ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 172, 20 January 1914, Page 5

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES

KILLED IN A .MINE. CONFLICTING- AUTHORITIES. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Reef ton, Last Night. A peculiar position has arisen out o; the iui|iicst on one Donuiic, who was killed in the Energetic mine on .Saturday. Downie was the underground boss, and the mine was managed by W. 11. Saunders, a certificated mine manager, but Downie was uncerlilicated. The evidence showed that Saunders gave an order to two men to timber the ground o:i Thursday last, and the men prepared the. ground for timbering on Friday or .Saturday, but Downie came and opened up a pass, countermanding the mine manager's orders, and while tnus engaged, a block of stone fell on him causing instant death. The Mines Department had evidence tending to show that Downie, not- Saunders, was the actual mine manager. Winter Evans, general manager of the Consolidated Gohllields Company, when asked to give evidence as to the relative salary of Downie anil Saunders, refused, and the jury directed the actingcoroner to summons Evans as a witness ■it the adjourned intellect ito-morrow. Evans opposes on the ground that his evidence is irrelevant.

BIWWXED WHILE ISATIUNU. Dunedin, Last Xie,ht. Thomas Rowe, a gasworks employee, aliout 40 years of a{,'e, residing at St. Kilila, was drowned while surf bulbing on .Sunday afternoon. He appears to have }<one OMt a considerable distanee, and without a companion, thUujjh several others were in the water close alongside. The beach was thronfred with people, and it was noticed that the man was in difliculties. Joseph Purine flung off his outer garments and plunged ill, bringing the body ashore, and restorative measures were applied for an hour-aiid-a-half, but without avail. Deceased leaves a wife awl family of six or seven children.

POSTMASTER FOUND DEAD. Nelson, Last Night. Jas. Robinson, postmaster at Matieii. taxman, and ft fruitgrower, was found dead last night as the result of an overdose of strychnine, which-he \va* in the habit of taking for heart trouble. Deceased, who for many years refilled in Wellington, was 01 years of age. He leaves a widow and a large family.