ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1650, 6 January 1914, Page 6

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

« CHILD SHOT DEAD. HER FATHER FIRING,; AT A CAT. (Br Te!«Krfl.i>h—Press Aeodatlon.) ■ Ghrlstchurcti, January 5. A distressing shooting fatality occurred at Stoke, near Gust, at 5.30 p.m. on Saturday, the victim of tho accident being Ethel Doreon Tallott-, a littlo girl between seven and eight years of ago. Her father, H. Tallott, a well-known farmer and member of the Rangiora County Council, took his gun into the scullery to shoot through tho window at a cat which had been destroying chickens. The child, who was waiting round tho corner of tho house with her sister t# see the shooting, ran out and picked up a milk-can standing in tho yard, and carried it out of tha way. Tallott thought she had taken it back with her, but she had gono with it Jinto tho washhouso opposite tho window. Her sister called out to her to look out, as tho gun was going to be tired, but sho evidently did not hear. Just as Tallott took aim and fired sho stepped out from tho washhouse and received the full charge of shot in her right ■ breast, instantaneous death resulting. At the inquest to-da,y a verdict of accidental death was returned. UNHEEDED WARNING. Napier, January 5. At tho inquest on Leonard Hughes, ei"ht years of age, who was drowned iivtho'Tutnekuri River, tho father gavo evidence that ho had warned the boy against bathing there, and had threatened to thrash him if he disobeyed. A verdict of accidentally drowned was returned. ', PARCEL-CARRIER DROWNED. Auckland, January 5. William Sutton, aged 18 years, a par-cel-carrier employed, at the Post Office, was drowned at Birkcfalo yesterday through a dinghy capsizing. OVERDOSE OF SLEEPING DRAUGHT. Auckland, January 5. A verdict of death from an overdose of sleeping draught, accidentally taken, was returned at an-inquest hold this morning by Mr. D. A. Sutherland, Coroner, on the body of Edwin Bywater, aged 76, who was found dead in his bed yesterday morning in his house in Kiligsland.

TRAM CONDUCTOR INJURED.

Auckland, January 5. A somewhat peculiar accident occurred about 0 p.m. yesterday, to a tramcar conductor named Lindsay Jack. The car had reached tho terminus in front of the post offaco in Queen Street, when suddenly a loud cry was heard from tho rear of. tho car. The inspector and motorinan run to see what waa the matter, and found tho conductor lying unconscious oil the platform. &o had evidently .received, a, sovero electric shock, but no one witnessed how it occurred. The conductor was taken to the hospital, \vhere_ no recovered consciousness lato last; night, and is progressing satisfactorily. It was evident that his arms and shoulders had been affected, thoujh no serious burns were noticeable. .