CASUALTIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3802, 25 January 1927, Page 51

CASUALTIES.

AUCKLAND, January 20. An inquest wag conducted by Mr F. K. Hunt, coroner, into the death of Len Barnard, aged 26, contractor, of Island Bay, Wellington. The deceased was found on the Milford beach on-the‘morning of Janiiayy 12 in an unconscious condition, and after being attended by two doctors he was removed to the Auckland Hospital, where he died, a day or two later. The evidence showed that Barnard had written a letter indicating that he contemplated suicide. The coroner returned a verdict of suicide by a narcotic poison. A body washed ashore at Waiheke Island is believed to be that of Harold Tidd, who was-lost from a pleasure boat off Motuihi Island on January 8. Tidd had stripped when the boat capsized, and the body found was unclothed. A verdict that death was due to cerebral .hemorrhage, following on chronic nephritis, was returned by the coroner in the case of Miss Myrtle Winifred Spanbake, who died in Auckland Hospital last Saturday. Deceased, who was 21 years of age, became suddenly ill on Friday, and as food poisoning was suspected, a post-mortem was held. AUCKLAND, January 23. . While playing on the edge of a 20-foot .cliff near the Shelly Beach Baths this morning. Ivy Smith, aged 12, slipped and fell on to the rocks below. She was picked up in an unconscious condition, and later removed to hospital suffering from severe head and internal injuries. Her condition of critical.

A narrow escape from drowning was experienced by Burley Smith, aged six years, while bathing at Point Cnevalier this afternoon. The child got out of his depth in about five feet of water. Another saw the boy’s plight and carried him ashore, where he was attended to by a member of the St. John Ambulance Brigade on duty at the beach. He was taken to hospital, but his. condition is not regarded as serious. TAUMARUNUI, January 20.

During blasting operations yesterday afternoon at the Egmont Box Company’s mill at Te Rena, near Kakahi, a workman, named Michael Hesketh, aged 35 years, went to see why the second charge had not exploded, and just as he reached the spot where the charge had been put in an explosion occurred, and Hesketh was blown about 30ft. The skin on his face was scorched, and he was rendered unconscious, but no bones were broken. He received medical attention, and was removed to the Taumarunui Hospital, where he is making satisfactory progress. GISBORNE, January 20. While his two elder brothers were swimming in the river at Muriwai, James Desmond M'Cabe, a four-year-old child, playing on the bank must have fallen into the water. ' The brothers, aged 12 and seven missed him when they left the water, but thinking he had gone back'to the house went away through the paddock and ployed. After some time they began to wonder where their younger brother was, and eventually saw his body caught in a snag ih the creek. The body was secured, bus life w’as extinct.

The fatality occurred on Mr R. K. Murphy’s property, near Muriwai, where the parents of the children are living. Mr M'Cabe was working out on the property at the time .and Mrs M'Cabe was in the house, totally unaware that anything was amiss.

PAHIATUA, January 20. The search for the body of W. T. Boyd, well-known in farming and stock circles, who was the victim of the Marima tragedy last week is being continued. The settlers were watching the Mangahao River to-day and a search party will be out again tomorrow.

MARTON, January 18. A car driven by Stanley Rickard, a chemist of Wellington, and containing his wife, two brothers and a Mrs Sutherland (his sister-in-law), and a little girl, skidded and overturned near Bulls this morning. •The party was returning from a tour of the North Island. Mrs Rickard was seriously injured and was admitted to the ■Wanganui Hospital. The others escaped with slight injuries. PALMERSTON N„ January 19. R.J. R. Temperly, aged 60, who was farming near Bunnythorpe, was found dead on the bank of a stream running through his property this morning. Deceased arose .early, and later, when his wife wakened, she discovered a cheque on the table. Becoming alarmed a search was made, with the result that deceased’s body was found* with a gun alongside, and with a wound in the head. WELLINGTON, January 21. Admitted to Wellington Hospital on Monday, suffering from burns sustained when a paper fancy dress which he was wearing caught alight, Dougald Grant, ■aged seven years and a-half, died at 4 o’clock yesterday morning. The boy was in a critical condition at the time of his admission to the institution.

