ACCIDENTS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 7326, 27 May 1913, Page 3

ACCIDENTS.

AT TEMUKA

Master Samuel Scott, a w?ll-laiown Temuka lad, is well on the way of making a reputation for himself. Some "weeks ago Scott jammed his linger badly. A fortnight ago or thereabouts lie cut his eyebrow open with an axe. On Saturday, whilst out shooting rabbits, the Ijreanu he was loading accidentally discharged, the bullet entering his leg, traversing 1 lie llesh several inches until it found linal lodgment near the bone. Scott walked to: Temuka from Arowhenua, and interviewed lb' Uugg, who ordered Ins rejadval to the Timarn Hospital. ileaV'tlu, bullet was located by means ot. the X-ray and removed. Scott is . expected to be about again in the course of a day or two His future movements will be followed with interest.

Mr James ‘Thompson, one of the new settlers on the “■.Riverside" cs tale, met with a nasty accident earlv on ‘Sunday morning. He went to a paddock to drive out some horses of drive out some horses of his, and atliis 10. the stable, and attempted to clear 'oil’ a stallion that was following them. The stallion suddenly turned and lashed out at Mi Thompson, kicking him in the. thigh, and knocking him against another horse. Mr Thomson’s calls .brought Ids wife and son to the scene, and they found Mr Thompson passing 'o’l in a swoon. The assistance of the nearest neighbour, Mr Huxford. and his son was obtained, and they carried Mr Thompson into his house. Mi Huxford found that a nasty gash had been made in Mr Thomson’s thigh, and that it was bleeding profusely. Dr Volcknum was immediately sent for, and in tlie meantime Mr Huxford was able to render valuable assist ance by stopping the bleeding. On Dr Volckiman’s arrival ha dressed the wound, which ho found to reach to the bone, and made the sull’erer af comfortable as possible, and at last accounts he was progressing favour ably, though it will bo some time be fore he is able to work again.

1 AT CERA UDINE

There was quite a chapter of acci dents in the Geraldine district or Saturday. In the morning a pony 'attached to a gig owned by ’Messrs Guinness and LcCren, bolted alone the Wau&apuka road, ending in c smash up through' one of the wheels colliding with a telegraph post. Mi G-uinnoss, ji:-n., who was in charge o' the pony and gig, had left them unattended for a few r minutes while drafting sheep in a paddock. As a result of the bolt, the gig was very badly damaged. COLLISION I'NV GERALDINE. While Mrs and Miss Wells, ’Pleasant Valley, ‘wore driving homeward on Sat urday evening about six o’clock, and While in the main street, Geraldine, they came:into contact with a motor car belonging to and driven by MrG. Martin, Orari Bridge. The occupanti of the trap were thrown out, Miss Wells being rendered unconscious while Mi's Wells sustained a nasty gash in the head. Both were removed to a private hospital, and on Sunday they were so far recovered that they -were able to proceed koine. On inquiry yesterday’ wc learned that -Miss Wells had not yet recovered Iron, the shock. Mr Martin's ‘motor Cal and the trap were both badly dt,m aged, blit the horse escaped, without injury. ’ LATA LILY Ad. 1 TRIPP SETTLEMENT. Mr William Thomas, who took up Maud at the Tripp Settlement, in the vicinity of Geraldine left home on Sal urday morning to attend to some sheep, and remarking that he might get a hare ho took his gun with him About half past nine'Mrs .Thomas heard a shot. As her husband did not return at dinner-time, she sent a boy to, look for him. The boy re turned shortly before one o’clock saying (here was a man lying down by the fencei and thereupon Mrs Thomas went to sec who it was and found her husband with part of his head blown away and evidently dead. Con stable O'Grady and Br Hislop went out from Geraldine as soon as the sad event was reported, and the con stable found deceased lying with the right side of his head blown away, and his hat blown fully forty feel away. ’ Both hammers of the gun were down, though one cartridge had missed lire, and the triggers were caught in the middle wire of Use fence. It was evident that deceased was cn deavouring to get through the fence when the accident happened. The -do ceased, who was a native of Lincoln, near Christchurch, was thirty-six years of ago. He leaves a widow and six children. His holding was of about one hundred and fortv acres. INQUEST. On Sunday afternoon an inquest was held in the residence of Mr William McLeod, Orari Gorge, touching the death of William Thomas, who met with a gun accident on the 'Tripp Settlement on Saturday morning.’ The inquest was hchj.before Mr .1. Kennedy, .J.P., and h jury of six, with Mr 'Robert Yates as chairman.

Clara Alice.*;' -Thomas . deposed that deceased was" husband, and was •Ki years of age. At 9.110 u.m. on Saturday, 24th ' i^s| l ,.„;hor husband told her at the he was going to a paddock to look to some sheep, and that he would take a yen and try to shoot a hare. About half an hour later she heard the report of a gun, but did not take any notice, as she thought her husband had found a hare. As her husband had not returned to dinner between noon and 12.30 p.m., she sent her son Max, aged seven, to call his father. In a fe.w -minutes he came back and said that a man was lying near the fence with a 1 gun hanging on the h-nce. lie said he 1 was sure it was not father. Witness went up .to where (he man was lying, and saw that it was her husband. She shook deceased and tried to awaken him, but lew as apparently quite dead. There Was a large wound on the right side of deceased’s head. Witness left the body

as she found it. She also saw a gun hanging on (he wire fence near deceased. Her husband had not been well for about a fortnight, and had complained of indigestion. Mitness did not think her husband's death was caused in any way except by an accident.

