ACCIDENTS & FATALITIES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 40, 17 February 1914, Page 3

ACCIDENTS & FATALITIES.

END OF A ROADMAN'S HOLIDAY. [Pib Pbeu (Association. 1 Wanganui, February 16. Extraordinary evidence was given at the inquest to-day.'touching the death of a roadman uanied Bert Jones, who was drowned in the,river at Kaiwhaiki on Tuesday last. > ~ Timothy Hogan stated that deceased "and he, who were.engaged road-mak-ing, walked to the tlpokongaro Hotel, where, they stayed, till noon. They had four or five '.'long bee.rs,.',' ' took away with them three bottles of ; beer, ijiid one bottle >of ! , ! .s l ome ; o.i'j whic^ij;they. theiway, back to their camp. They reached a point on the river opposite to the camp about 1.45 p.m., and called for a can- ' oe. A boy brought one across, hut witness refused to enter it, thinking the craft was unsafe. Jones, however, went in the canoe, \\ |iicb , he„ rqcked till it capsized. ijThfyboy swam, ashore to get assistance tor, J.oues, ; whp was. getting on the bottom of the. upturned Canoe, but when be returned Jones had sunk. A police constable said tjiat he had itiiide inquiries at the hotel,, and was satisfied that the men were sober when they left there. A half-filled bottle oi 'whisky was found on the body. The coroner returned >a verdict that the deceased was accidentally drowned through his pwn recklessness, while under the influence of drink. Auckland, February 16. At the inquest, concerning the death of Alexander Johnson, who was found dead by a milkman at the foot of the steps of a house in Crey Lynn, the doctor stated that the cause of death was a severe hemmqrhage of the lungs. A verdict was returned accordingly. Palmerson North, February 16. A lad named Ernest King, formerly a telegraph messenger and latterly a lctteV carrier, was drowned while bathing with some other companions in the Manawatu river this afternoon. Deceased got out of his depth, and, despite the efforts of his companions to save him, sank. The body was recovered by the police. Christchurch, February 16. At 5.30 p.m., on Saturday, the dead body of a young man, (leorge Lindsay Roberts, aged 27, was found under a tip dray, on the road near Scargill. Nobody saw the accident. When the body was found the reins were still in his hands, and the horse was lying on its back.