ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES

Taranaki Daily News, 28 September 1915, Page 2

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES

RETURNED SOLDIER KILLBD. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wanganui, Yesterday. The body of Corporal Comyns, a young man who had just returned invalided from the Dardanelles, was found on the railway line near Okbla early this morning. It is supposed that the deceased must have fallen from the train on Saturday night unnoticed and was probably killed instantly. Deceased left with the main body, and was invalided on account of deafness. He was well known and very popular. His terrible end caused a great shock. SUICIDE IN A HOSPITAL. Hokitika, Yesterday. Andrew August, a native of Sweden, aged 60, committed suicide in a hospital while in bed, cutting his throat with a razor. The nurse heard a gurgling sound, and the doctor was called, but was not successful in saving Mb life. A FATAL FALL. Auckland, Yesterday. Alexander McKenzie, wharf laborer, fell from a staging on the collier Waitomo into the water, striking the side of the hulk heavily. He sustained injuries which resulted in his death while being conveyed to the hospital. GALLANT ATTEMPT AT RESCUE. Auckland, Yesterday. Frederick Ernest Farley, aged 58, brother of C. T. Parley, proprietor of the boarding-house at Kirekare, on the West Coast, was drowned while fishing off the rooks on the beach. He was taken unawares by an unusually high wave and slipped into deep water, striking his head on a rock as he fell. His son Frederick, aged 24, dived into the water, seized his father, and for two hours struggled to assist him back to the rock. Finally he was forced to loose his hold of his father,' and with difficulty struggled to safety himself. Frederick was found by his cousin hanging on to a rock quite exhausted and so braised that he was unable to walk. DROWNED IN THE HARBOR. Auckland, Yesterday. ' Thomas Howarth, a waterside worker, aged 39, was drowned in the harbor on Saturday afternoon, and a companion, Robert Allan McMillan, severely burned, through a fire on the launch. Edward Brown, the owner of the launch, states that while at anchor off Chelsea he saw the stern of the vessel in flames, and endeavored to subdue them. Before he succeeded he hoard someone say "Tom Howarth is overboard." He reversed the engine and steered to where Howarth was seen struggling in the water. Motherwell, one of the party, jumped overboard, seized Howarth, and endeavored to get him to the launch. Both sank, and Motherwell alone rose to the surface and was pulled on board the launch much exhausted. The launch cruised about till all hope of the recovery of Howarth had to be abandoned. Howarth was a married man, with a wife and two children, who reside in England. The fire on the launch was caused by Howarth having filled a kettle from a tin of benzine, believing it to be water. While he was standing near the fire with the kettle in his hands the benzine flared into his face. He jumped overboard to save himself from burning.