7'atrick AAood Ifislop, medical practitioner. deposed that on Saturday, the tilth lust., in response to e. telephone message, he wen! lo (irari (lorge. In a paddock near 1.-ceased’s house hi' saw (he body of At ceased lying next a wire fence. A run was caught ii.' the wires, and .he t Agger

guard was broken. On examining the body he found that the upper j l l of t.he skidl had been blown .awav, the charge evidently having tnferod the

front of the head. The deceased was quite dead, and death must have been instantaneous. ■ lie considered from the position of the gun aud /r iLe nature of the injuries;' deceased hud died from a gunshot wound. ~ , John Janies U’G-rady, police constable. gave ; evidence that on being culled lo Urari Gorge ho discovered deceased lying dead near a wire fence. Tlie double-barrelled gun produced was hanging on the middle wire of the tence by tlie trigger guard, which had been broken some time previously. Ho examined the gun, and found there were two cartridges in it, and the one in the left barrel had been discharged and the right one had apparently missed lire, as the cap was marked. Both hammers of the gun were down. The deceased was lying on his right stele, and appeared to have jr..st got through the fence when Hie accident occurred. ill it; hat was lying about forty feat away, and had a small portion of the brain iu it. Bart of the scalp and HVo right eye wore: lying about 18 to 20 feet from the body. The deceased was quite dead, and appeared lo have been dead for some little time. With (he assistance of some of tiic neighbours of deceased, ho removed the body to the residence of dir William McLeod. 'The jury brought in a verdict that deceased came by Ids death through a gun shot wound accidentally received, and added a rider that they wished to express their disapproval of people using guns which are in a defective condition. MOTOR CAR SOMERSAULT.

Mr Arthur Eden, licensed car driver of Timaru, met with an accident on Saturday night, and had a narrow excape of being very seriously hurt, if not killed. Mr Eden states that he was going to Temuka, fortunately with no one else in tno car. Near Headown ho met , a motor cyclist, with side car and a young passenger. Mr Eden assorts that he was on his proper side of the road and close to the side,, and was nearly run in,to by the cyclist. In order: to aVqid ;a destructive collision, as: ,he dare not; turn to the right for 'Sear that the other would also turn in that direction, and had no room to get; to the leit, he reversed the engines; and put on the brakes The effect of this was to swing the’ car right round, facing riinaru, and upset, pinning him down. The. cyclist stopped and helped him out after about - ;a (c/iartcr pf an hour’s work, there being no one else about. Mr .Eden had a wonderful escape, being merely scratched on one leg. This .-cyclist, whose name .is understood to be Stokes, and who had tome from -Christchurch, took Mr Eden to Temuka, and thou resumed his journey. The car- was seen upside down 'oyer the ditch by many oeoplo mi Sunday morning. Mr Eden got it righted, and though it was much damaged he managed to drive it to town. A FALL. iT-woTimani builders were returning to town from the south on Saturday rvening, when one of them got out of the car to ’light the , lamps. He thought (lie car had stopped, and the consequence was that he was thrown ratherheavily on the road, sustaining bruises and shock. FOUND ; •DROWNED' HASTINGS, May ‘2O. At the inquest concerning the death of Wi Ng-ahi Maitaira, who disappear ed mysteriously on Saturday night, ind whose body was found in the I’uki Tu’ki river on Sunday', a verdict was returned that deceased Was frowned whilst in a state of intoxication, but there was no evidemce lo show whether his death was accklcntal or a suicide. A rider was added;that the evidence lisclosed the fact that liquor is supplied freely to young natives in Has‘ings, and that natives, whether old jr young can procure liquor for connunption olf the premises. CHILD LOSES AN ARM. ‘CKREYMOUTH, May 20. On Saturday morning a serious accident befell a boy named John Armstrong, aged four years, a son of lames Armstrong, mine manager. The boy was standing on the railway line it Stillwater between two trucks with his father. The engine suddenly, bump ;d the trucks and the lad got his right arm .severely crushed between 'ho buffers..; He was taken to Grey-, mouth 'Hospital wjicrgi it was . fount}, accessary;' to removj-. tliej limb. The lad sis now,, progressing satEfactorj|y.,„ T .WOMAN DROWNED. INVERCARGILL, May 2d A married woman, Mary Aim Hollands, nas drowned in a gravel pit at I isbury on Saturday. She was standmg on the bank with, her son aged nine, when ihe bank gave way, precipitating her into six -foot of water. Ihe little boy called his brother aged nineteen, who was working some distance away, and the elder liny managed to get , his mother out, but his eti'orls to restore animation failed. LOST IN THE SNOW. William Jennings, a shepherd on Glenary station, near Waikaia, has been missing from the 2nd May On Chat dale he left bis hut to ride to nothing has been' seen of him since Hie homestead live miles away and There was a foot of snow on the ground and the weather misty, and it is believed that Jennings rode over a precipice. Thu missing man (was about fifty years old.