ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16487, 28 February 1914, Page 12

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES

TWO MEN DROWNED. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. ADELAIDE, February 27. Two men, named Renther and Richards, were drowned while attempting to cross a flooded creek at Edunda. SUICIDE. (Received February 27, 7.35 p.m.) HOBART, February 27. Everard Goldsmid, Commissioner of the Supreme Court at Zeehan, committed suicide under painful circumstances. The police received a letter: —“You will find my corpse in the grandstand at the racecourse. Break the news gently to my' wife.” The police found the body, with an empty bottle labelled “cyanide.” Deceased was fifty-four years of age, and a son of the late Major-General Goldsmid, of the Indian Army. It is stated that deceased was sunstruck in India.

DROWNING OF A. WOMAN. (Per Press Association.] AUCKLAND, February 27. An inquest was held this, afternoon on the body of Lucia Macalister, a young married woman, found yesterday floating close to the rocks near the Takapuna wharf. Athol Macalisrter, a gunmaker, said that his wife had since August last resided with Mrs Singer, Takapuna. He came over to see ms wife on Sunday last, when she appeared to be despondent. She did not complain. A month ago a child was born and ' since then her health had been apparently -good. Witness inquired, the cause of her/ despondency, but she did not give him any reason. She was to have gone to live with him in Auckland. He knew of no reason why she should have gone down to the -Takapuna wharf yesterday. The Coroner returned a verdict that the deceased was found drowned and that there was no evidence to show how she got into the water.

FOUND DEAD. [Per Press Association.] WELLINGTON, . February 27. The body of a young man, believed to be named Revell, aged about twenty-four, was found on the roadside between Petone and Ngahauranga this evening. He apparently was riding a motor-cycle, and ran into a dray standing begide the track. The body was brought into town to await identification.

A RAILWAY WORKER’S DEATH. [Per Press Association.] DUNEDIN, February 27. An inquest concerning the death of Peter Mitchell, a railway employee, 70 years of age, who fell from a railway truck on Tuesday, was held to-day. The medical evidence showed that there had been hemorrhage into the 6pinal muscles and pressure on the spinal cord, one vertebrae being fractured. John Gibb, who was working near.the deceased at the time, said he saw Mitchell falling from the waggon. It as deceased’s duty to cover the trucks and evidently as he was starting to put a tarpaulin on the truck he slipped and fell. A verdict of accidental death from internal injuries was recorded, no blame being attachable to anyone.

DEATHS AT DUNEDIN. [Per Press Association.] DUNEDIN, February 27. While engaged at work at Pelichet Bay to-day, Charles Haywood, employed as yardman by the Green Island Coal Supply Company, died suddenly. Deceased, who lived at NorthEast Valley, leaves a widow and grownup family of eight. 1 William Coutts, aged seventy-four years, was admitted to the hospital this afternoon suffering from a dose of poison. He died about 3.30 p.m. He was a widower and resided in Castle Street. It appears that he informed his daughter lie had taken poison, which had been used for killing insects. He was taken to the hospital immediately, but efforts to save his life were fruitless. It is not known whether the poison was taken accidentally or otherwise. THE SPRINGFIELD ACCIDENT. DEATH OF THE VICTIM. Frederick Hadecke, who fell from a derrick at Springfield on Wednesday, died in the Christchurch Hospital yesterday morning without regaining consciousness. Deceased was a son of Mr A. Hadecke, engineer, of Rangiora.. He leaves a widow and two young children. An inquest was held in the afternoon by Mr M. W. Bishop, Coroner. Albert Hadecke, an engineer, living at Rangiora, said that the deceased was his son and was thirty years of age. Hi's son was also an engineer. Ho was engaged in pile-driving at the Kowhai River, a mile outside Springfield. The cause of the accident in the opinion of witness was that the monkey was high up the derrick, and that the timber splitting in the bolt-hole allowed the stay to slip, causing the whole weight to fall on the second stay, which broke in the middle. The pile-driver was thus allowed to fall when the deceased was near the top. He would fall about twenty-five feet. The deceased was in charge of the work and would be responsible for seeing that everything was in order. Dr David L.' Sinclair, house surgeon at the Christchurch Hospital, said that the deceased was admitted to the hospital at 7.15 p.m. on February 25. He was unconscious and . suffering from concussion of the brain, which, with internal hemorrhage due to a fracture of the pelvis, caused death. The deceased never regained consciousness. j A verdict in accordance with tho medical evidence, with tho addition that the injuries, were caused by an accidental fall, was returned.