CASUALTIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3854, 24 January 1928, Page 35

CASUALTIES.

KILLED ON RAILWAY LINE.

AUCKLAND, January 17. A man was killed on the railway line at Mount Eden, Auckland, early this morning. He was walking along the rails when he was overtaken by a train bound for the city at a crossing opposite the gaol. The engine was on top of him when he was seen by the driver. The man carried a worker's railway ticket. The body has been identified as that of Samuel Henry Elmore, aged 57. He was married, with a grown-up family.

CHILD KILLED BY MOTOR BUS. AUCKLAND, January 17. Freda Mackie, aged 10 years, daughter of Mr and Mrs F. Mackie, of Te Aroha, was killed through being knocked down by a motor bus at Devonport this evening. Th e child, who was accompanied by her mother, stepped from a stationary bus and was knocked down by another passing bus and died a quarter of an hour later.

RETIRED FARMER FOUND DEAD. AUCKLAND, January lb. The dead body of Thomas Peckens. an elderly .retired farmer, who resided" at Avondale, was found on the beach at Blockhouse Bay this morning.

FARM HAND’S SUDDEN DEATH. WHANGAREI, January 15. Walter Hartnell, 'ged 61 years, while rounding up cattle on the farm of Mr A. Coutts, of Hukerenui, yesterday collapsed and expired. An inquest is considered unnecessarv.

SLAUGHTERMAN’S DEATH.

CARTERTON, January 17.

Richard Ambler, single, aged about 56, engaged as a slaughterman at the Waingawa Meat Works, died suddenly this morning when at work. The body was removed to Master ton for an inquest.

INFANT'S DEATH FROM SUFFOCATION.

WELLINGTON, Januarj- 17.

An inquest into the circumstances surrounding the death of an unidentified male infant whose body was found in the harbour on Sunday morning was held before the coroner (Mr W. G. Riddell, S.M.). Dr Wright said he was of the opinion that the child had breathed. A string was hung loosely round the waist ar.l neck of the child, but there were no marks of external violence. The Coroner remarked that it was impossible to say whether suffocation took place in Wellington or elsewhere. Elis finding was that the deceased was found in Wellington Harbour on January 15, the cause of death being suffocation from an unknown cause on or about November 15, 1927.

DEATH FROM GAS POISONING. WELLINGTON. January 17

Flora M'Murtrie, a 26-year-old tailoress, employed in Wellington, and living at No. 100 a Tasman street, under the name jf Flora M'Lean, was discovered dead on a couch in her room to-day. Death was caused through gas poisoning. It is not known whether the deceased has any relations in Wellington, but her father resides in Apiti, near Feilding.

MISSING WOMAN'S BODY FOUND. CHRISTCHURCH, January 17.

Missing from her home since midnight. Mrs W. Elliot, a married woman, was found drowned near the wharf at Le Bon’s Bay at 11 o'clock to-day. Mrs Elliot had been jn bad health for some time. A search party set out at 6 a.m. to-day, and the body was found by the Lyttelton boat Orewa at 11 o'clock. The deceased, who was 38 years of age, leaves a husband and four children, the youngest being four months old.

A CHILD’S DEATH. WANGANUI. January 17.

The infant child of Major Breniner, of the Defence Department, who is under transfer from Hawera to Christchurch, died shortly after being taken off the train at Waverley yesterday. On Sunday night the girl, who is . 17 months old, had eaten portion of a metal burning tablet. A doctor was called, who said there was nothing poisonous in the tablets ; that the child would have abdomi'nal pains, and that oil and milk should be given to her. Th e child cried and vomited during the night, and the doctor again called in the morning. He washed out the child’s stomach, and said she would be all right for .travel. On the train she developed convulsions, and died at a doctor’s room at Waverley. The Coroner . (Mr J. S. Barton, S.M.) said there had been at least two similar cases in recent years involving various kinds of naphthaline tablets. Th e children, after treatment, appeared to get all right, and then became suddenly ill and died. He -was anxious to see whether some remedy could not be found. The inquiry was adjourned for a week. CARETAKER FOUND DEAD. AUCKLAND, January 19. Arnold Kay, aged 45, believed to be married, with a family in England, was found dead at 74 Shortland street, on the premises of which he was caretaker. His head was in an oven with the gas turned on full. CLERK’S SUDDEN DEATH. Word has been received by the Superintendent of Police that Alfred Lingford,

a clerk employed at '(he Luggate Flour.mills, died suddenly on Wednesday. He had been attended by a doctor 12 months ago for heart trouble. It is understood that his wife resides in Dunedin.