January 21. An inquest concerning the death of Henry Thomas Patterson, who died in the Wellington Hospital yesterday week shortly after his admission with. both his legs badly crushed as the result of his having been caught in a mixer at the Gasco Brick Company’s works at Miramar, was held before Mr W. G. Riddell, S.M. (coroner), to-day. The evidence was to the effect that Patterson evidently stood up on either side of a mixer for the purpose of oiling a bearing which was just above the machine, and that in getting down from this position he slipped his foot into it. It was necessary to dismantle the machine partly in order to extricate him, and this •occupied an hour and 20 minutes. The coroner returned a verdict of accidental death.

CHRISTCHURCH. January 20. At a carnival held by the North Canterbury Amateur Swimming Club at Rangiora last evening, A. Benzie, one of the competitors in the high dive, struck the bottom of the bath with his head, and broke his nose.

ASHBURTON. January 20. Serious injuries to the head • were received by a labourer named, James Hamiltin, aged, about 45, at Rakaia. A pea-rifle was accidentally discharged, the bullet entering Hamilton’s brain. He was admitted to the Ashburton County Hospital where he is doing as well as can be expected.

W AIM ATE, January 18. In reference to the finding of the body of a' newly-born, infant the inquest was adjourned sine die. The medical evidence showed that the child haD been suffocated,

probably by a bundle oi cloth jammed tightly in the front of the neck. , INVERCARGILL, January 18. A miner, named James Burns, employed at the Birchwood mine, met with a accident on Friday. A large piece of stone fell _ from the roof and dielodged a prop which etruck Burna on the head, causing a fractured skull. He was admitted to Riverton Hospital, and is in a critical condition. DEATH OF SHIP’S OFFICER. An inquest into the circumstances surrounding the death of Alfred Shepherd, who was injured on the steamer Trevorian, at Dunedin wharf on Tuesday morning, and died at Dunedin Hospital the same evening, was opened at the Hospital on Wednesday morning, Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M., sitting as ,coroner. Sergeant M'Entee represented the police. Evidence of identification was givea by Orpah Jones-Neilson, who said deceased, who was fourth officer on the Trevorian, was 21 years of age and single. His parents lived in Scarborough, Yorkshire. On Tuesday morning, witness had seen him for a few moments at the Hospital. He was then quite conscious, and had told her that something had gone wrong with a sling and a case had fallen on him. Walter Gordon Chisholm Paterson, house surgeon at Dunedin Hospital, said deceased was admitted to the institution at 10.15 a.m. on January 18. He was then suffering from compound fracture of the left lower leg, simple fracture of the left thigh, simple fraction in the region of the right ankle, and minor abrasions and contusions. He was also in a state of profound shock, and restorative measures including blood transfusion were taken. The left leg was amputated at the thigh by Dr Fergus,, and the patient’s general condition improved for a time; but later in the day he collapsed and died at 8 p.m. The severe injuries which deceased had received would be responsible for shock, which would cause his death. The Coroner aljourned the inquest until a later date to allow further evidence to be produced. NEIL GAULD’S *DEATH. ..The adjourned inquest into the circumstances surrounding the death of Neil Gauld, who was knocked down near Forbury corner by a motor car driven by Asley George Faigan on December 30. 192 b. was resumed on Thursday, Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M., sitting as coroner. Sub-inspector Fahey conducted the proceedings on behalf of the police, Mr J. C. Stephens appeared for the wife and family of the deceased and Faigan was represented by Mr A. G. Neill. A peculiar position arose when it was found that there were absent no fewer than four witnesses who were to be called. The coroner agreed to take the evidence of those witnesses who were present, and among the names when they were read out was that of Faigan. Here, Mr Neill lodged an objection, and pointed out that it was only fair to his client that the other witnesses should be heard first as otherwise Faigan might be prejudiced, and he (Mr Neill) wished to hear the other evidence before advisin" his client what to do.

