ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1205, 14 August 1911, Page 8

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

A SAD CITY AFFAIR. Am inquest was held by the coroner pr. M'Artaur) at tho morcuo Testwday morning concerning the death ot William Johnson, who was found dead in Ins room at No. 7 Hopper . Street, on Saturday mornin?. Deceased, who was about 51 vears of ace, is an old resident ot \Vollin»ton, nnd was well known in building circles. His wife is at present in JMigaLu'dwiß Koch, of No. 7 Hopper Street, identified the body. .At about 5.31 on Inday evening lie went to deceased s room and found him writing. Deceased and no afterwards played cribbaco until about ' James William Evans, painter, of Upper Cuba Street, stated that he had known deceased for about nilie years. Miortly after 5 o'clock on Friday eveninc deceased telephoned him and said, .Good-bye! you won't ?oe me again." Witness hud often, heard him. speak of suicide, especially when he was out of work and downhearted, ne knew that deceased was wolriod over money matters. On Saturday morninsj witness and Ml. V. Jensen wont to visit the deceased. The door of his room was unlocked, the gas was burning, and deceased was lying on the bed dead Sergeant M'Crorie, of Mount Cook, stated that, about 10 o'clock on the morning in question, lie went to No. 7 Hopper Street, and found deceased lying on he bed partly dressed. On a dressine table beside the bed was found a small bottle.' and several chemists to whom he had shown it considered that it contained prussic acid. He had not been able to discover where deceased obtained the poison. A verdict of suicide while temnorarihof an unsound mind was returned. At the inquest Senior-S«rgeaiit EutledßC represented tho police.

INQUEST AT THE HOSPITAL. . Yesterday afternoon Dr. M'Arthur conducted an 'inquest at the hospital touchin? the circumstances surrounding tho death of James Joseph Martin, who died at the hospital on Saturday evening as the result of an accident occasioned through falling out of an express on August i. , „, ~ Deceased, who was only 24 years ot aRO, was admitted to the hospital on the evening of August 4 suffering from a frac'tural skull and concussion of the brain. He was.then unconscious, but partially reamed consciousness about 24 hours arferwards. On Friday ovonina last his senses were qiiito clear, but inflammation set in, and this gradually crew worse, death occurring on Saturday. It appeared from the evidence that, on tho evening of the accident, deceased, who was under tho influence of liquor, was being driven homo by an expressman named James Fowler. 'When nearing the Basin Reserve ho attempted to rise, and overbalanced, with the result mentioned above. Dr. Elliott was summoned, and ordered his removal to the hospital. Tho verdict was tliat deceased died of septic meningitis, due to fracture of tho Senior-Sergeant Rutledgo represented the police at the inquest. SHOT BY HIS BROTHER. (By Tolccraph.—Press Association.) Auckland, August 12. A boy named Brock, son of a surfaceman at Owhaugo, was accidentally shot by his brother with n pea-rifle which had Ireen left in the corner of tho house. Death was instantaneous. FOUND DROWNED. Auckland, August 12. A married woman named Mrs. Andrews, residing at Milford Beach, Takanuna, disappeared early last evening, and tho family searched all night for her, but unsuccessfully. This morning 'the police found her dead body in a creek.

MAN SHOOTS HIMSELF. Ashburton, August 12. At 10.30 this morning, a siinglo man named Thomas Mummery, about 27 years nf age, was found dead in bed in an outhouse on the property of the laic Mr. George M'Eae, about a milo out of Ashburton. Deceased, who had been in the employ of the late Mr. M'Rae for a number of years, had a discharged revolver in his right hand, and was bleeding profusely from a bullet wound in the mouth. Suicide had evidently been premeditated, as deceased had left a note on. (he table in the room authorising the executors of the estate to pay all the wages due him lo a brother who resides in the county. It appears that deceased had been brooding regarding the deatli of his late employer, who passed away on Coronation Day, and also regarding tire, disposal of bis property. A man named Demuth jumped into tho harbour near the Perry Wharf Inst night. Ho was quickly rescued by sonic person off a seow which was berthed near by, and was removed to the police, station by tho constable on duty iu tho vicinity.