ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 915, 7 September 1910, Page 8

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

OLD MAN SMOKING IN BED. FATAL CONSEQUENCES. (By Tal«zrapii.—Press Association) ; Chrisichurchy September 6. James Aitchisoii, 70 years of age, who resided with his family in St. Albans, was suffocated by his bed catching fire early this morning. He was rather a heavy . smoker,; and apparently had been smoking in bed. It is /assumed'' that a spark from his pipo must havo ■ ignited the bedding. When his wife went to take him a clip of tea she found that the roomwas filled will] smoke. Her son 'man-' aged to-got his father: out; of the room, but ho'was quite dead. . .Deceased had been suffering from asthma .and bronchitis for some time past. At tho inquest, Annie Florence Aitchisoii, wife of'deceased, stated, that her husband was a heavy smoker, and. slept in the room by himself. She'last saw him alivo at midnight, when she filled his; pipe. Ho did not light/it, but told her to leave it', by ' his side. He. used wax matches. Sho heard' him walking about tho house at. a quarter to six this morning, and between 7.15 and 7.30 a.m. she went to his room with a ■ cup of tea. When she opened tho door the room was full of smoke, and; she called herson who got his/father out .of the room, but ho'was. then quite ! dead., She did not see! any flame in tho room, but the bedding and blankets were considerably burned..' She thought that the. lire had ; probably been caused through deceased smoking in bed. His breathing was considerably affected through asthma. Stanley Aitchison stated that his father was very .bad with asthma, dropsy, and bronchitis. Witness was called to his room this-morning by his'mother and found it was filled with smoke, and he saw his .father lying in the centre of the room. With 'somo difficulty, he got his father out of, the room, but; he was then quite _ dead. . • Dr. Symes stated that death was duo to, asphyxia, and . a verdict was returned accordingly.' ';.■,

; ■ " .FALL FROM A/DRAY. ■■-," Hastings, September 6. Francis George Rolls, 39 years,of age, a married man; died .-.in"a private'-'has-pital this'; morning as .the result of injuries' to.his. spine, received ■.by...a'.'fall from 'a;dray' last Friday. .He leaves seven young-children.':'' !., V. \ ~', William- Quinlan, .a' single man, aged 42,,: slipped and fell on a concrete-floor, -'at'the back of Barrett's Hotel yesterday, morning' with the result that : he broke his leg.'-'lt appears' that; ho came here from Stratford, last- Friday,-being on:' his way to Dunedin to take up employment under the Public Works' Department. .He is-' said' to 'be-a recent arrival in' New Zealand and-without settled residence in tho Dominion.: Ho was .removed to tho hospital. -•. ■ V : ,-'-'•. . Fred. Hiirnpfirey, a single ■ man, aged 35, residing in Majoribanks Street, sustained a., scalp...wound as '.the result of violent 'contact'. with a .'piece'.', of . iron in' the 'course ..of his ■ employment 1 , .on the wharf yesterday.. Ho.was' taken to ~ tho hospital in an unconscious,,condition. '■'~