CASUALTIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2892, 18 August 1909, Page 41

CASUALTIES.

Thomas! Waldron, blacksmith, of Wanganui, reached Dargaville on July 29, and disappeared the same night. The body is reported to have been found in the Northern Wairoa River, near Toka Toka.

Andrew Parkinson, cix years of age, died on the 9th at Hawera whilst under chloroform for a felight operation. His heart was quite sound, and the doctors said it was one of those unexpladnable cases in which a patient cannot take chloroform.

John Ryan, aged 62 years, a farmer at Whakatu, was found dead sitting on harrows with which he had been working. He was suffering from heart disease. Arthur Welleslay Foden, aged 56 years, died vi an ambulance on the 10th inst. while being removed from Karori (where he had' been living with relatives) to the Wellington Hospital. The auxiliary schooner Huia had a very rough trip up from Lyttelton, and when off Mount Egmont, on the west coast, mountainous seas swept over the vessel and washed overboard *" a young man named Matbeson, who was at the wheel. Another of the crew saw him washed over, but that was the last seen of the unfortunate sailor.

A man named Iskirka was badly injured while bushfelling on the 12th inst., 30 miles inland from Wanganui. A tree fell on him, smashing his leg and inflicting other se r ious injuries. His mates carried him out of the bush to meet the ambulance which was despatched from Wanganui. Htctor Robertson, a fisherman, a^ed 22 years, and a native of Scotland, was accidentally drowned at Pegasus, Stewait Island, on Wednesday, 11th inst. Decease 4 and others were going ashore in a dingy, which sunk when within 40 yards of the shore. Robertson, who could not swim, immediately sank. Benjamin Bailey, one of his companion 6 , who had already taken a man named Frampton ashore, returned and made repeated efforts to reach Robeitson without avail. The body of the deceai&ed was brought to Bluff. At the inquest, a verdict of " Accidental drowning " was returned, and a rider was added complimenting Bailey for his action.

James O'Keefe was burned to death in hi 3 whare at Kumeu. A man who saw the whare ablaze tried to force the door open, but failed. The place was completely demolished. O'Keefe's remains were subsequently found in the debris. Willie Rockstrow, aged 28, son of wellknown Palmerston North old settlers, was found dead in bed at his parents' residence on the 13th. He had been very despondent of late, and had not been sleeping. Death resulted from an opiate of some kind. It is understood that the dpceaeed, who was formerly in the Wellington Post Offifee. and who was in f^outh A frit a with the Seventh Contingent, had intimated to his friends that he was tired of life. He was a particularly handsome man. A cabman named Thomas Mann, residing on Ferry road, was dn\ing back from the Metropolitan Trotting Club's grounds at Addinjiton when his vehicle came into collision with the St John Ambulan< c Association's van. Mann was thrown from his seat, falling to the ground, and he was picked up suffering from serious injuiies to his head. The ambulance van conveyed him to the Hospital, where he died about au hour an a-half after his admission.

