ACCIDENTS AND

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1976, 5 February 1914, Page 6

ACCIDENTS AND

FATALITIES. ■-.■ . ■»■■ THE LORiyE ST. CASE, ' DRAB IsTQBY AT AN INQUEST. Tho inquest concerning tho death of Bridget, irela Kight, a married woman, who was fatally bunted on Saturday night last through tho upsetting of a lamp, was. continued before Mr. vV, G. Hidden, .District Coroner , , yesterday mormrig, Senior-Sergeant isliiilany appeared on , behalf of tuo-police, Dr. 1-olhurst gavo evidence to the effect that at I a.tn. on Bunday last ho was called to 2S 1-orne Sfreet. lio found deceased lying on a. tied and only partially clothed, Tire clothes were, charred, and damp with water. Th© patient'was suffering severely from burns on tho face, body, afld legs, and all the time tliat witness was present she kept repeating: ''Mβ threw kerosene over me." She was evidently referring to tho.man l'ord, who had called witness in. Ford remarked she had bad too much b&er <ir sho wou)4 no't talk like that. 'Witness instructed' Jfofd to caE an ambulance and have .the woman removed to the Hospital, and this was done hs sooji as possible. . .-.''. .'

George Absolum, aoflietimes known as Ford, stated that he had lived with deceased for two years. Sh(? was addicted to drink, -and, during the' Saturday prior, to'her death, she. had taken a good deaf of liquor. About nine o'cloci on >tiie Saturday evening deceased arid a wo/nan named Airs. Sprowell were drinking at a table in the noiise. Tfiero was a Ughtod lamp on the table. 'Witness lay down- on a sola and went to' sleep, He was awakened by hearing a, «ry, "Ftit mo out; 1 am hurnirigj" and lie -saw deceased in-flames. Hβ threw water over her, and tore ofE sobio of her clothes, Hβ let her remain on' the floor while he ran to the table to. put out tho tablecloth, which was also .on fire. He aid Mrs. Sprowell then placed lier on a bed, and ho (witness) ran- for a doctor.

11l reply to questions, witness admitted that ho hsd had quarrels with deceased, but he had pot quarrelled with, her on the Saturday evonirig. 'Ho denied that he had thrown keroserio over lit*.

Detective-Sergeant Casaells stated that ho. had inspected .tho house'.' 'In one of the rooms thero was a table asid shelf which wero covered with kerosene. The table was vory much burnt. Tho lamp had apparently fallen from tho shelf. Tho man Absolttm had hh fingers burnt at tho tips, and this seemed to indicate that ho had been endeavouring to put the flames out. Witness "inquirod of Absolum how tho affair had happened. Ho had stated that he knew nothing about it,-and that, he had had four pints of beer. From appearances,, witness considered that there had beeii a drurtkftn orgy* ■ Mary- Sprbivell stated that -on. tho Saturday evening she was, drinking' in the- house with deceased. Witness haid gone to bed at about 8.30, but subsequently Ford called to her, and sho on a skirt and eame downstairs and found deceased on tho floor. .Witness added that .deceased was in t the. habit of carrying tho lamp about with Ijer..' . '"'ln. tlii-s , case," said .'the Gorpnfrr, "deceased's condition'was 60 b'adi that, at. the time ftf. her admissmii . to:'tlo' Hcspital, sho.was una-b/le- to,gh'C. any a-o-count or how eho camo to bo in such c&iidition. There wofo two other persons in tire house Tvith her at»the_ timo of the ocourrcncej but the last .witness is unable to throw any light- on tho matter. The only evidenco in confide-, trail with tho affair has been given by tho witness Ausolum. So stated tiljat deceased had been drinking, and. tho first thing that lie heafd svos doceSsecl calling : eu'fc'th : it shoAWas %n : firm • Ho' did what ho could for licr, and slip was taken to tho Hospital aiid died latef. ri.ocoased made a remark to Dr. Tolhurst that tho man Absolum had thrown kc.rosettOvOvcr her. The evidence, however, does not show that this happened, and deceased is ftjrthcn stated to havo been irra-Monal ■when, soaitted to the Hospital, and in, thai way her" statements must be viewed."

A vefdibt was returned that, deceased died at the- Hospital frofn tlie result of slittck from burns accidentally received , through -the upsetting _of a kerosene lamp. Thero wis no evidence to show bow the lamp had been upset.

STRUC£ BY AN ENGINE, VISITOR BAbliY HUBfl\ A yoimg man named JohnMyers , , 22 Tears of age, nict with a serioiis accident at liambtpn Station yesterday, and 'is lying in the Hospital in a critical condition. Fram 'information gathered last evening it , would appear that Myers gj.iho down from tho country yesteraay, with the intention of proceeding to Sydney to-morrow. , Shortly before four o'clock; ho went to tho coal depot, opposite Lainbton Station, to- talk to. a. friend. On his way back to flio station ho crossed tho rails at the,Upper;end of tho platform, and failed t<j-ass t'h.o 4.2 train from Lower Hutfc, which was approaching tho station. Tho driver of tho train blew the whistle, and Myers appeared , to jump clear. Ho was evidently struck by the side of the engine-, and was thrown a distance of some yards. On being picked up ho whs found to bo suffering from a- wound in the head, and was in sn unconscious Condition. First aid was rendered at the station, and_Myers regaifted consciousness. He- was not thought then. to , bo seriously hurt, but was scat to tho Bos-, pita}, where ho was found'to. bo .suffering froin concussion. Ho- relapsed into unconsciousness during the evening. Latp list night his .condition ' was criticalr Th 6 injured man is bfilieted to-be-a native of Australia, and is! single. .He. Jiid a companion with him when crossing the raiis. but this , man managed to escape the engine. ■. . ,