DOMINION NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 August 1927, Page 1

DOMINION NEWS.

MAN TERRIBLY INJURED WALKS

AAV AY

(Uy Telegraph—Per Press Association.)

WELLINGTON. Aug. 15.

A somewhat remarkable incident occurred in the early morning of August- 5 alter a motor car driven by .lames Hargreaves, of 4, Karori Street, .Miramar, had collided with a City Corporation milk cart driven by Wii--1 inm Patrick O’Gorman. The story (old ol \ ietor Wilde Smith, married, aged thirty-one, of 4, Karori Street. Miramar, who was an occupant ol

the car and died in the hospital on August 10 from the result of injuries was that with a dent in his head as big as an average fist, with a. bad Iracturo of the skull and with a hone driven some inches into the brain he yet can id tell his friends that lie was ieeling quite all right, and walked

away. He was touiid later in a Kilbirtiie tramway slicd.

According to evidence at the inquest to-day Smith was quite unconscious when he was admitted to the hospital on August 5. After the operation he rallied lor a few days, hot died not long after a second operation.

i'lie evidence showed that deceased, Hargreaves and some others in the car had Ik'cii to a dance party. Port wine, was drunk, but the driver and deceased were sober. When the collision occurred both tho car and the milk waggon were on the wrong side of the. road going in the same direct ion. Hargreaves said ho was travelling fifteen miles an hour and did not see the milk (art, which he contended had no lights, until too late to avoid a collision. O’Gornian said his vehicle had lights. Tho night was very wet and visibility was froor. As it is possible there will be an action against tho City Council, the Coroner, Air E. Page, S.AT., said he would not comment on tho evidence beyond saying that apart from being on tho wrong side, of the road neither party appeared to he, negligent. His verdict was that deceased died on August 11 from injuries received in a collision at Kilbirnic on August 5.

A ROS Y AND ATTEMPTED TRAIXAVBECKING. l’A LA HOUSTON N., Aug. 15. Two youths, whose names were suppressed, pleaded guilty at the Alagistrate's Court to-day to five indictable charges, including three of arson, olio of attempted train wrecking and one of cutting telephone wires. They were committed to the Supreme Court lor sentence.

In applying for suppression of the names defending counsel said that both lads were of suhnoraml mentality. all hough not of a class requiring detention iu a. mental hospital. The parents of both lads had done everything possible to help them. Neither could keep a jdb more than a month and could not be taught anything. The same lads also pleaded gndtv to several charges of theft and giving false alarms of fire and will he senton ceil to-morrow.

CAPTAIN FELL ASLEEP

ISLAND SCHOONER WRECKED

AUCKLAND. Aug. 15

Tlh- “Herald's” correspondent at Suva, writing; under date August sth. says that tho purchasers of the wrecked auxiliary schooner Greyhound paid (£225 lor tlio ship as she lay on the reef at Nasolni and £125 for tho 75 tons (more or less) oi copra, which was. either in the vessel or floating, in the vicinilv. The O.tF.P. engine which cost some £2OOO a little over 12 months age; was recovered, and is as good as new. It is said that the vessel was insured for only £IOOO. At the Marino Hoard enquiry, the master. Scott, who has been at sea for over 25 years and who has held a master’s certificate, (rankly admitted that he had no right to he where ho was. He said he had taken the wheel at S a.m. and was still unrelieved at ! o’clock the next iimniing. lie said he must haw fallen asleep. Tie had MX passengers on hoard. Owing to his frankness and candour and to the fact that he had never had •my mishap before, the Hoard took a lenient view of the case. Jim certificate was suspended for three months.

11l DEI? SERIOUSLY INJURED. AUCKLAND, Aug. lti. A. message from Kaitaia states that a serious accident betel E. MeDougail. of Waihopo, the northern representative of the Kami Ginn Control Hoard. When on his way to W’aiharara. on horseback, on Sunday, to attend a meeting, he had to pass a wrecked vehicle on the roadside, and his horse shied. Mr MeDougail was thrown 'heavily, striking his head and hack, and he lay unconscious for four hours.' ITe was found by Afr Leyland, to whose house he was conveyed. It was thought inadvisable to take him to- the hospital by the road, and a launch is being procured to convey the injured man from Waiharara to tho Mangonui Hospital. It is feared that Mr MeDougail sustained a serious injury to his spine.

11 ADR) LISTEYKR-iX. WELLINGTON. Aug. 10. The necessity for radio listeners-in to he careful was will illustrated on Saturday by the experience of a Wellington resident. He was listening-in on a crystal set and using headphones. Unconscious of any danger he readied over to replace something that had got out of position in connection with a four-globe radiator that had the current on when he was immediately transformed into a conductor for 230 volts. Only when after seven or eight seconds the current was turned off was jia able to rcVns« the rod in. tor. The case was referred to Mr George Lauchlan. assistant general manager of the Electricity Department. He safety. Don’t touch switches or other apparatus with the oilier hand on a tap or a. range or anything that gives an earth connection. Don’t handle electrical apparatus while wearing head sets. If everything is in order, nothing will happen, hut a fault exists very often where none is suspected.”