ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 276, 30 December 1909, Page 2

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

A XKAiI FATALIT*. By Telegrapli,—Press Association. Wellington, Wednesday. At an inquest concerning the death of Robert Henry Parker, who was knocked down by a traincar on the 18th inst., and who died iu the hospital last Friday, a verdict was retained that death was due to accident, no blame being attachable to the motorman.

A MAN RUN OVER. Oamaru, Wednesday. As the up train from PalmcrstWi South was arriving at Maheno, the whistle startled a team of horses nttached to a dray driven by a man named Limlick. The latter slipped and the wheels passed over both legs. It is feared that both were broken. CAUGHT IN BELTING AND KILLED. . Christchurch, Last Night. J as. Steele, employed in a quarry at Hornby was caught in the belting of some stone-crushing machinery and was whirled round by the shafting. Wh-m he was picked up it was found he had sustained severe injuries, several of his ribs being broken. He was conveyed to the hospital as soon as possible, but died shortly after admission." IN OLD MAN'S DEATH. Christchurch, Last Night. At an inquest touching the death of Charles Mussen, 60 years of age, an old-age pensioner, who was found drowned in tile river at Avonside yesterday morning, Win. Aincock stated that he saw deceased about 10.30 o'clock on the evening before the body was found apparently on his way homeward. He appeared to be under the influence of liquor. The Coroner returned a verdict of found drowned.

KILLED BY A PATENT HAY LIFTER. Christehurch, Last Night. At about 0.30 a.m. to day Thos. Mar ; son, a farm laborer, employed at Spreydon, was on a haystack stacking hay with a patent hay lifter when the anchor, which held the pole down, gave way. The pole immediately flew lip and hit Marson on the back of the heal, killing him instantaneous]}-. At the inquest, the evidence of Wm. Woods, who was working -with'Marson (who was a married_manT. showed that the anchor SSST become loosened by the recent rain and the pole had sprung upwards with great force. A verdict was returned that Hoceaspfl was killed through being struck on (Tie head with the hay-lifter. A FATAiL WRESTLE. Pahiatua, Last Night. At tlic inquest on the body of Thomas Scrimshaw, the evidence showed that during a friendly wrestle with another man named Pilkington both fell, deceased sustaining acute concussion of the brain. The jury's verdict was that death resulted from injuries sustained when wrestling with Pilkington, and that wrestling was forced upon Pilkington, no blame being attachable to Pilkington or any other person. DROWNED IN 16 INCHES OF WATER Hawera, Last Night. Herbert John Pullenger, a iaWer, aged about thirty, single, was drowned in a pond sixteen inches deep at Normanby this morning. Deceased is supposed to have fallen into the water while suffering from an epileptic fit, to which he was subject.

THE TOKO FATALITY

The body of Miss Burgess, one of the victims of the Toko drowning fatality on Monday, was recovered by a native on Tuesday. Efforts are being made to recover the borly of Miss Cheer. The Stratford Post says that on the afternoon of the fatality the Misses Cheer were at a picnic near the bridge, where Miss Burgess was also picnicking with another small party. Ada Cheer came to Jessie Burgess, who had been asleep under a tree, and asked her to go for a bathe, which she did, and the two girls, entering the water hand in hand, almost immediately afterwards disappeared. Examination of the river at this spot reveals a shelving ledge with an abrupt drop into fifteen feet of water. There is a dangerous undertow in this particular pool, which, a little further down the river, is bounded by a shallow ford. Miss Burgess, at the time of the fatality, was staying with Mr. W. Smith, Mr. and Mrs. C. Bayly (with whom she was in service) being on a visit to Auckland. They had offered to take the unfortunate girl north with them, but she had chosen in prefer-1 ence to remnin with friends at Toko.