VERDICT OF ACCIDENTAL DEATH.

CHRISTCHURCH. January 20. The adjourned inquest was concluded to-day concerning the death of Yvonne Lawson, aged five and a-half years, who was knocked down on New Years’ Eve at North New Brighton by a motor car driven by C. S. Hardy, and who subsequently died in hospital. Further evidence shewed that the car was pulling up at the time of the accident, and was travelling slowly. A verdict of accidental death was returned, no blame being attachable to the driver of the car.

FOUND DEAD ON ROADSIDE.

QUEENSTOWN, January 20.

A man named Arthur Campbell, aged about 68 years, was found dead on the roadside at Skippers at 9.30 last night. He had evidently been gathering firewood, and was carrying a bundle of sticks to his hut, when he collapsed. An inquest was held to-day before the coroner, Mr D. F. Sutherland, when a verdict of death from heart failure was returned in accordance with the medical testimony. The deceased had been engaged in mining, cooking, and odd jobs, but latterly he had been living in retirement. HUMAN LIMB FOUND. WHAKATANE, January 21. A gruesome find was made by boys at the Ohope Beach a few days ago, when a human limb with a sock and boot attached was discovered. The police made inquiries, and it is surmised that it is the limb of E. Jackson, who disappeared last August. An Ofotik. tootmaker has identified the boot as Jackson’s, which he repaired last January.

DROWNED WHILE BATHING. NEW PLYMOUTH. January 22. William Jamieson was drowned in a stream at Mangorei on Saturday. He was a baker's a jprentice, 17 years of age. He arrived in the Dominion from Scotland 18 months ago- He "’as sent on an errand, and as he did not return search was made, and his body was found in a deep pool, clad in a bathing costume.

FATALITY AT NEW BRIGHTON. CHRISTCHURCH, January 21. A distressing drowning tragedy, in which a man, Harry L. Bush, 25 years of age, of 84 Fitzgerald street, city, lost his life, at North New Brighton to-day about 4 p.m., cast a gloom over the hundreds of holiday-makers assembled for the North Beach gala. Bush, with four friends, went in bathing outside the safety area, and soon found himself in trouble with the strong backwash. He shouted for help, and his friends immediately swam to him. He struggled frantically, however, and after a long trial the others were forced to let him go. He was sucked out to sea and was not seen again. Bush was a prominent rowing man, being stroke for the Union Club, and was to have stroked his crew at the Kairaki regatta on Saturday next. LITTLE BOY LOSES HIS LIFE. TIMARU, January 21. The three-year-old son of W. of Fairlie. was drowned this morning by falling into a creek and being carried into a pipe conveying the water under the road. KILLED BY MOTOR LORRY'. Alfred Joseph Briggs, a well-known citizen of Dunedin, was killed by a motorlorry driver by Thomas Clark" at halfpast 8 yesterday morning. It appears that the deceased was standing at the corner of David street and Main South road, Caversham, when th e vehicle came along, and that by some means or other he then got under it. Mr Biggs was quickly conveyed to the Hospital in the ambulance, but on examination life was found to be extinct. The lorry is said to have been travelling slowly,’ but the accident does not seem to have been witnessed by anybody, but the driver of the vehicle.

, Mr -Briggs was a single man, aged 59. He was a fine clarionet player, and had been a member of the old Garrison Band, the Cavershr.m Band, and the Citizens’ Band. He was also a member of the Philharmonic Society. Mr Briggs was also a well-known Oddfellow. In his younger days he played with the Dunedin Cricket Club, and the defunct Cavershana (Football Club.

In the afternoon the coroner (Mr J. R. Bartholomev t) opened an inquiry at the Morgue, into the circumstances in which Mr Briggs was killed. Constable Connor represented the Police Department. George Henry Saxon, who resides.at 240 Main South road, Caversham, said he was a brother-in-law of the deceased. He had lived with witness for several years. The decease 1 • vas a retired brewer, and was in good health. He had undergone an operation for rupture about two months ago, but had quite recovered from the operation. Witness had seen the deceased at 8 o’clock the previous night, when he was in spirits. That was the last time he had seen him. The deceased was of a bright a ,d cheery disposition, and had nothing \. I atever to worry him. So far as witness knew he had never been depressed. Dr Evans said he had made an examination of the body at the Morgue, .arid gave evidence regarding the injuries the deceased had received. They could not have be?n cr—,ed by a fall, and were consistent v.'.'tl those which would have been received by being crushed by a motor lorry. The Coroner then adjourned the inque.b,

The following appeared in our second pd ition of last week.