ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2469, 24 May 1915, Page 7

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES

KILLED BY A HOTEL LIFT DEATH OF Arc. GEORGE I'INNOCK. Mr. George I'innock, tho proprietor of tho Columbia Private Hotel, in Lower Cuba Street, v;as killed by being crushed by the passenger elevator in bis hotel just after 2 p.m. on Saturday. Death was practically instantaneous, lhe circumstances a Howling tho fatality were peculiarly distressing. It seems that just alter luncheon, Mr. I'innock, who was on the tivst floor, where ho has his privato rooms, went to the lift to call for one of the housemaids. The lift well is screened from tho.passage by a wooden tho top part of which is glazed in fancy glass with panes about two feet long and a foot in width. One of these panes had, it seems, boon broken somo months ago in an altercation between two of tho boarders, aiid had never been mended. It bad been the habit of Mr. Pimiock, as well as members of the staff, to call through tho broken pane for anyone they needed, as such inquiries can be plainly heard in the office opposite the foot of the stairs. On Saturday, it appears, Mr. Piimock came from his room, put his head through the aperture caused by the broken pane, and called. The call "'as heard by another girl on the stairs, who, seeing tho lift quite closo to Mr. Pinnock's head, uttered a scream, which was heard by some or the boarders 111 the vicinity, but beforo the "unfortunate man could withdraw his head the floor of the silently descending elevator had caught him, and crushed his head between the partition and the lift. Dr. Ewart was summoned, but on the body being released, he could only pronounce life to be extinct.

An inquest will be held in due course. Mr. Pinnock was well-known to the travelling public. He was the proprietor of the first Trooadero restaurant in \\illis and, later, he had the Irocadero Private Hotel, on Lambton Quay for some years, and afterwards the Arcadia- He was also actively interested in a city taxi-cab service. He had been proprietor of the Columbia Hotel (owned by Messrs. Dwan Bros.) for over three years.

> A WOMAN'S SUICIDE. • ' An. inquest was held on Saturday be- ' fore Mr. D. G. A. Cooper, S.M., into the death of Nellie M'Phersou, tho young married woman, who was found dead, with her throat cut, at 175 Vivian Street, on Thursday morning. Harold John M'Pherson. manager ol the Bristol Piano Co., Oamaru, the husband of the deceased woman, gave evidence that he last saw his wife alive in Christchurch some timo in November, when he said good-bye to her at tho boat. She was then leaving to go to a nurse at Porirua. for a confinement. His wife had been in low spirits, and did not like to stay in Oamaru amongst strangers. That was why she camo to Wellington. She had worried a lot about her health during the last three months. The last letter witness received was about a week ago, when she said that she was pleased that witness had got a nice house for thm. She said she did not like coming Dack to Oamaru in one way, because she had lost her baby. She mentioned that she might go to Sydney. Deceased had no financial worries, as witness had sent her not less than £8 pei month, and gave her £15 when she left Oamaru. Witness could give no reason why she should have dons awsy with herself, except worry over the loss of her baby. Sergeant Murphy handed tho Coroner somo iettcrs. The Coroner said that tho letters wero very rambling, and it would appear from them that the woman was in need of money. Sergeant Murphy then handed in deceased's bank-book, containing £21) credit, including a sum of £6, which witness said he bad recently sent his wife. The Coroner said that from "the letters he had read it was evident that the poor woman was temporarily out of her mind. The verdict was that death was due to the wound in the throat, 'self-inflicted, while temporarily insane. ACCIDENTS ON THE FOOTBALL FIELD, Soon after the commencement of the Wanderers-Rovers match at Anderson Park, Hart (centre-half for Rovers) sustained a bad injury to his leg. He had to leave the field, and was later removed in a taxi for medical attention. Whilst the match Petonc v. Hutt (sixth class) was in progress at IJutt on Saturday a youth named Charles Slater, of the Petone team, fractured his leg. After tho lad had been attended to by Dr. Mirams he was removed to tho Hospital. SUICIDE OF A SEAMAN. An inquest was held into the death of Alexander Shivers, a seaman, who was found with his throat cut on Tuesday morning, and a verdict was returned that death was duo to shock and loss of blood, caused by wounds selfinilicted while temporarily insane. RUN DOWN BY A MOTOR-CYCLIST-On Thursday evening last, Mr. W. E. Butler, chief clerk of the Defence Department, sustained slight injuries to his leg through being run down by a motor-cyclist. The offending motorcyclist did not wait to seo whether his victim was injured or dead, but sped off before he could be recognised. Mr. Butler was unablo to attend to bis duties on Friday and Saturday owing to his bruised limbs and shaken condition. AN INFANT'S DEATH. At 10.20 a.m. yesterday the police received advice of the death at 12 Marion Street, of Charlotte Faye Boland, aged niuo months. Dr. Mackin, who was called in ten minutes after death, was unable to givo a certificate, and an inquest will be held. KNOCKED DOWN BY A TRAM-CAR. ■Tames M'Fadycn was admitted to tho Hospital lato on Saturday night suffering from slight injuries to tho head. He was knocked down by a tram-car . in Manners Street. i ACCIDENT AT THE PARK. Bernard Beale, whose parents rcsido [ at Paoroa, was admitted to the Hospi-t-al yesterday afternoon with his riglft ; leg broken. Tho injury was received j through a fall off tho park gates at ■ Newtown. Beale, who is 16 years of ; age, is in Wellington on holiday and } was residing with friends in Brooklyn. , FATALITY IN TUNNEL WORKINGS, i (By Telegraph.— Press Association.) Auckland, May 23. A serious railway accident occurred at the Kaikolio railway tunnel workings yesterday, by which Charles Betts, one of tho partners to tho contract, was badlv injured, and Peter Maloney was killed. Tho latter was a native of tho h West. Coast.. The cause of tho arci- j dont. was llial. olio oT the shoulder burs in tho tunnel suddenly gave way, pin- t ning the two men down. Both had to i bo dug-out. ; TWO RAILWAY FATALITIES. ] Auckland, May 22. ' Mrs. M'Kay, wife of an. employee at ! the New Lynn brickworks, foil from a ( train near S'ot Lvtin Station last even- . ing, presumably after the train started, ] and was run over hv tho tram and killed. j William H M'Auliffe, hairdresser. j who was knocked down by a. train on j