ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXX, Issue 8697, 4 January 1907, Page 2

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

(Per Press Association.) Auckland, January 3. Sergt. Mastic has telegraphed to Inspector Cullen that a man named John Belshaw was found dead at Harapcpe yesterday with a rifle lying beside him. There are no further particulars, the matter having been left with the coroner. Dunedin, January 3.

An adjourned inquest was held today on the death of Robert Francis Smith, a seaman on H.M.S. Pioneer, whose body was found in the harbour on December 20th. At the former inquiry the medical evidence was to the effect that the man had apparently died from the eil'ects of biows on the head by some'"blunt instrument. After further evidence the jury returned a verdict that death had been caused by injuries to the head, but that there was not sutiicient evidence to show how the injuries had been received. CHJiisTciiujiC'ir, January 3.

Yesterday morning one of the railway surface men, while engaged in making his customary inspection of the Lyttelton tunnel, found a man lying in the channel at the side of the rails. The man was picked up and taken to Lyttelton hospital. It is surmised that the man must have fallen off one of the late trams lust night. He did not appear to bo much hurt, although he was somewhat bruised about the body and had some cuts on the face.,. It has been ascertained' that thp man’s nainc is John Dickie, aged about 39 years, He is a married man with two children and resides at Kaiapoi. Gisborne, January 4. At Te Puia Hot Springs Patrick O’Fay, an elderly man, was choked with a piece of meat while dining. Advice has been received by the District Coroner from Waikaremoana that a native named Whenanu died suddenly. The native had his thumb torn off a fortnight previously by a rope, lint the cause : of death is not known. '

Steatfoed, J anuary 4,

Clothing belonging to Jeremiah Coffee was found on the river bank near Stratford this morning. The body was subsequently found in the Patea riyer. Deceased was a Whangamomona settler engaged on the Huiroa railway works.