The Coroner: Very well, his evidence will be taken last. Dr Cecily Mary Clarkson said deceased was admitted to the Dunedin Hospital at 1.30 p.m. on December 30 in a state of unconsciousness and suffering from shock. There were wounds on the scalp, chin, and left leg and haemorrhage from the left car in addition to minor abrasions. There was also evidence of fracture of the skull. The patient sank rapidly, and died at 3.30 p.m. without regaining consciousness though restorative measures were taken. Corroborative evidence as to the external injuries was given by Dr Drennan, who stated that the internal injuries showed extensive haemorrhage of the temples and about the forehead. There was a fracture of the skull extending for some distance, and haemorrhage on the chest and other places. From his examination he was of the opinion that death was caused by fracture of the skull with laceration of the brain. Norman George Chalmers, motor engineer, residing at 173 Linwood avenue, Christchurch, said he came to Dunedin for a holiday about the end of December. On December 30 Faigan had called on him with a motor car. Witness went with Faigan in the car, and they proceeded to St. Clair by way of Anderson’s Bay and Tomahawk. They arrived at St. Clair at 11.45, and from there they went to Forbury Corner, and had two medium shandies at the Waterloo Hotel. They returned to St. Clair, where Faigan met two lady friends who lived in Caversham, and offered to run them home. They accepted, one taking her seat in the front and the other in the rear. They proceeded to Forbury Corner at a speed of about 15 miles per hour, and the driver appeared to be taking the car into David street, but the girl sitting next to him told him to go to Fitzroy street. When witness looked ahead he saw a man, whom he afterwards knew was deceased, standing about 10ft from the kerb on the hotel side, facing the car. The car wouliT then be about a chain away from deceased. Witness did not notice the girl put her hand on the steering wheel. There was a street on the left about 30 yards from David street. Deceased Seemed to be moving across towards the tram lines. He appeared to take one or two paces, and by this time the car had approached to within half a chain of him. He hesitated, took two or three steps towards the hotel side of the road, and hesitated again in front of the car, in such a manner that he did not seem to know where he was going. The car then struck him, but witness did not know how far it carried deceased. Just before this the driver had accelerated in order to pass deceased, and the car ran into a watering trough nearby and stopped. Cross-examined by Mr Stephens, witness said he did not hear anyone call out to deceased as the ca. approached him. Faigan had slowed down previously, to about eivht miles an hour, and when the car was three or four yards away from deceased he accelerated to 15 or 20 miles an hour. Witness had been a driver for about two years, and he thought that a car might accelerate by one or two miles an hour in the distance mentioned, but he was not certain.

