ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 86, 6 January 1919, Page 6

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES

RETURNED SOLDIER'S DEATH

SUPPOSED FALL FROM FIRE

ESCAPE

At an early hour yesterday morning the body of a returned soldier, 37,143 Corporal Leslie Robert Best, was found at the foot of a fire-escape nt the Columbia Hotel, Cuba Street. The deceased's skull was completely smashed, but the circumstances of lii 9 death are at present unexplained. Rest, who waS|3B years of age, left New Zealand with the Twenty-fifth Reinforcements, and he returned to the Dominion on December 20 last. About 2 o'clock yesterday morning he approached Sergeant Edwards, of the Central Police Station, who was on his rounds at the time, and stated that he had no money and no place' to sleep. Ho Was perfectly sober, but as he seemed in need'of repose,' the sergeant took him to the Taranaki Street Police Station to have a rest. Subsequently he left the station, and nothing more was heard of him until his body was found by Harry Mann, day porter at the Columbia Private Hotel, It is thought that Best was climbing the fire-escape for the purpose of entering the hotel, and that lie fell from the third story.

In conversation with Sergeant deceased said that he had <v wife and a sixteen-year-old son in Sydney. He also informed the sergeant that his parents lived at 80 George Street, Sydney.

•An inquest will be held at 3 'p.m. today.

DEATH OF A TYPIST. An inquest will' he conducted bp the coroner, Mr. W. G. Biddell, S.M., at 10.30 a.m.'to-day into the circumstances of the death of a single woman named Constance Maud Sparrow, who died at the residence of her parents, 533 Ade; laide Road, about 1.30 p.m. on .Saturday. Decensed, who was 27 years old, and a ehorthand-typist, employed by the Bemington Typewriter Agency, Brandon Street, had been 6iiffenng from an internal trouble for about three years. At the end of last week her condition became worse, and she expired as mentioned above. . -

INFANT DIES £T RECEIVING HOME,

An infant named Phyllis May Delaney died at the Wellington' Receiving Home early on Saturday morning. .The child was born on October 10, and on the 28th of that month it was taken to the hospital to receive treatment for its eyes. An inquest will be lield ut'9.45 a.m. today.

WOMAN'S SUDDEN'DEATH. A young married woman named Mrs. Dyson died suddenly at her residence in Ghuznee Street on Saturday afternoon. Deceased had been under, treatment by Dr. Gilmer for three or four, days, and as the latter is not. quite cortain as to what was responsible for her ..death an inquest will probably be held. CHINAMAN FOUND DEAD. ' Lou Jim, aged 57, was found dead in bed at his house, 19 Haining Street, on Saturday morning. About a .month ago deceased was discharged from the hospital, where he had been under treatment for five months for kidney trouble, and nephritis. On Friday evening he was in the company of some Chinese friends, and went to bed about 9 o'clock. The next morning he was found' dead.. As Dr. Barclay, superintendent of the hospital, has returned a certificate that death was due to kidney trouble and nephritis, no inquest wilt be held. ,

STRUCK BY HATCH COVER A waterside worker naiued Thomas Di*on, residing in-Aro. Street, was struck by a hatch enver t while' working on a vessel at the wliarf'on Saturday morning, »ad received an injury to his left shoulder. Ho was admitted to the hospital at 11.30 a.m., and last night he was reported to bo progressing very well.