Alfred Finch, (1860-2/1/1912). "his dear familiar face"

 FATAL ACCIDENT

IN A WOOL STORE. 

 ALFRED FINCH KILLED. 

Alfred Finch, an old and greatly respected resident of Timaru, once a Borough Councillor, and who has interested himself in different movements and associations for the public good, met an untimely and painful death whilst employed at his daily task yesterday. Finch, for many years head storeman for the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Ltd., was assisting in pushing a truck loaded with bales of wool from the store on to the outside railway line when a bale, weighing seven hundredweight, caught on the archway and toppled over, falling on the unfortunate man and rendering him insensible. 

The accident occurred at 4.40 p.m., just after the departure of the northgoing express. Finch and a man named John Dawson was shunting the loaded truck out in the usual way, and it seems that the waggon was carrying too high a load. The front portion was got through the doorway, but a bale at the rear of the truck caught on the archway and came down. Finch was on the loft-hand side and Dawson on the right. The bale hit Finch, still in a stooping position, on the back of the head, his head apparently striking the truck, and he fell on his face, the heavy package on top of him. No time was lust in extricating him, and Ambulance Superintendent Foster and several members of the brigade were soon at hand, while medical aid was summoned. All possible was done to save the man's life, artificial respiration being practised until the last, and injections were made to assist the restoration of the heart's action. Perseveringly the ambulance men and two doctors worked, until 6.50 p.m., over two hours, but Finch had passed away. The deceased was injured internally, and it is believed that the severest injury was to his head, while his right leg was also broken. A postmortem examination of the body was made last evening, and an inquest will be held at the Courthouse to-day. 

Deceased, who resided in William street, is survived by his wife, two sons, and two daughters. The body is at his late residence.  -Timaru Herald, 3/1/1912.

FUNERAL NOTICE. 

FRIENDS are respectfully informed that the funeral of the late Alfred Finch will leave his late residence, William Street, for the Timaru Cemetery on THURSDAY, the 4th inst., at 2.30 p.m. 

J. RADCLIFFE, Undertaker.  -Timaru Herald, 4/12/1912.

DEATH BY ACCIDENT.

IN A WOOL-STORE.
INQUEST ON ALFRED FINCH. 

An inquest was held yesterday morning into the circumstances surrounding the death of Alfred Finch, who was killed on Tuesday evening through a bale of wool falling on him in the N.Z. Loan and Mercantile Agency Company's wool-store. The Coroner (Mr Y. G. Day) presided, and Sergeant Bowman conducted the enquiry. Mr A. Barkas represented the Loan Company. 

Dr. Unwin said that on arrival at the scene of the fatality, he found Finch's pulse beating fairly well, and that he was breathing in gulps at intervals. "Witness sent for restoratives, and had artificial respiration practised. Deceased was suffering from a jagged wound to the tongue and upper jaw, which was partly broken. Convulsive gasps were now more frequent, and despite the injection of restoratives, the pulse got weaker, and the breathing less frequent. Dr. Talbot was now called in, and he and decided that it would be useless to proceed further, so weak was the action of the heart. Artificial respiration was kept up for two hours and a half, and at the cessation of this, the heart's action stopped. Witness made a postmortem examination of the body, and found that the right leg was fractured in two places just below the knee. There were no other injuries to the head, other than those named. The spinal cord was broken opposite the third vertebra, this causing paralysis to the respiratory muscles. Death was due to shock and fracture of the spinal cord. 

John Dawson, labourer, said he was alongside deceased, shunting a truck out of the store on Tuesday. The truck was loaded with bales of dumped wool. It was nearly through the archway, and witness, on the left side of the truck, was stooping to grasp the catch at the turntable when something grazed his right leg and he heard a thud. Turning round he saw deceased with a bale on top of him, across his legs. The bale was removed, and the police, ambulance and medical man were called in. The truck contained twenty "dumps," as usual, and the top bale must have grazed the arch. Such loads always ran very close to the arch. The bales were not secured in any way. Witness was only employed two or three days in the store, and deceased had warned him always to watch the top bales when going through the archway.

Alfred James Christmas, labourer who was "braking" the truck, said he felt no obstruction such as would be caused by a bale catching on the archway. Witness had worked in the store for the past two wool seasons and had never a bale catch on the archway, although Finch had warned him always to be on the look-out for such an occurrence. 

Oliver Alfred Finch, son of the deceased, gave evidence of identification stating that his late father, 51 years of age, was employed by the Loan Company for five years.

The Coroner brought in a verdict that deceased died from compression of the spinal cord and shock, accidentally cause by a bale pf wool. From the evidence there was no blame attachable to any person at all.  -Timaru Herald, 4/1/1912.

Timaru Cemetery.