The Coroner here pointed out that it was a difficult matter for anyone to judge

speed very accurately, and warned witness not to make statements which he could not substantiate. Further questioned by Mr Stephens, witness replied that the car might Have moved a yard or so after it struck the watering trough. “Was the car under perfect control after it struck deceased?” asked Mr Stephens. “Well, the driver appeared to do his best to stop it,”, replied witness, qnd continued that he imagined by the force of the impact that some damage had been done to the car when it struck the trough. The car swung right round, and the rear of it struck the trough. To Mr Neill: He had been in the motor business two years and a-half, and was an experienced driver. The car which Faigan was driving was a Krit, and from its appearance it was a fairly old model. It was noisy, but hardly noisy enough to hear it from a distance. From deceased’s appearance when the car approached him, he thought he must have seen the car. Witness saw nothing in Faigan’s driving to cause him alarm, and he appeared to be a competent driver. He did not know whether he had a license or not. From the time witnes saw deceased until the time the car struck him, Faigan’s actions were those of a competent driver, and in witness’s opinion, if Gauld had not hesitated in his course towards the tramlines the accident would not have happened. He did not think it consistent with good driving to accelerate in such a case, but there was no time to put on the brakes, and by accelerating and turning sharp to the right Faigan had a chance of avoiding the collision. Deceased was struck by the radiator, and after he was struck the driver did all he could to. stop the car. It was through accelerating to avoid Gauld that he struck the watering trough. Faigan was perfectly sober. To Sub-Inspector Fahey: He did not know whether the horn had been sounded or not, and even if the car had Deen pulled up, it- would have struck deceased just the same. “Do you not think the driver lost his head?” inquired the Sub-Inspector. “He did his best to stop the car,” replied witness, who further stated that if the brakes of the car had been in good order (and he did not know whether they were or not) it should have been possible to stop the car going at eight miles per hour in about five yards. Kathleen Mary Vincent, a single woman residing at Elies road, Invercargill, said that in December she was in Dunedin on holiday and was staying with relatives in Cavershamf On December 30 she and her cousin, a Miss Hannah, went to St Clair and there met Faigan who offered to drive them home in his car. Witness got into the rear seat with Chambers and Miss Hannah sat in front with Faigan. Near Forbury Corner, she heard her cousin say, “Don’t go that way, go this.” When she said this, witness saw a man crossing the road towards the Waterloo Hotel. The car was then turning into Cargill road. The man whom she saw stepped backwards and forwards three times, and the third time he ran into the car. Witness felt a bump, but after that she did not know how far the car travelled or where it pulled up. Before turning the corner, she did not see her cousin put her hand on the steering wheel, nor did she hear anyone call out. To Mr Stephens;’ She could not judge the time that elapsed between the time she first saw deceased and the time he was etruck. Deceased was to the right of the car when she first saw him. To Mr Neill: Faigan showed no signs of liquor, and at no time between St. Clair and Forbury Corner was the car going fast. At this stage the inquest was adjourned until a date to be fixed next week. SINGLE WOMAN’S DEATH. The inquest on tho young woman Maribel French Muirhead, who met her death while travelling on the Otago Central train on December 16, of last year, was continued before Mr H. W. Bundle. S.M.. sitting as coroner, at the law courts on Thursday morning. Edward Francis Kavanagh, the guard on the train, said that the train left Cromwell at 10 a.m. for Dunedin. He went through the train and collected the tickets before reaching Clyde. Later he went through the train after it had left Alexandra. He knew deceased by sight, and she was in a car by herself. He first noticed her when the train left Alexandra in a car next the van. After , the train left Omakau he went through again and deceased was etill by herself. After the train came through the Poolburn Gorge tunnel he felt a bump while in the van. He looked out, and saw deceased lying in the centre of the track with her head on the rails. He stopped the train, and going back found deceased was dead. Witness had no idea how she left the carriage. There was a handrail between the carriage and the van, and the gates were closed. After the body was brought back to the train witness examined, th? hand rails between the van and the car, and found indications of the material of the costume worn by. deceased upon the lower rail. The possible explanation of what had happened was that deceased had fallen between the hand rails. The tunnel was a very short one, and there was no . possibility of deceased being overcome by the smoke while she was sitting in the carriage. The Coroner, in giving his verdict, said that the evidence showed that deceased was a single woman, and she appeared to have been in bad health for some time. The only evidence as to the actual occurrence was that of the guard, who had stated that deceased was the only passenger in the carriage adjoining the van. The gates on the train had been shut -at the time of the accident, and it was impossible to say how deceased got on to the rails. She might have got on to the platform and fallen off. He could only return anopen verdict that deceased had been killed at the Poolburn Gorge tunnel by being run over by a railway train, the appurtenances' of which were in good order, there being no.possible negligence on the part of the Railways Department. W ORKMAN ELECTROCUTED. The inquest concerning the death of Robert Bayliss, a married man, who was electrocuted while working on the Dunedin City Corporation lines in Gladstone road on December 24, was resumed in the Courthouse on Saturday before Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M., sitting as coroner.

Mr A. N. Haggitt represented the Dunedin City Corporation, Mr A. C. Hanlon the relatives of the deceased, and Sergeant Boulton conducted the inquest on behalf of the police. After hearing evidence bearing on the death, the Coroner said that the accident would not have happened had deceased been wearing gloves and goloshes; but the evidence given showed -that there were worn only if the weather was wet, while the Government regulations merely Provided that these articles should be supplied where necessary. It was a low tension wire on which the deceased was working, and it was apparently not considered necessarv to wear gloves and goloshes while engaged on low tension wires. It appeared as if deceased had been .standing on an insulated wire,_ which gave contact when he opened the insulation to bridge the line. In view of the evidence and the Government regulations bearing on the safety of workmen engaged in such work, it wag not necessary for him to sav more. . In dangerous occupations familiarity bred contempt of the danger, and that was what happened in the present instance. He was quite unable to find that the men considered it necessary to wear rubber "loves and goloshes. The verdict would be one of ■accidental electrocution.