45. The coroner said it was an unfortunate happening. A verdict of death by misadventure was returned. George Knowles, a single man, a returned soldier, was crushed to death when the tractor he was driving overturned during ditchploughing operations on a farm near Fordell. Death was instantaneous. WELLINGTON, July 6. Donald Alfred Stanley, aged 13, left his home in Lower Hutt on a bicycle to bring home a cow. When coming home he was riding on his bicycle without a light, and a motor omnibus, driven by Reginald Charles Parkington, travelling about 20 miles an hour on the correct side of the road, struck the lad, who was riding on the bitumen surface of the road.lt was raining at the time. The boy was seriously injured, and was carried to an adjoining house, where he died some hours later. July 7. An Inquest on Thomas Thomassen, aged 45, who died as a result of injuries received on the scow Fairburn through a rope slipping off a windlass on June 21, while a boiler was being lowered into a hold, resulted in a verdict of accidental death. ASHBURTON, July 6. The body of William Wills, aged 80 years, who has been missing from Tinwald since May 26, was found under a gorse hedge at Chertsey, greatly decomposed. He leaves a widow and two adult sons. „ „ , MURCHISON, July 8. John Reid, licensee of the Mammoth Hotel, Mataki, near Murchison, was found dead this afternoon with a rifle lying by his side. Deceased had been in ill-health for some time, and returned from Nelson hospital last Saturday. Particulars are not available, but suicide is suspected. HAMILTON, July 9. As the result of the explosion of a detonator at the swamp drainage contracts at Horotiu, a Jugo-Slav, Tony Perdia had his right hand blown off and bis face severely injured. Perdia was carrying a detonator in his hand when it exploded. His condition is rerious. FOOTBALL INJURIES. Two casualties occurred in South Otago banner football matches on July 3. A player named Dreaver, of the Owaka Club had a leg fractured in the OwakaCrescent match, and S. Smith, one of Clutha’s forwards, had his lower jaw fraotured as the result of a kick in the face in the Union-Cluth* TI match. _ L. Williams, aged 19, was admitted to the Hospital at 6.15 p.m. on July 10 suffering from concussion received while playing in the match, Training College v. Dunedin. In the first-grade Rugby League match between Christian Brothers and Kaikorai on the Oval, R. Cusack cut his knee through falling on a broken bottle and was taken to the Hospital for treatment.

PENSIONER’S DEATH. At the Hospital on July 7 Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M., sitting as coroner, held an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of Henry Welby, who died at Dunedin Hospital on May 24. George Cottar Porteous, manager of the Benevolent Institution, said that deceased was a single man, aged 84 years, a native of England, and, as far as was known, had no relatives. He was an old-age pensioner, and was admitted to tho Institution In August, 1925, from Hyde, Central Otago. About 7.30 a.m. on May 24, Welby had accidentally fallen on the .floor of the verandah of the home and had fractured the right femur. Deceased was In the habit of falling down, and on this occasion witness rendered first aid and despatched hljn to hoe-

Another inmate of the Institution, Henry Young, stated that he had seen deceased slip and fall on the verandah floor. John Maxwell Clarke, resident medical officer at Dunedin Hospital, said that he had seen deceased on admission to hospital. Deceased’s injuries were confined to a fractured right femur. Deceased had remained in hospital under treatment, but gradually became worse, and died at 9 o’clock on Tuesday morning. In his opinion, the cause of death was heart failure from hypostatic congestion of the lungs, which could have been caused by a fall. The Coroner accordingly found that deceased’s death was due to heart failure from hypostatic congestion of the lungs, caused by accidentally falling. DEATH UNDER ANiESTHETIC. Evidence as to the identification of a woman, 69 years of age, named Mary Ann Wood, who resided at 66 Cutten street. South Dunedin, and who died in the Dun edin Hospital while undergoing an operation early on Friday morning last, was taken at the Hospital by Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M., sitting as coroner, on the same afternoon. Dr Marion Whyte attended deceased on July 6, when deceased complained of colic and pain, but later said she was much better. Dr Whyte saw her again next morning, and she was still much better, and had no pain. Dr Whyte saw Mrs Wood again on July 8 and discovered signs of intestinal obstruction, and ordered her removal to the Hospital. Dr Murray had been attending deceased for some time for heart trouble. Dr Murray was out of town and Dr Whyte had attended Mrs Wood on his behalf. Dr Fergus had seen deceased shortly after midnight on the morning of July 9 in the Hospital, and had concluded that she was suffering from an intestinal obstruction, and that an immediate operation was necessary. The operation was performedj deceased being placed under an anjesthetic. During the course of the operation deceased stopped breathing, and the usual restorative methods were resorted to, including artificial respiration, but all failed, and the patient died. John Smaldon Wood, son of deceased, identified the body as that of his late mother. She was 69 years of age. She had been treated for chronic bronchitis. Latterly she had been in fairly good health, but about a week ago she had suffered from a cold, and Dr Whyte had seen her and ordered her removal to the Hospital. She was admitted to the institution on Thursday last. Dr Murray had attended her previously. The Coroner, referring to the written reports before him, said an operation was considered necessary, and deceased had sunk under it. The question was whether a post-mortem were required. If that were considered necessary he would order it. Under the circumstances it might be better to ask Dr Drennan to make a post-mortem examination. He would adjourn the inquest for that purpose to a time and place to be fixed later. DEATH AT HOSPITAL. John George Butler, of Riversdale. who was admitted to the Hospital with a wound in his throat on June 23, died in the Hospital on Saturday last. An inquest was opened next afternoon, Mr J.K. Bartholomew, S.M., sitting as coroner. Sergeant Murray represented the police. Alfred James Butler,, salesman, residing at 79 Cannington road, Maori Hill, identified the body of deceased as that of John George Butler, his brother, aged 40 years, a single man, who had been living at 171 King Edward street for the past three months. Deceased had not been working since he came to Dunedin and had suffered from epileptic fits for the last 20 years. Deceased told witness, after he had been admitted to the Hospital, that he had cut his throat with a razor, but that he did no know what he was doing at the time and was sorry for it afterwards. The inquest was adjourned until 10 a.m. on Thursday at the Magistrate’s Court. FALL THROUGH SKYLIGHT. A young man named Robert Pape, employed as an engineer at A. and T. Burt’s workshops, fell through a skylight on Saturday morning, landing on top of a motor wagon 30 feet below. He was admitted to the Hospital at 9 a.m. suffering from a compound facture of the arm and braises. He resides in Pine Hill terrace.