DEATH OF MR JAS. THOMSON.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 13350, 7 April 1914, Page 3

DEATH OF MR JAS. THOMSON.

News has been received of the death of Mr James Thomson (brother of Messrs Alex, and John Thomson), which occurred at Sydney a few days ago. Deceased was the third son of the late Captain A. Thomson, of Gisborne, and was 40 years of age. From the meagre particulars to hand, Mr Thomson's death appears to have been sudden. t He was seized with an internal complaint, and died within twenty minutes. Mr John Thomson is on his way to Sydney in connection with the sad affair. Deceased was an old Gisborne boy, and was very popular with the young men of this town. He went over to Sydney three or four years ago, and was in business there. , The late Mr Thomson had had a varied experience, and his death recalls several incidents' in which he was a prominent actor. He was a proficient member of the Gisborne, Fire Brigade, in which he rendered good service to the town. At the fire which took place at Williams and Kettle's and Pettie and Co.'s shops some years ago he had the misfortune to fall over a roll of linoleum and break his leg. For some time he worked for the Harbor Board. On one occasion, he was working on one of the punts near the end of the breakwater, when his father, then harbormaster, Mr King, then engineer, and Mr J. Townley passed down the river to take soundings. They were, in a flat-bottom-ed boat, and there was a nasty jobble in the channel. A good deal of water came into the boat, and when turning round it was swamped. Jim Thomson threw a rope, which Mr Townley caught, and the man who was rowing jumped on top of the chairman of the Harbor Board, and thus they were pulled on to the punt. Mr * King got hold of the boat, which had turned ovfer, and he clambered on top, when a line was thrown to him. Captain Thomson set out to swim for one of the ladders down the side of the breakwater, and appeared to be in difficulties, when his son leaped into the water, and swam to his father's - assistance. On another occasion the late Mr Thomson was walking on the breakwater on a stormy evening on his way to light the lamps, when he was washed over into the river. His heavy oilskin and gum. boots got him into "difficulties, and but for the timely arrival of his father, who returned the assistance previously rendered him, he would probably have been drowned. Mr James Thomson was a member of the Fourth Contingent that' left Gisborne, and as such went through the South African war.