CASUALTIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3957, 14 January 1930, Page 35

CASUALTIES.

FOUND DEAD IN BATHROOM. WANGANUI, January 7.

Arthur Osborne Sniith, a retail furniture dealer, who resided with his father-in-law at 19 Voting street, Wanganui East, was found in the bathroom this afternoon with his throat cut. A razor was discovered nearby. Smith, who was 29 years of age, appeared to be quire normal yesterday, but just after his father-in-law. Mr Samuel Priest, left the house for the time being, sounds were heard which caused him to return hastily. On his arrival at the bathroom he found Smith with a severe wound on his throat. Constable Wallace and Dr Douglas Wilson were summoned, but the unfortunate man was dead before they arrived. The deceased was to have been married to-day. but there was a last-minute hitch in the arrangements. He was a widower, his wife having died some years ago. When war broke.out he left New Zealand with the Twenty-ninth Reinforcements, seeing service in France. He was under 18 years of a"e when he went into camp.

MANAIA TRAGEDY. HAWERA. January 7. At the inquest held at Manaia yesterday concerning the death of Theresa Zim merman, aged 40. and two infant boys, six months and three years of age respectively, the coroner (Mr Page) returned a verdict that while in a depressed state of mind Mrs Zimmerman drowned her two children and then committed suicide. The tragedy occurred last Friday on the farm where the deceased lived with her husband, David Zimmerman The latter, who is engaged as a sharemilker, was absent from the house between 10 a.m, and 4 p.m. on Friday. Returning with his brother, he found „he children’s bodies floating in a shallow stream 50 yards from the homestead and the mother’s body in a six-foot dam ‘OO yards away. Evidence was_ given that Mrs Zimmerman came to New Zealand from Switzerland some years ago to be married. She did not speak English, and lacked feminine companionship. She was frequently depressed, and was troubled with in-ohmia. BOY SEVERELY SCALDED. CHRISTCHURCH, January 7. A small boy named John M'Laughliu. residing at 130 Armagh street, was admitted to the Christchurch Hospital this afternoon suffering from severe scalds. Jam making was in progress, and the boy I fell backwards into a preserving pan of I boiling jam, scalding his legs and back FRACTURE OF THE SKULL. WHANGAREI. January 8. The death occurred in Whangarei Hospital this morning of Albert Shreve, aged 60 years, of Kamo, who fell from a bus in Whangarei on Monday night, suffering a fracture of the skull. WOMAN DIES FROM INJURIES. ROTORUA. January 8. Mrs Alice Coupe, aged 41, of Petone, died last night in the King George V tT i _ . i. -e : - •—i XlOHpliai as u>e twuit ID iujuhc' itxxncu on December 30, when a car driven by J.,

WilliiAnson. of Petone. went over a bank at Wairakei. Mesdames Williamson and Lockwood are still in the hospital. The car rolled down an 80 feet bank, throwing out the occupants in the descent.

A FATAL COLLISION. CARTERTON. January 8. Hugh Robinson, while driving a butcher’s motor van, ran into a goods train near Matarawa station shortly after noon to-day. He was killed outright The van was smashed to matchwood

CAR AND TRAIN COLLIDE. WELLINGTON. January 8. A car driven by John Minchen, of Lower Hutt, whose wife and young daughter accompanied him. had a collision with a train at the entrance to the new railway workshops at Lower Hutt. The daughter suffered injuries to her left leg and shock, and the wife injuries to the head and concussion and shock. Minchin was uninjured.

CAR DIVES OVER BANK. CHRISTCHURCH. January 8. A remarkable accident occurred at the foot of Hackthorne road, Cashmere Hills, this evening, when a motor ear, containing four men, carried away a heavy wooden post and rail fence and dived over a 16-foot bank. The car was impaled upon a section of the three-inch railing, which pierced the radiator and body work of the vehicle from end to end. The car landed on its side in a right-of-way at the foot of the slope. Only one occupant was seriously injured—Captain G. Bowen, of Sumner, an officer of the Defence Department. lie had to have his right leg amputated. The others escaped with slight injuries. VICTIM OF MOTOR SMASH. DaRGAVJLLE. January 9. The death took place at the Northern Wairoa Hospital, Te Kopuru, this morning of Alcrvyn APCarroll, aged 25. single, one of the victims of a motor smash at Glink’s Gully on Monday evening last The deceased, who was the second son of Air John 11. M'Carroll, chairman of the Kaipara Hospital Board, with two others on Monday night were motoring on a beach in a home-made racing car. and when doing a sharp turn the front wheel collapsed, and the car overturned, pinning M'Carroll and G. Cates underneath. The other occupant, J. Elliott, who was riding on the back of the car. was thrown clear. M'Carroll was extricated from the wreckage, and found ‘.o be badly crushed, but the injuries were not considered serious. Complications, however, set in. Cates suffered extensive bruises.

