Holiday Fatalities.

Hastings Standard, Issue 511, 28 December 1897, Page 3

Holiday Fatalities.

(Ptr Press Association.) "Waxganci, This day. Two little girls, aged about 7, a halfcaste and a Maori, were drowned on Christmas Day in the river, half a mile from the town bridge. The Maori girl fell off a stone protection wall, and the other child tried to save her. A native named Takanangi jumped in after both, and reached them, but failed to bring them ashore. The body of one was recovered on Sunday. Hokitika, Dec. 26. An elderly man named Charles Bonckha, formerly a miner, was found dead, having hanged himself in a room in his cottage in Sale street. He had been dead some hours. His toes had been touching the floor, and he could easily have saved himself if he had repented of his resolution. He was rather ecentric in manner at times, but there was no reason to suspect a disposition for self-destruction. He was a single man. His place was scrupulously clean. He was supposed to be a man of some means. Chrisxchuuch, Dec. 25. Jhis morning at 6.30 o'clock a youth named Comerford, a clerk in Whitcombe and Tombs, a son of the master of the Maungamunu Native School, was drowned at Sumner while bathing. He dived from the boat and did not come up again. The body has not yet been recovered. Wellington, Dec. 27. A man named James Fen ton attempted suicide yesterday by swallowing a quantity of match heads. He was taken to the hospital, where he was brought round. Oamaktt, Dec. 27. William Roylands, aged about 86 years, met with his death on Saturdaynight or Sunday morning by falling down the stairs of the Terminus Hotel at Duntroon. He stayed at the hotel over night, and nothing was known of the occurrence till the morning, when he was found by the servant girl with his neck broken. Dunedix, Dec. 25. Robert Hume, commercial traveller for M'Leod Bros., Limited, and one of the oldest en the road, died suddenly this morning, supposed to be from heart disease. He was about 58 years of age.