ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 32, 28 January 1908, Page 2

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

o CURISTCHURCH SUICIDE. Per Press Association. Christchurch, January 27. icsterday the body of a limn was found in u small gully on the highest pari of the Lyltellon Road, near Sumner, with one leg broken above the ankle. The man appeared to have moved about alter the accident, in a pocket was a long letter of farewell to his wife, concluding with an intimation of hits intended suicide. His name was James Topham. He was a resident of Sydenham. The letter is dated January 23rd, and it is supposed that he died on that evening. The cause of death is not known,

Christchurch, Last Night. An inquest was held to-night touching the death of James Topham, whose dead Dody was found yesterday afternoon on [ the road between Sumner and Lyttclton. A verdict was returned that the man, while of unsound mind, committed suicide by opening a varicose vein in his leg.

ATTEMPTED MURDER AND SUICIDE Wairoa, January 27. What is alleged to have been an attempted murder and an actual suicide is reported from Opuiti. A young man named Stevens was escorting Miss Hrownlee to her uncle's house about 0 p.m. yesterday. They were waylaid, it is alleged, by one Dtivid Irwin, said to be from -New South Wales. He is reported to have tired a revolver at Stevens, hitting him in the arm and knocking him oil bis horse, and then to have fired at Miss Brownlee, whose liorse bolted back to the .Stevens' house. While Stevens was getting up, it is said, Irwin lira! at him again, but missed. Then he turned the revolver against himself. The shot lodged under the chin, and he fell dead almost instantly. The police have left for the scene.

SHOCKING SCALDING FATALITY. Timaru, Last Night. Elizabeth Miles, aged two years and eight months, clambered by a chair on to the top of a copper of hot water. The lid was partly on, but with the child's weight it tilted, and the child fell feel first into the. scalding water. The accident happened at 11.30 a.m., and the child lingered till 4.30 p.m. Being shockingly scalded, it was impossible to save her life.

THE GORE FATALITIES. Gore, Last Night. An inquest was held this morning, before Air. A. Martin, Acting-Coroner, on the victims of the railway fatality on Saturday night. From the evidence it was dear that the crossing-keeper gave the usual signal to the engine-driver, which was accompanied by the latter with the usual whistle. The evidence of the crossing-keeper and an eyewitness was that the buggy suddenly appeared out of the darkness, and was only noticed about ten yards away from the main line. The crossiug-keepjr called out, but the occupants apparently did not hear or took no notice, and drove on, with Ihe result that the calamity occurred. The jury returned a verdict that the deceased came to their death by a collision with a railway train, and that there was no blame attachable to anyone. They also added a recommendation to the Railway Department that in addition to the crossingkeeper an automatic electric bell or other signal apparatus should be erected at the Mersey-street crossing, to warn the public of the approach of a train.

THE GROCER'S CART FATALITY. Wellington, Last Night. An inquest was held to-day on the body of the young man Keating, kilted through falling from a grocer's cart on Saturday. A verdict of "accidental death" was returned, the jury adding the opinion that in the case of all such carts a false backhand should be used.

MAHANGA BAY FATALITY. Wellington, Last Night. An inquest was held on the body of Thomas Hall, who was killed at Mahanga Bay yesterday during an explosion and demolition practice by the engineer volunteers. The evidence showed that the men were being instructed by Captain Kymon, of the permanent forces, in "hasty demolition." The object of the particular explosion which had the fatal result was to demonstrate Ihe destruction of a. piece of railway iron being blown up with guneotton. While the fuse was burning Captain Kymon told the men to stand back. The deceased was noc in sight, being about four chains away. Medical evidence showed that a portion of the iron had entered deceased's brain, causing almost instantaneous death.. A verdict was returned of "death by accident and misadventure," but the jury was of opinion lh.it sufficient precaution had not liecii taken to prevent accident.