CASUALTIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3864, 3 April 1928, Page 50

CASUALTIES.

MAORI’S NECK BROKEN. AUCKLAND, March 27. A Maori named-Tom iVangi, aged,so, was killed when a sledge he was driving capsized at Makarika, near Waipiro Bay. Rangi was caught- in the running, gear, his neck being broken. JOHNSONVILLE FATALITY. WELLINGTON, March 27. The man found mortally injured on the railway line at Johnsonville on Saturday was' identified to-night as David Jenkins Rossar, a returned soldier, single, aged about 55. He was a resident of Wellington. A SCHOOLBOYS DEATH , PAHIATUA. March 27. The death occurred this afternoon, after much suffering, of a 15-year-old lad named Leslie Winfred Murphy, the only son of Mrs W. E. Murphy, a’ widow, of Tyndall street.. The victim was injured in an explosion in the science room of the Tahiatua District High School on February 6 during a- science lesson on that day. He was admitted to hospital with severe gashes in the abdomen inflicted by fl? iug pieces of glass, and underwent several operations during the period be was in hospital, the last one bv a Wellington. surgeon in the interests of the Education Board.

AN ABSCONDER. , , . . NELSON, March 27. lhe only criminal case set down for the Supreme Court to-day was that in wnich Ronald Edward Morrison, who had pleaded guilty at Takaka to breaking and entering and theft, was to come up for sentence. When the case was called on Mr M.oynagh, counsel for the accused, said he was afraid that his client had absconed. Counsel went on to say that he represented John Frederick Rose, who went bailsman of the bond entered into by Mrs Newiove, foster mother of the accused. Mrs Newiove, unfortunately, had supplied the accused with a sum of money which he had used to abscond. His Honor: Has he left New Zealand' Counsel: Ido not think so. I think he has gone to Christchurch. On the application of Mr Moynagh John E Rose went info the witness box and explained the position and the steps which he (witness) had taken to communicates,with the police when be became apprehensive regarding the accused’s movements. His Honor remarked that he considered that in the circumstances the witness had done h’3 best; . Mr Kemnitz, Grown Prosecutor, agreed, and said he would- not ask for the forfeiture of Rose’s bond, but would do oO in the case of Mrs Newiove. His Honor agreed to this course and made orders accordingly. The accused had been released on bail of self in £lOO and two recognisances of £75 each. ~ • SERVICE CAR OVERTURNS. AUCKLAND. March 28. Striking a bank at the side of a road entering Maungatawhiri’ Valley this morning, a service car that was being driven from Ngatea to Auckland overturned and was almost completely wrecked: Luckily there was no loss of life. The driver. William Dudley Thompson, aged 24, and three passengers were all thrown heavily, Thompson receiving severe head injuries. The passengers escaped with slight abrasions and shock. The accident was caused by the falling of a large parcel from the back of a car which was ahead of the service ear. Thompson attempted to steer clear of the parcel, but there was not sufficient clearance. . The car hit the bank at the right-hand, side of the road and turned over completely, landing again on its wheels. . The driver of the first car stopped, and gave, what assistance he could to Thompson. The passengers were brought on to Auckland by a later service car, and Thompson was removed to the Auckland Hospital. His injuries last even, ing were said to be still somewhat serious.

MOTORING FATALITY. PALMERSTON K, March 28, ~ At the inquest held this morning on the body of Alfred . Carl Butzback, aged 4b, who was killed in a motoring accident on Saturday, evidence was given that when on a steep hill near Aokautere the deceased s hat blew off. The car was stopped to regain it, and it was then found that the engine would not start. Deceased, .an invalid, was: removed from the front seat in order to secure the tool®. When the adjustments were made deceased was put back into the car. While the driver was walking round the front of the vehicle, the car moved backwards and at once went over a steep bank, falling. 25ft, the deceased’s neck being broken. It. is. presumed that deceased, in adjusting a rug, dislodged the brakes. A verdict was returned according to the medical evidence. MOUNTAIN CAMP TRAGEDY. CHRISTCHURCH, March 29. At the inquest on the body of Andrew Neil Henderson, who was fatally injured on Monday by the discharge of a rifle at a mountain camp 50 mties from Oxford, the Coroner returned a verdict of accidental death by shooting. Constable Robertson, describing the finding of the body, said his party had to carry it on a stretcher over a 5000 ft mountain from the camp where the fatality occurred; The constable’s boots gave out in climbing the rough country, and he had to use th e boots of the dead man. The condition of the party when it arrived in Oxford has been described as pitiful. Dr L. D. Burnett, Colin Bassett, and E. H. Buckridge, three of the party who set out on Monday afternoon to bring in the body from the back country at Lees Valley, have so. far not returned, and fears are entertained for their safety, as the' country is exceedingly rough, and the men had few provisions. A later message, announces that the three. men missing in Lees Vallley since Monday have returned in good health although fatigued.

AN OLD MAIL’S DEATH. TAUMARUNUI, March 29. At the inquest on the hotly of Theodore John Meredith, aged 85, who was founJ shot in bed yesterday, the Coroner returned a verdict that deceased shot himself in a moment of temporary, aberration, his mental condition being induced by abdominal influenza. HORSE ATTENDANT INJURED. MARTON, March 29. Attracted by groans and the sounds of horses kicking the woodwork, the porters at Marton station last night opened the horse box on the Palmerston North-Wanganui train, and found an attendant, Harry Barrymore, about 30 years old, lying at the horses’ feet, his head covered with blood, and seriously injured. Barrymore was travelling with four horses in one box. Evidently he had gone- in to adjust a cover on an animal, and it is surmised that he slipped and alarmed the animal, which trampled and kicked him about the head and body The victim was removed to a private hospital, where he is in a critical condition. WHARF LABOURER INJURED. WANGANUI, March 29. A wharf labourer named R. M’Dougall met with a nasty accident, but fortunately for him his mishap occurred practically at the hospital gates. A motor car swerved suddenly to the side of the road, and despite M'Dougall’s efforts to avoid a collision the car struck his machine. He received severe facial injuries.

