ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2151, 18 May 1914, Page 6

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

PATALLI CRUSHED IN A LIFT. ... . COBO.NEB-'S INQUEST. Mr, I). G, A. Cooper, S.M., held an. inquiry on Saturday into the circumstances surrounding the death of Stephen Aldcrton, . who was fatally crushed on Thursday last while working ait electric lift on the premises of Messrs, H. C. Gibbons and Co., seed merchants, Lauibtou Quay. Deceased, was a single man;' and had been employed by Gibbons, and Co. for tbo past three yours, if is age was 20 years and' 9 months.

At the inquest an Saturday, SeniorSorgcant Mulla.ney represented the police. Mr. 11, F. O'Leary appeared for the. relatives of the deceased, while Mr. D. S. Smith appeared for Gibbons and Co.

Dr. C. P. Henry, who was called to attend thG deceased at the premises of H. Cr Gibbons and Co., on Thursday last, stated that life was extinct when .1)0 arrived. Death must have- been instantaneous. It was duo to a broken neck.

The other witnesses called were: Harold Cottrell and Thomas Westwood. employees of Gibbons and Co., and James William Alderton, brother of the deceased. From the evidence, it appeared that on Thursday afternoon the deceased had been engaged in conveying bags of seed to the top iloor of tho establishment for tho purpose of weighing them. At 3 p.m. lie placed two bags on tho lift for transmission to tho fourth story When the hoist had gone for some time and there was no sign of deceased, his companion (Harold Cottrell), who was ok the. first floor, came to tho lift shaft, looked up, and saw that deceased was jammed by tho lift, Cottrell immediately called out for assistance, nnd the body was released, but death had already taken place. 'Akferton had been in his usual health, and his fellow-employees could offer no explanation of tho fatality, other than that deceased must have been baking at something on tho second floor and placed his head outside the carriage of tho lift. At the time of the. accident tho lift was in thorough working order. It was a, goods lift, of regulation typii, and subject to Government inspection, i

Mr. Smith said ho wo-s prepared to place evidence before the Coroner to show that- the lift had been placed under the special supervision of an engineer, who received an annunl payment, from Gibbons and Co.

Tito Coroner did not think that was necessary, as the evidence showed that the lift was in good working order. The. verdict would ba that death was accidental, SO blame being attachable to anyone. DARFIELD MOTOR FATALITY. THE INQUIRY. (By Telegraph.—Ptesa Association.! eWstcJiurch, May 17.

Ah inquest was oponed to-dr\j - concerning tho death of Mark -Edward Isherwood, a motor-cyclist, who was found in a dying condition near Darfield on Friday eight.

Dr. Wosteiu'ii, who conduetal the post-mortem examination, said that deceased had evidently been thrown violently on tho handles of the motorcycle he was riding, causing injuries to tho heart which resulted in death.

Another witness named Harper gave evidence- that from an examination ho had made of tho locality, it would appear that, deceased was riding tins cycle along the- macadamised part of tho road when ho suddenly swerved to the side on to tho grass track. The motor became embedded in a. rut, and in trying to extricate tho.maclirao "the rider would he thrown on to tho handle 'jars. Thft inquest was then adjourned till Tuesday at.Darfickl, to enable further evidence to tie given. SUDDEN DEATH. The. police received information yesterday afternoon that a woman named Maggie Gibson had died suddenly at No. 4 Little Hawkestono Street. It appears that she- had been ailing for somo time previous to her doaih, but had sot been attended by any doctor. Dr. Anderson, who was called in, was cnoWe to give a certificate of death, mid .all inquest will subsequently bo held. A FRACTURED LEG. A young man named Peter Hunter was admitted to the Hospital on Saturday suffering from a fracture of the leftleg. The- Hospital authorities were tm» ; able to .supply any particulars as to how or where the accident happened. DEATH FROSiiIiiART FAILURE. ■ Wajrnate, May 16. An inquest was held to-day on tho body of a man named Frank Lundon, who died suddenly after a "social" early on Friday morning front heart failure, OLD MAN BURNED TO DEATH. WaJmate, May 16. A man 60 years old was burned to death in a. hut near Waihao bridge last night. The charred remains of his body were found about 7 o'clock this Morning. Tho mail was known as Albert Mitchell, and he had worked for farmers round about for some four years. At the inquest a verdict of accidentally burncd to death was returned. -