Wiliam Rushton, a farmer residing at Springfield, Canterbury, was found dead in a paddock on the 12th inst. Deceased iras 50 years of age and married. At the inquest on the 14th the evidence showed that RushtoD was hoeing turnips when he was gored by a calf, the horn of the animal opening the femoral vein near the thigh, and death resulting from loss of blood. A verdict of accidental death was returned. John Gilliard, 78 years of age, was found dead in bed in his home at j Wetherstones on Thursday. The de- ! ceased, who was seen alive on Wednesday, was an old-age pensioner. Charles' Fallowfield, aged 30 years, a. farmer at Taieri Beach, died in the Hospital on Thursday from septic infection, originating from a fracture of the leg. He was kicked by a horse on June 23, and during the three weeks following was treated by his relatives, who apparently suspected no fracture. When at length Dr Cormack (of Milton) was called in on July 11' he discovered a compound fracture of the leg, and ordered the injured man's removal to Dunedin Hospital. The facts have been reported to the coroner, who has decided that an inquest is unnecessary. j Emanuel Trenwith, who was taken to the Hospital on Thursday night, suffering from the effects of a fall-on an iron railing in .Jetty street, is , making satisfactory progress at H>he Hospital. Sis injuries are more severe than they were \ at first supposed to be. It has been found; that the spike, on which the. man must have fallen -with greet -force, penetrated the lower jaw and passed through the roof of the mouth." Trenwith, who is a dyer by occupation, is 74 years of At the adjourned inquest into the circumstances surroundiag the death of John Edward Robinson, held at Christchuroh on the 14th, the coroner, after hearing the evidence of A. A. Bickertcn (Government Analyst), Dr Symes,- and other witnesses, returned a verdict that death had been caused through alcoholic poisoning. George Robertson, who was injured while working at the Milburn Lime and Cement Company's works, Milburn., on July 26, died at the Dunedin Hospital at 3.40 a.m. on Sunday. "At the time of th^ accident the deceased was driving a truck of lime from the kiln to the railway He slipped beneath the truck, which passed ov«t his body. Deceased, who was married, was in* the employ of Messrs Henderson and Gray, who hold a contract from the company to remove material from the quarry to the railway siding. An inquest was opened on the 16th, and after hearing som« evidence, ■was adjourned to allow of more witnesses being called. ' ! James Whittle, 58 years of age, was ' found' seriously injured under his cart, which had broken down. He subsequently died at Pukerjmu, Auckland. At the inquest at Wellington on Thomas Hickey, who was burned to death, the evidence showed that the deceased was in the habit of smoking in bed. Mrs Hickey said' she left her husband on Friday because he was drinking. A verdict was returned " That deceased was burned to death in his own house, probably because he smoked in bed while under the influence of alcohol."

The body of Mrs Penney, which was found on the hills near York Bay, was brought to Wellington. The police had considerable difficulty, having to cut a track through the bush to make room for the stretcher. *The spot where the body wa.s found was almost inaccessible. It is amazing how the unfortunate woman ever got there. Her clothing was badly torn, and her only ' remaining boot was worn through the cole and had the heel off. It is stated that the discovery of her .whereabouts was the result of a dream.

A single man named William Dempsey was seriously injured by the electric tramcar in Wellington on the 16th. He and another man had been giving assistance in reloading some sacks of chaff that had fallen from a lorry. Dempsey dropped the last sack, which rolled on. to the tramline, and when he attempted to remove it iie was struck by a car and pushed some yards along the street. Most of the ribs on his left side are broken, and he has a scalp wound, besides other injuries. His condition is stated to be critical.

James S. Donaldson, Westport agent of the Stockton Coal Company, was found dead in his office on the 16th. The appearances point to suicide by inhaling gas. The deceased was a son of Mr Donaldson, senior police magistrate at Sydney. The inquest was held on the 16th. An office boy named Bird and others gave evidence as to finding the body wrapped up in blankets, the face downwards, with the chin on a pillow close to the gas meter with the detached end of a tube from a gas ring under the deceased's nose. Mr Munro stated that the deceased appeared to worry a good deal about business matters, and he had told him not to take things so seriously as there was no occasion for it. Mi* Mason and Mr Wallis, fellow boarders, stated thot the deceased complained, a good deal about the nature of his work requiring long hours on the wharf and much night work, causing sleeplessness, and that he found it necessary at times to snatch some sleep at the office. Mr Wallis stated that, when he was leaving deceased on Sunday afternoon, he inquired what he was going to do in the evening, and the deceased said he would do some work at the office and try to get a little sleep as he was feeling very tired. The deceased was usually in a bright frame of mind, and had no cause, at far as witness was aware, for worry. The doctor's evidence was that death v. da clue to asphyxiation caused .by inhaling coal gas. Serjeant Dew said he saw no evidence to suggest a reason for suicide. The rorojier (Mr Sinclair) endorsed this view, and returned a verdict in accordance with the doctor's evidence.

A hingular accident occurred at Circle Hill, near Milbum, last week. Mrs Patterson, sen., was driving to Milton, and as she was passing a cow which was lvin^ by the side of the track the animal

suddenly jumped up and got between the wheels, overturning the vehicle and tluwring the party out The strap of the harness broke as the trap went over, and the horse walked out of the shafts, leaving its harness behind. Mrs Patterson, was much Drained and shaken, and, being an elderly woman, she coiild not save herself much in her fall The occasion of her intended journey, too, was a sad one, as news had just been brought of the death of her son in Milton, and she was going there ; instead of which, however, Sirs Patterson was taken home and medical attendance secured.