BUSH WORKER’S DEATH. TA UM ARUN U I, January 9 George Riley, aged about 40, single, was killed yesterday near Temair as the result of the collapse of a small bridge which he was crossing on a trolley loaded with logs. Riley was sitting on the logs, and when the bridge collapsed a log fell on him. crushing him to almost instantaneously. An inquest was opened to-day. and adjourned sine die to enable the bridge tc. be inspected by the Public Works eiiginoci - . ACCIDENTALLY DROWNED. WELLINGTON, January 9. In returning a verdict of accidental drowning at the inquest on the man named Crockett, whose body was recovered near Miramar wharf, Wellington, after the deceased had been missing since Christmas Eve, the coroner (Mr J. S. Barton. S.M.) said that, in his opinion, it was extremely probable that the deceased was blown into the watei bv the strong wind prevailing on December 24. KILLED BY FALLING LOG. WELLINGTON, January 9. William Green, aged 25, whose mother lives at Kaikorai, IMmedin. was engaged in hauling logs out of the bush in Otaki Gorge yesterday when a log slipped from the chocks and crushed his head against another log. He was taken to hospital, and died last evening. GIRL’S DEATH FROM BURNS. GISBORNE, January 10. A verdict of death from accidental burns was returned at the inquest this morning on Constance Isabel (Rangi) Bruce, aged 17, who died in hospital un December 23. The deceased was terribly burnt about the body, legs, and arms when a tin of methylated spirits with which she was lighting the kitchen fire on December 18 exploded, throwing the spirits over her night attire. VAN AND TRAIN COLLIDE. CHRISTCHURCH, January 10. Jack Warren, a single man. aged 20, employed by Tucks. Ltd., grocers, was seriously injured when the car he was driving collided with a train on the Bryndwr crossing. The van was struck bv the Parnassus express which was travelling at a fast speed. The car was smashed and most of it was carried for a distance of nearly 300 yards. The driver was unconscious when picked up He was taken to the Christchurch Hospital suffering from a fractured left arm and leg and head injuries. INJURED. AUCKLAND. January 11. Oswald Gallagher, aged 54. employed by the Electric Power Board, while pushing an air compressor, was jammed between the compressor and two passing cars. One foot was almost severed. He is in hospital in a serious condition. FATAL ELECTRIC SHOCK. ' CHRISTCHURCH, January 10. While working on the erection of two piles for electric wires at the site of the new Waimakariri bridge just after neon to-day, William Cecil Martin received a fatal electric shock. On his arrival at the Christchurch Hospital attempts were made te resuscitate him, but in vain. I V* verp a nrrzv/4 oVxrxtiF firr/wl , with his father, Mr W. Martin, the licensee

of the Belfast Hotel. He was employed by Mr G. F. Drury, who was putting in two piles for the North Canterbury Power Board. These were to carry 11,000-volt transmission lines. Martin, it is stated, was tightening a guy wire to the poledriving derrick when the guy wire came in contact with the transmission line.

FATAL COLLAPSE OF BRIDGE. TAUMARUNUI. January 11.

The inquest on George Riley, who was killed through being crusher! by a log when a bridge collapsed near Messrs Smyth and Boryer’s mill at Te Whakarae on Wednesday, was resumed this morning After expert evidence had been heard concerning the state of the bridge, the eononer returned a verdict of accidental death.

The coroner commented as follows: — “ I am of the opinion, from the evidence submitted, that sufficient care has not been taken in examining the bridge, and where life is endangered laxity in this respect is to be deprecated. I trust this inquiry will cause stricter supervision to be exercised in the future.”

MAN FALLS FROM TRAIN. "While getting off the 11.21 train trom Dunedin to Mosgiel at the latter station yesterday morning, Janies Wright, aged 76 years, a retired bootmaker living at Mosgiel. fell and fractured his leg. He was carrying a parcel on his shoulder and this probably caused him to overbalance. He was subsequently removed to the Hospital. FALL FROM GANGWAY. Leonard Campbell, a married man, 29 years of age, belonging to Liverpool, was admitted to the Dunedin Hospital at 8.30 on Tuesday evening suffering from shock and injuries to his left hip. Campbell, who is employed as a fireman on the Alahana, fell from the gangway of the vessel at the Port Chalmers wharf. MOTOR CYCLIST’S DEATH. Robert Dodds, a single man, aged 25 years, residing at Mosgiel. was admitted to the Hospital at 5.30 p.m. on Satuday, suffering from injuries to the spine received through failing from his motor cycle. He succumbed to his injuries the same evening. THROWN FROM MOTOR LORRY.

Mona Campbell, aged 18 years, residing at 14 Glasgow street, South Dunedin, ami Herbert Blackburn, a single man. aged 43 years, residing at Young street. St. Kilda. were thrown from a motor lorry at Ravensbourne about 7.30 p.m. on Saturday. Both were admitted to the Hospital, the girl suffering from shock and injuries to the spine, and the man having received a fracture of the left leg. The lorry was driven by George Gilchrist, driver for Messrs Venn and Co., coal merchants. South Dunedin, and with him in the cab was Alary Campbell. The vehicle skidded when passing a car m Ravensbourne, and the man and the girl who were sitting outside with their backs to the cab. were thrown on to the road. Constable APKenzie arranged for their conveyance to the Hospital in an ambulance. MOTOR CYCLISTS INJURED. A collision occurred on Sunday on the Brighton road between a motor cycle ridden by Gordon Knox, who is 21 years of age. and resides at Green Island, and a ear driven by Clifford Colin Wark, of Tainui. Dunedin. As a result, two of the young men on the cycle were admitted 'o the Hospital suffering from injuries io the legs and. in one case, to the head. In addition to the rider of the cycle, who is suffering from a fractured leg and shock, there were on the cycle, Harry Saddler, aged 22 years, residing at Green Island, who suffered a eempound fracture of the leg. head injuries and shock, and Robinson Fox, brother of the driver, who escaped practically uninjured. Saddler was taken immediately to the Hospital in Wark’s car, and the ambulance was despatched for the other two. Saddler's injuries are regarded as rather serious.