ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2039, 26 March 1907, Page 3

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

Press Association NAPIER, yesterday. The Inland Paten coach met with an accident on Saturday, which resulted in the death of a pnssonger mimed George Morton. In rounding the bond of a rather stoop hill the king bolt broke, and in the collapse of the voliiclc Morton ivas thrown from the box seat under tlio coach, receiving such internal injuries that bo succumbed a few hours later. Deceased is believed to bo married, and lias a brother in AA'ollington. AVELLINGTON, yesterday

A young man named James Austin, son of a Petone dairyman, was killed at Mungaroa bridge, Upper Mutt. .Deceased was cycling, when lie evidently lost control of his machine, and iio dashed into tlio side of the

bridge, fracturing his skull and dying almost 1 immediately. AVESTPORT, yesterday.

An old ago pensioner named Ralph Spraggon was run over by a train on the Conn’s Crook line on Saturday night and killed. Deceased, who was deaf, apparently did not hear the train approaching,and stepped on the line a short distance in front of it. He ivas a miner, and an old resident of tlio district'. CHRISTCHURCH, yestorday. Five occupants of a waggonette belonging to H. Cassidy had a miraculous escape from sudden death on Saturday afternoon. Two coaches, a waggonette with two horses, and a four-horse waggonette, all belonging to Cassidy’s service, carrying passengers from the AVest 1 Coast, in the order named, left Boaley at 3.45 p.m. An hour later, 2J miles from Cass river, while the two-horso waggonetto, driven by Mr. AA’arren, was nearing the end of the AA'aimakariri cutting, something wont wrong with the brake. It ivas a steep down grade at 1 the place and the horses of the waggonotto were soon in contact with the rear of the conch in front. Mr. L. D. Rudd, his brother, and three ladies, strangers to Christ-

church, were in the waggonette. As soon as the horses came in contact with the coach they swerved towards the side of tlie cutting, where the bank runs down at a steep grade 200 feet to tlio AYaimakariri river. The occupants jumped out quickly. For-

unatoly no one was hurt. The driver icpt liis position and tried to check

the horses till the last moment consistent with safety, and finding the brake useless leapt out after the others. One horse was drowned in the stream below. The waggonette was badly broken. The other horse was uninjured. After the luggage had been saved the passengers divided amongst the other vehicles and were brought on to Broken River at

.30 p.m., and so on to Christchurch

AA’iiliam Thorne, employed by Jas. Bell, of Akaroa, is reported missing. A search party is out. He is said to have gone out shooting on Sunday with a friend named Hayward, and they separated. Later Hayward heard three shots in quick succession from the direction in which Thorne went. He could find no trace of Thorne, and as he has not been heard of since, a search has been organised.

GORE, yesterday

An old miner named David AlcDonald, at Twelve Alile, near Queenstown, has been missing for some days

and it is feared misadventure has befallen him. Search in the vicin-

ity of his camp has failed to reveal traces of his whereabouts, and it is surmised that he has fallen into the lake.

A young man named Arthur S. Humphries met with a fatal accident at Mataura on Sunday morning. The horses in a drag which was journeying with a party to Fortrose belted when crossing the Alataura suspension bridge, and the drag colliding with the kerbing on the footpath, tho-yomig--man. landed_heavily_on-the. patli, and sustained critical injuries, from which he died in twenty minutes. He was 25 years of age.

DUNEDIN, last night. Isaac Selby, aged about 84, was knocked odwn by a car this morning. It appears that' the man is stone deaf, and did not hear the approach of the car, and he was crossing the street. AVhen the motor man saw

him he immediately began to pull up the car, thinking the man was intending to board it. When the car was within a yard of him Selby stepped right' on to the line, and was knocked down. The car did not pass over him, but threw him to the side. His left hand and his forehead received several abrasions, but the old man is more likely to suffer from shock than from actual injuries. WELLINGTON, last night. At the inques ton the body of William Aspin- (not James Astin), held at Upper Hutt yesterday, tho evidence showed deceased fell from a bicyelo. When going at a fairly lapid pace lie staggered ami fell, sti iking the wheel guard Jioavily. A witness of the accident wont to his assistance, but deceased did not speak, and died in about 20 minutes. His neck appeared to he broken. The jury s verdict was that deceased was accidentally killed through a fall from a bicycle. OAMARU, Last Night.

Mr. T. F. Forrister, who has been secretary of the Harbour Board since its inception, died tonight, aged 09. vears. NAPIER, Last Night. At the inquest on the body of George Morgan, who died 011 Saturday as the result of a coach accident,, a verdict of accidental death was re turned, no blame being attachable to anyone. AUCKLAND, Last Night. A telegram from Waipn to Inspector Cullen states that William MeFarlane, aged 18, was drowned while bathing in the Fohrenui Creek, at North River yesterday,