DREADFUL AND FATAL ACCIDENT.

Auckland Star, Volume VI, Issue 1668, 23 June 1875, Page 2

DREADFUL AND FATAL ACCIDENT.

On, Monday last, a terrible accident which resulted fatally, occurred to Mr Samuel Davis, lately carrying on business as storekeeper in Macquarie-street, Dubbo. Mr Davis had a large waggon in Mr Boland's yard, and, as the smallness of the yard prevented the waggon from being turned round and taken out in the regular way, two horses were attached to the back of it by a chain. The wheels of the cart were sunk deep in the ground, and a great deal of exertion was necessary in order to move the waggon. Mr Davis with his brother and a man named Richard Kurtin, in the employ of deceased, were assisting. At last, the horses made a rush — Mr S. Davis being at this time between waggon and Boland's house. He sang out and endeavoured to stop them, but could not. The horses moved on, and Davis was first crushed up against the wall, and then knocked down. While on the ground, on his face and hands, the wheels of the waggon—a conveyance weighing fully two tons—passed over his hip and loins, and left arm. When Mr David Davis saw his brother on the ground and heard his agonising cries, he rushed to the heads of the horses and stopped them. On reaching his brother he found him suffering dreadfully. Dr Tibbits waa at once sent for, and arrived in a few minutes. Mr Davis was removed to Mr Furney's shop, opposite to where the accident occurred ; and it was then discovered that the left arm was broken, the hip much injured and the loins and spine seriously affected, All the remedies that skill and kindness could devise were employed, but in vain, for, about 4 o'clock, a change for the worse set in : the sufferer was becoming comatose, and the lower part of his body cold and paralysed. At half-past six o'clock he died. About an hour before his death, Mr Davis called for his brother David, and said —" It is no use crying, Dave. I am going to die. It is better the accident should have happened to me than you. You have a family — l have none."

SHOCKING SUICIDE,

The wife of Dr. Rose, a medical practitioner and old resident at Clunes, Victoria, discovered her parlour to be on fire, and on her giving the alarm, some of the passers-by succeeded in extinguishing it; but when they, at the request of Mrs Rose, looked for the doctor, who in the meantime had withdrawn to another room, they found him lying with hia throat cut to the bone. The wound was inflicted with a large tableknife. Medical assistance was called in immediately, but proved of no avail, life being extinct. The deceased gentleman had been suffering previously from mental disease — brought on by the death of an only son and through losses in mining speculations, but had apparently quite recovered, as he followed his profession successfully. At the inquest (says the Melbourne Argus) the verdict was that deceased died of wounds inflicted on himself while in an unsound state of mind. The deceased was 59 years old, and leaves a widow and three young children.

XECUTION AT HOBART TOWN.

The condemned criminal, Job Smith, recently tried, found guilty, and sentenced to death for a criminal assault, under brutal circumstances, on the girl Margaret Ayres, at Port Arthur, forfeited his life inside the the Hobart Town gaol (the Mercury reports)

on Monday, May 31. From the cell to the gallows Smith betrayed no physical emotion, his step being steady, and his demeanour apparently composed. On arriving at the drop, the Under-sheriff asked the unfortunate man if he had anything to say. Smith replied, " I am not guilty : I am an innocent man." The Under-sheriff then read the following written statement: "I was born at Bristol, on the 23rd November, 1819, and was a Protestant all my life. Became a Roman Catholic upon receiving sentence of death. I have left with my (spiritual) director a statement which, in his discretion, I request him to publish wholly or in part." The usual preliminaries having been arranged, the executioner performed his duty, and the malefactor died without any apparent physical pain. It may be mentioned that Smith left a written document with Father Beechiner, which contains a statement in direct contradiction of his dying words. EMIGRATION TO NEW ZEALAND. The substitution of promissory emigration notes for free passages to New Zealand (says the Sydney Evening News), by Sir Julius Vogel, acting on behalf of his Government, has caused some dissatisfaction amongst the - labouring classes of the United Kingdom, but in spite of a remonstrance from the Labourers' Union Sir Julius adheres to his determination. This will seriously check emigration to New Zealand, and may be accepted as a partial acknowledgement that the system of free emigration has not proved so successful as its advocates make out.