ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6134, 22 March 1898, Page 3

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

United PreßS Association— By Electric Teletrrftpb— Copyright. Beceived March 22, 11.45 a.m. A EAILWAY COLLISION. , LONDON, March 21. A collision occurred on the South Eastern Bailway line between two passenger trains at the New Cross suburb of London. Three persons were killed and six injured. FOUND DEAD. Colonel Dyer, the President o£ the Employers' Federation, was found dead in bed.

[Per Press .Association.! AUCKLAND, March 22. A man named Deblois dropped dead on the Kimihia Racecourse, Himtley. He has a wife and family in Auckland. The deceased was bookmaking.'-*>lt is stated tLat he was in the act of tafting a bet of .£1 from a man, when he fell backwards and died, it is supposed from heart disease. He is stated to be a French Canadian, and formerly an officer of the Salvation Army in the Native contingent. The eldest son of Mr H. D. A. Wright, stationmaster at Helensville, accidentally shot himself on Saturday night. He was employed as message boy at the Helensville Telegraph Office. It appears that on Saturday he went out to deliver a telegratrl, and in the evening his father became anxious. A search party was organised, and when some of the members got near the cemetery they heard dogs barking and found the boy lying over his mother's grave and one side of his head shot off. At the ' inquest a verdict of "accidental ;deatn "was Returned. The mother of the boy died about two years ago. ."■■■' V . GISBORNE, March 21. A sad accident occured early on Saturday morning and resulted in the death of Master Vincent Pyke, son of Mr Vincent Pyke, manager of the Bank of New Zealand. Master Pyke had been in ill-health for some time, and found the heat in his bedroom very trying — bo much so that a few days since he intimated his intention of getting up and opening the window from the top. He Was told never to attempt to do so, lest ( he : might get a chill, but always to call his father. The lad, who had expressed a desire to save his father the trouble, apparently got up and attempted to open the window himself. In doing so he overbalanced and fell some distance to the pavement beneath, sustaining a fracture of the skull. The father, hearing a noise in his son's room, went in, to find that his son had met the mishap, which, as described, resulted in death. STRANGE DEATH OP A GIRL. DUNEDIN, March 21. It is reported from Allanton. that the body of a girl was found in a field there. Two men passing along the road saw the girl in a paddock, when she appeared to be in great pain ; but at her own request to be left alone for a while, they went away. A little while later some other men passing saw the girl's body, life being then extinct. ; DDNEDIN, March 22. At the inquest on the body of Rose Dysaskie, aged sixteen, who was found dead in a paddock at Allanton on Saturday, the evidence showed that two men heard groans from a paddock, and found the girl in great pain. At her solicitation they allowed her to remain where she was. Soon afterwards the girl was found dead. A, verdict was returned that she died i rpm • 'syncope, and the jury expressed the opinion . that the -witnesses Ede and Smolenskie acted Very unfeelingly in hot reporting the matter as soon, as; possible, so that assistance could have been procured.

.; INQUEST. Mr R. Beethain, coroner, and a jury, of whom Mr L. Graham was chosen foreman, held an inquest at the Mitre Hotel, Lyttelton, yesterday, on the body of William John Gilpin, who jumped overboard from the s.s. Corinna on Sunday. Day id Spence, master of the Corinna, stated that at 10.45 a.m. on Sunday he heard the alarm, " Man overboard," and coming on deck found .that <the officer.in charge of, the deck had stopped the engines. Immediately a boat was ordered away, and in about six minutes the man was picked up. The officer in charge of the boat found the man to be' insensible, and at once tried to restore consciousness. These efforts were continued v(h en the boat returned to the ship for upwards of two hours, but without success. Before leaving Wellington the chief officer reported to witness that a 1 passenger was rather peculiar in his ways. Witness saw the man, whom he had known as a coal lumper at Wellington since 1890. He spoke rationally, and paid for his passage. At midnight witness told deceased, who had not gone to bed, that he allowed no passenger on deck at night, and deceased then went below and went to bed. On Sunday morning ' deceased was apparently all right. Sydney Gilbert Stringer, chief officer on the s.s. Corinna, gave corroborative evidence, Witness had charge of the boat which picked deceased up. He wa9 then insensible. Francis Naylor, third officer, stated that be savr the deceased jump overboard, and heard him call out '-Good-bye." Witness at once stopped the engines. .Joseph. . Grenville, q, passenger, deposed that he saw deceased .jump overboard* and just previously he had been talking quite, rationally. :The jury returned a verdict of "Death from accident, while temporarily insane," .and added a rider commending the officers and boat' 9 crew for the prompt manner in which assistance was rendered. The Coroner promised to forward the rider to the Union Steamship Company.