TAIHAPE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 134, 8 June 1937, Page 5

TAIHAPE

LADIES’ GOLF CLUB Last Week’s Competition.—The fol- ' lowing are the best cards handed in for the medal round, which was played last week: —Mrs Kincaid 90 — 12—78; Miss Collerton, 92—12—80; ! Miss Dickinson, 98—18—80; Miss ; Townsend, 95—13—82; Mrs Boles, 107 —23—84. This Week’s Competition.—A bogey match will be played this week, the draw being:— A Grade.—Miss Collerton and Mrs I Price; Miss Townsend and Miss ' Bowler; Mrs Kincaid and Miss Me--Cartin; Miss Dickinson and Mrs Mur- ; rell; Mrs Ongley and scorer. B Grade.—Miss Fookes and Miss ' Maclean; Mrs Boles and Mrs James; 1 Mrs Oldham and Miss N. Bradley; j Miss Jewell and Mrs Bond; Mrs O’Callaghan and Miss C. Bradley; Mrs Oliver and scorer. I C Grade.—Mrs Tait and Miss MciLean; Miss Codling and Miss Lucas; iMiss Pierard and Miss Smith; Miss Mouldey and Miss Fitzherbert; Miss | MacCallum and Miss B. Smith; Miss :Dewhirst and scorer. Knock-out Competition. Players are notified that the third round of this competition must be completed by June 13. CONTRACTOR’S DEATH EVIDENCE AT INQUEST A verdict that death was due to drowning, no blame being attachable to anybody, was returned by the district coroner (Mr. E. Loader) at the inquest at Taihape yesterday, on John Persson, a Mangaweka contractor who lost his life in a distressing motor accident tfia: occurred near Mr. C. M. Jensen’s homestead, at Opaea, about four miles north of Taihape, on Sunday afternoon. Deceased was a passenger in a car driven by his brother, and was pinned underneath the vehicle when it skidded on frozen snow and left the road to come to rest in a creek, about 15 feet below. He was dead when extricated, but his brother and the latter’s wife were] not hurt. The first witness called at the in-| quest was Dr. G. N. Mac Diarmid, who testifi/J that there were only slight signs of external injuries on deceased’s body. Witness was of the’ opinion that death was due to drown- j ing. He was uncertain whether de-i ceased’s neck was injured or not. James Anthony Persson, stated in evidence that he left Palmerston North on Sunday morning by motorcar accompanied by his wife, and drove to Mangaweka, where he called on his brother, John Persson, the deceased, who joined the party. “Wo drove to Waiouru in my car. I was at the wheel. We intended to visit Lysnar’s place, but owing to the heavy snow, were unable to do so. We left Waiouru about 1.20 p.m. My wife was next to me and deceased was on the other side. The car we were travelling in was a three-seater Ford V 8 (open tourer). I noticed a strip of snow on the road as I negotiated a bend and I applied the brakes and the car skidded on the frozen I snow over to the right hand side .where there is a camber and no chan- ,

nel. The car left the road and rolled over, falling about 12 feet into the creek. As the car fell it struck a I cabbage tree in the water. Deceased | was pinned under the high back part of the scat which caught him across , the back of the neck. He was lying , face downwards. 1 forced the door open and extricated my wife. Both ' of us then tried to lift the car off 1 deceased, but could only raise the car ; a loot or so as the cabbage tree behind stopped us. We summoned asI sistance and m3' brother was cxtr.i- , cated. His face was blue and we were satisfied that he was dead. His j head had been kept under water by i the car seat. Dr. Mac Diarmid ar- ' rived and tried artificial respiration | without avail. The body was removed ;to the morgue. Deceased was about 51 years of age, and was a returned soldier, having served with the Main 1 Body. He was a married man with j four children, and his parents resided at Palmerston North,” concluded witness, when evidence was corroborated by his wife, Alvina Persson. Claude Mervyn Jensen, residing at Opaea, said that the previous witness had notified him of the accident. He found the car upside down with a body underneath. It was lying in a muddy creek wi'h a little water in the bottom. He helped to remove the car. He was satisfied that the man was dead. Constable N. Batchelor testified that he had visited the scene of the fatality, and had observed that the car marks on the frozen snow indicated that the vehicle had skidded forward and sideways towards the edge of the road, and had then toppled over the bank. The only external mark visible on deceased’s body was a face discolouration, which was more noticeable on the right side as though some weight had caused the mark. When a motor-van was brought to the locality whore the accident occurred in order to remove the body, the van skidded sideways on the frosty surface, towards the edge of : the road. The coroner returned a verdict as 1 stated. 1 PERSONAL . ■[ Mr. and Mrs. H. A. Belk, of Ohotu, I leave by the Wanganella on Thurs--1 day on a visit to Australia. Mr. Belk > was recently farewelled by the Utiku t Golf Club, and presented with a handsome leather suitcase, while Mrs. j’Belk received a ladies’ handbag. She ■ | was also made a presentation by .the -1 Utiku Women’s Institute. 1 GENERAL NEWS 1 Consternation reigned at the Ta!1 hape Railway Station in the early 1 hours of yesterday morning, when a - goods train arrived from the north > without the guard, Mr. M. Siddle. s The railway authorities at Mataroa t were telephoned and it was learned e that Mr. Siddle was aboard the train » when it left that slation. Grave y anxiety was felt for his safety, but j all fears were allayed when he turned » up about half an hour after the train’i r arrival. He had slipped on a frosty s, surface and fallen from the train as . it was within the vicinity of the rails way crossing, about one mile north a of the Taihape station, Mr. Siddle e suffered a fracture c' two ribs as the result of the accident. ’