DEATH FOLLOWING OPERATION. WANGANUI, March 29.

A coroner’s inquest was held to-day concerning the death of Harry Rehnolds. a single man 22 years of age, at the hospital. The deceased had been an attendant at the Wanganui East baths, and was admitted to hospital for an operation for septic tonsilitis. Dr Christie described the nature of the operation and .the subsequent close attention on the part of the ’nurse. The deceased’s pulse got weaker, and eventually stopped. The fact that the patient continued to take a few breaths after his pulse had stopped showed that death was due to failure of the heart accelerate:, by the operation. An injection was made into the heart to try and restart it. If witness had heard the previous history of the deceased he wbuld have treated him for his heart for a fe.w weeks before performing the operation-!'. The deceased had. asked witness on two previous occasions to perform an operation, but he would not do so, as he required a week clear from' work. A verdict was returned that death was due to heart failure accelerated by. ail operaThe .Coroner said that the evidence showed weakness of the heart, which-was not 'detected, and which brought on death? The Coroner was satisfied that everything possible liad been done for the patient; after the operation./, ' . . ELDERLY CYCLIST’S DEATH. CHRISTCHURCH, March 29. While riding along Seiwyn street shortly before 8 o’clock this morning, John Calderwood, aged 67, who resided at 18 Duncan street, Spreydon, lost control of his machine and swerved in front of a motor truck. He struck the left front Mhg of the truck and was thrown heavily to the road, suffering sever e injury to his head. . Calderwood was rushed to the .Christchurch Hospital, but was dead on arrival , there. .?.'.. Th® accident .occurred between. Roper an d . Leitch streets. The motor- truck, driven-»by Allan Forbes,- was .proceeding south. Calderwood was riding north,

and had a bag containing his lunch hanging loosely from the handles. 6f his machine. When about 20ft from the truck Calderwood sudddenly lost control of his bicycle and.swerved across in the path of the-truck H e struck the left front wing of the -vehicle, and was thrown back to the rear wheel alongside the gutter, his nead striking the road heavily. At the inquest ' this afternoon the Coroner (Mr H. A. Young) returned a' verdict of accidental death, no blame being attachable to th e driver. FOUND DEAD IN SCRUB,. „ HAMILTON, March 30. Hector Cole, aged 35, who was engaged as a bread salesman, left his motor van standing yesterday on the, main Hamilton-Cambridge road,’ ffiear Tamanere. ’ This morning Cole’s body was , louna in the scrub-covered gully, with a pea rifle and a bottle containing white fluid alongside it. en^L- ( h : e ?‘ qUftS - t 1 a verdicfc tilat deceased suicide while in a state of mental aberration wa 3 returned. BOY FATALLY SCALDED. a k . ROTORUA. March 30. A boy named Willie, aged five, years the son of Tete, fell in a hot water drainf No one witnessed the occurrence, and the w/= w t lklng about afterwards. He n? rt tak . en u° m f’ and died this morning as the result of severe scalds. DROWNED WHILE BATHING. t? +ni i AUCKLAND, April 1. Ernest Clarke, building contractor, aged 31, of Dominion road, disappeared while swimming at Point Chevalier Beach on Saturday afternoon. Clarke had been teaching his two little girls to swim. He took them to his wife about 3 p.m. and re-entered the water for a final dip. His wife believed that he swam out to a moored raft off the beach. That was the last she saw of him. The alarm was raised and Constable Spellman and Detective Snedden arrived and dragged the water up and down the beach several times. They also affixed ropes to two boats and rowed, one on each side of the raft, with a rope passing beneath the latter. All efforts to find the body were fruitless, though continued with many helpers till 3 a.m. GAS POISONING. AUCKLAND, March 31. When Mr Halversen, of Te Papapa, awoke at 4.30 this morning he discovered that his wife was not in bed, and found her dead in the kitchen, with her head in the gas oven. Mr Halversen was 32 years of age. ' She had undergone several operations in the hospital, .and was expecting to return there for another operation. A SUDDEN CALL. ELTHAM, March 3L Leonard Thomson, aged 62, an employee of the Borough Council street staff for 18 years, dropped dead in the Town Hall this morning, while engaged in cleaning operations. An inquest is not considered necessary, a doctor having given a .certificate of death. MOTOR CYCLISTS INJURED. CHRISTCHURCH, March 31. Two motor cyclists competing in a race at the motor cycle sports on New Brighton Beach yesterday, crashed through the railings at the corner, and were seriously injured. They were Walter George Thomas, aged 26, and Eric Pyke, aged 20. The surface of the track had been wain at the turn, and Thomas, who was in front of Pyke, took a wide sweep out to avoid the soft patch, and failed to clear the railings. His machine skidded and crashed into the fence heavily. Pyke, whose view was completely blocked by dust and smoke, crashed into Thomas, and struck his head heavily . against the fence or Thomas’s machine. .Both men wore concussion helmets- To-day Thomas had improved considerably, shock being the only, trouble, but Pyke was still unconscious and his condition is serious.