ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 675, 27 November 1909, Page 6

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

A VIOLENT END. .>'.■• • ; SUICIDE AT KHANDALLAH. At the morgue l yesterday afternoon, Dr, W. A,: M'Arthur, District Coroner, conducted an inquest into the circumstances surrounding the death of''Andrew Edwards," whoso body was discovered on the. beach at ICaiwarra on Friday night. Maria Matilda Edwards, wife of tho deceased, stated that. they' had been married about nineteen years, and-resided at Khandallah.': Prior to her husband's disappearance, they! had not lived happily together, and that proceedings had.been instituted by her for summary separation, the summons for which had .not been'served. Deceased was not aware' of her action. On Thursday, November 11, yher husband returned home about 5 p.m. He boro evidences.of having taken drink. He went out at intervals for more liquor, endeavoured to enter her room (into which sho had locked herself) by the door and the window, but afterwards became.• quieter.,. Witness -finally wont to bed, and subsequently heard a gunshot.' Looking out, she saw her husband standing '.nth his Back to herewith the gun in his hand. He had ovidently fired from the kitchen into . the dining-room., Witness went. back to .her room, and then heard sounds as if deceased were reloading the gun. She escaped through the window to. a neighbour's house, where she stayed for the rest of the night. Early next morning she returned to the nouse, and on .opening the door'^saw. bloodstains, but did not _ see ' deceased " then, - 'nor since. Evidence was also given by John Andrew Carton, to whose house Mrs, Edwards had gone for protection -the previous 'night. He. deposed that he escorted; her to a neighbour's houso, where she ' remained that night. :In the morning --witness,' in- consequence of. what. Mrs., Ed-wards'told-liim, went over ,to the houße, but saw no signs of -deceased. Besides- certain stains there ' was a double-barrelled' shot' gun, both' barrels of which ! had been discharged, standing in one of the rooms. There were also gunshot-marks on the wall. ,V Dr. W. Kyngton Fyffe, who conducted the post-mortem examination' of deceased, described the' condition of the body. Certain wounds had been inflicted, and deceased had probably : fallen unconscious into 'the' water, rhe cause of death was asphyxia, due to drowning: He was at'a loss-to explain how deceased could have reached Kaiwarra, a distance of a mile and a-half,- if the wounds were inflicted at Khpudallah. . The coroner 'aund in accordance with the medical evidence., - .There, was no evidence to show- where the wound' was inflicted, and therefore he:was unable to .determine hoiv deceased got into the water. ' - . yRAILWAY ACCIDENT. v.. . As , the Lower Hutt train, - which ■ reaches Wollington at: 2.10 p.m;, was passing- tho Davis Street, crossing yesterday., it orashed into .-the back- part I of; one. of :.W. J-. .Gaudin- and Son's lorries. v,' The: lorry was :knocked.into the. railway fence, i smashing, the: fence' and knocking the two back wheels off' the lorry'.', The driver was flung: off the cart,: and-sustained a severe shock. but was otherwise unhurt. : No damage was dOne to' the engine, and the horses attached to the lorry also escaped without injury. , ... -