THE DEATH OF MR OLIVER WAKEFIELD.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1152, 28 March 1884, Page 3

THE DEATH OF MR OLIVER WAKEFIELD.

■ The ;ol!owiog accouni'Ot tae melat oholy rcidenl by which thb above gentl-m.", | who the impel taut position of Undersecretary for .Mince, sustained injuries B serious that he expired shortly after undergoing an operation at the Heap a l , w< take from the Daily Times : At about 10 minutes to 3 on the afteri' noon of thd 20th inst, a tramosr at* ached i to a eteam motor was proceeding along . Princes street northwards, and when neatly - opposite Meears H-tr-crt, Haynes, and Co.'s , establishment the deceased was in the act of crossing the street. An express wiggon was passing at the time, and Mr Wake- . field’s attention being ocuup'e' in endea- - rearing to avoid this, he failed to notice his , dangerous proximity to the steam motor. . He was knocked down, and the front ; wheels of tUe engine passed over the lower i portion of his body, but the engine was brought to a a'andstili before the bin >er wheels reached the prostrate man. The deceased was at once removed from beneath the engine by the bystanders and conveyed to the Hospital in a passing express, Mr A. C. Kimbeli, who wasja pa,-s' nger on the tramcar, accompanying him. Mr Wakefield became uncouscious almost immediately he was lifted from tbe giouna, and continued so until his arrival at the Hospital, when he recovered so far as o be able to request Mr Kimbeli to telegraph to his brother, Mr B. Wakefield, M.H.IC for Welwyn, which was at, once doae. Drs Mauusell and Scott fist examined the injured man, and found that both thigh bones were severed, and that he had also sustained a scalp wound, probably from th« opposite wheel of the engine as he lay across the line. It was considered necessary to amputate both the legs, and the operation was performed by the two medical men mentioned, assisted by Drs Davis and Cope« land. Little hope was, however, entertained of saving the deceased, and, as feared he sank rapidly after the operation, and expired about six o'clock in the afternoon. Hts Honour Judge Ward also telegraphed to Mi E Wakefield, whi resides at Tnnaru, and a message wag receive i from that gentleman stating that be would be m town to day. The deceased has been for many years past in the Government service, and was appointed Undei-secretary for Goldfields about fivj years ago, an office which he held at the time of his death, although it was stated that the Government intended to amalgamate his with other departments. He was a younger son of the late Mr Felix Wakefitld, brother of Mr Edwin Gibhon Wakefield, so well known in connection with the founding of this Colony. The family formerly resided in Otago, ana more recently in Nelson. Mr Oliver Wakefield was aged almut 33 at the time of his death. He had only arrived in Dunedin by the Waihora on Wednesday, en route for Melbourne, having obtained leave of absence and Mr Kimbeli telegraphed to have his effects landed at Port Chalmers from the. Steamer, The name of the driver of the steam motor is Peter Jack ; and at the lime of the accident the engine is stated by bystanders to have been proc-eding at a mode.-nte speed only, the incline being in fact downwards at that point