CASUALTIES.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17111, 5 April 1921, Page 4

CASUALTIES.

•KILLED BY A TJRAIX. The Coroner, Mr S. E. McCarthy, hold an inquest yesterday into the death of an elderly woman named Jessie Wat. son, who was run over by a train at the Falsgrave street railway crossing on Saturday night. Joseph Greatbach, a fireman on tho Government railways, said that he was firing on an engine on Saturday night last. At 8.15, as tho train was coming from Linwood station to the Christchurch railway yards, they felt a bumpafter passing over tho Falsgrave street crossing. The engine was stopped, and on going back a woman was found killed on the line._ Witness did not see anyone on the lino when they were approachiugvthe crossing. Frederick Ullrich, driver on the locomotive, said he did not see anyone on the line before he felt the bump. Constable J. C. Mayue identified the body as that of Jessie Tonkins, alias Nixon, alias Watson. She had been convicted for drunkenness last Saturday morning. Sergeant Cassidy said that ho had found a letter in a kit at the scene of the accident. He, could not decipher all the writing, but he copied it as follows to the best of his ability, the blanks representing the illegible* words: —"To whom it may concern. Whoever finds me, I wish to say this in my right mind, that 'destroy' my life rather than suffer any more. -r—satisfied about the church people; • they gave me a couple of shillings when I was not able to work and keep myself. I have just left Hospital. • they did not care, because I would not go to the Army« Home. —— I was willing to do whatever I'm able, but they would not listen to mo. 1.. that and can't work, and I havo been ill for years at Wellington with because I would not go to tho church and agree with Army Home—— which are onlv frauds to get work I will die.—Jessie Watson (nee Tompkins)."

A verdict iVas returned that tho deceased had apparently committee! suicide, and there was no blame attachable to the driver or fireman of tho engine.

ELDERLY WOMAN'S DEATH. Mrs Alice Frow, who was admitted to Christchurch Hospital on March 3lst in a neglected condition, died at the institution on Sunday. At an inquest held yesterday, before the Coroner, Mr S. E. McCarthy* stable W. J. Irwin said that ho had found the woman lying in the Barbadoes street cemetery on the evening of March loth. She was removed to -the police station, and was subsequently released. >. Constable J. Southworth deposed that on the evening of Maxell 31st he found an elderly woman at the rear of a house in 363 Worcester street, and she was brought to the police- station, and after medical examination was sent to the Hospital. He identified the woman as the.deceased.

Dr. T. L. Crooke, who made a postmortem examination of the body, said he found pleurisy on sides of the chest and both, lungs deeply congested. The cause, of death was duo. to the diseased condition of tho lungs and heart. A verdict was returned accordingly.

A' distressing fatalitv occurred at the office of Mr G. Paeco'e, Bridge street, Reefton, on Wednesday morning, resulting in tho death of Mr Pasooo's young son, Lloyd George. The littlo t cbaPj who was left-at the office while his parents went out to attend to some business, managed, # while Mr H. It. •Hawken; the clerk, iras engaged in his duties, to open a drawer in his father's room, behind that in -which the clerk ivas working, and to secure a revolver which Mr Pascoo carried when carrying pay to the Inglowood mine. Hearing a report, Mr Hawken entered the room to find the boy lying dead on tho floor, a bullet having.'. entered his brain, caused evidently by the hammer of tlio revolver springing back -while tho boy was handling tho weapon.

(PKXSS ASSOCIATION TELEOItASTS.)

HAWERA, April 4. A drowning fatality occurred in the Kapuni Hirer, A boy named Edward Lovell, aged 15 years, was trying to catch a goat in a paddock adjoining the river, when he fell in. hoy who was with him ran for help, and a man named Evans was* quickly on tho snot. Ho dived, and got the body. Jfirsfc aid failed to resuscitate the boy, who had been in the water fifteen minutes. His fath<H% who is living at Auckland, lost another son in the same river eighteen months sao. BLENHEIM, April. 4. Richard Bruning,' aged 59 years, an agricultural labourer, committed suicide at Spring Creek by hanging. Ho leaves a wife and seven children. Ho had I been drinking.