7/37 Trooper Edwin Frank Daniel, (20/3/1891-22/8/1915). "trying to save a wounded comrade"

On the 21st the Regiment was warned of an attack to be made on Hill 60, known as Kaiajik Aghala, a small round hill of considerable tactical importance that lay at the eastern edge of the plain and overlooked the junction of the lines of the Anzac and Suvla Bay forces and also several important wells. The attack was to be made in conjunction with a general advance by the Suvla Bay force on Scimitar Hill and the "W" Hills, by which it was intended to straighten up the line held by the combined forces. The attack was to commence at 3.30 p.m. the same afternoon. General Russell was in command, and was given for the operation the Canterbury and Otago Regiments of his own brigade, amounting to about four hundred men, a detachment of five hundred from the 4th Australian Infantry Brigade and the Connaught Rangers seven hundred strong. Ghurkas, in conjunction with the attack, were to seize the wells on the plain at the foot of the hill. Between the Regiment and its objective lay the ravine of the Kaiajik Aghala. About eight hundred yards had to be covered before

The Beach at No. 2 Outpost looking towards Anzac Cove, after the August fighting.

the enemy's trenches were reached. The direction of the Regiment's attack was straight at the hill, with the Otagos, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Grigor, on the right, and beyond them further on the right were the Australians, and immediately on the Regiment's left the Connaughts.

An artillery bombardment had been promised, but at the last moment it was decided that the Anzac guns should assist the Suvla Bay attack. Punctually on time, 3.30 p.m., the men jumped from the trenches and raced down the hill. Casualties were numerous till comparative shelter was reached in the bottom of the dere. Then came the climb up the other side, a moment to gather breath, and the rush for the enemy trench 200 yards to the front. It was simply a ease of get there, and during the last part of this rush most of the casualities occurred. Major Hutton was wounded, and Major Hurst of the 1st Squadron took command. The Turks in the trench were killed, and a machine gun was captured and immediately turned upon the Turks by the two Harper brothers of the Machine Gun Section. Though the Australians managed to cross the ravine, they could not reach the enemy trenches; and on our left, despite the fact that the New Army troops had seized the Kabak well with a splendid charge and captured the long trench on the eastern side of the hill in their first rush, they failed to hold the ground they had won. The Canterbury Regiment with the Otagos were now holding about 120 yards of enemy trench with both flanks in the air, and with no means of communication across the exposed valley. Both regiments had lost over 60 per cent. of their number in the space of a quarter of an hour. With the depleted numbers it was impossible to go any further, and orders were received from General Russell that the trenches gained were to be consolidated and held. At dusk the enemy fire slackened, and the Regiment was able to get into touch with the Indian Brigade who were holding the captured wells on the flat.

About midnight occurred a peculiar incident. About 200 Turks, fully armed, with fixed bayonets, and carrying bombs slung on their belts, came up to the New Zealand line as though to surrender. Eleven came into the trench and were promptly disarmed. The remainder stood in the open, apparently undecided what to do. Signs were made to them to lay down their arms. Colonel Grigor of the Otagos got out of the trench and endeavoured to find out what they wanted, but a big Turk seizing him by the hand, he jumped back into the trench. Several shots were fired on the flank by those who could not see what was happening, the Turks taking alarm retreated, and fire was immediately opened upon them by the mounted rifles. It was after this peculiar affair that an incident, so far unrecorded, happened. The fire from our machine guns ignited the clothing of a dead Turk. From here it spread to the scrub and threatened to do what the enemy had failed in—drive us from the trench. Trooper A. Barr of the Machine Gun Section, seized a shovel, jumped out into the open and calmly proceeded to beat out the blaze. Every Turkish rifle in the vicinity opened on him standing there in the light of the fire. Barr coolly worked on, extinguished the flames, and then jumped back into the trench.

The Regiment held on to this position until the evening of the 23rd, when with the Otago Regiment it was relieved by the Auckland and Wellington M.R., and went back to a quieter valley to gather strength for another attack.  -Official History of the Canterbury Mounted Rifles.

Our Kingsdown correspondent writes: — The news of the death of Frank Daniel, in action at the Dardanelles, was received at Kingsdown with much regret, and much sympathy was expressed for Mr and Mrs Daniel. Frank Daniel look a keen interest in Territorial work, and, on the outbreak of the war volunteered for the Front at once, and was accepted. He will be much missed in the district.  -Timaru Herald, 17/5/1915.

KINGSDOWN SCHOOL.

PICNIC AND PRIZE DAY.  (excerpt)

The other young men who enlisted from Kingsdown, but were educated in other schools were: Frank Daniel (killed at the Dardanelles while trying to save a wounded comrade), William Grey (severely wounded after landing, April 25), Albert Fridd, Peter Fridd, William Ballagh, Martin Carter, Albert Staff. It was remarkable, continued Mr Craigie, that New Zealand had already sent more men to this Great War than Great Britain sent to Europe to fight the Battle of Waterloo.  -Timaru Herald, 30/12/1915.

Timaru Cemetery.

"Charlie" Ng Hong Ark, (1904-22/12/1936). "struck with the steering wheel"

“RED-HANDED”

THEFT FROM CHINESE GARDENS

SUSTENANCE MEN FINED

How three sustenance men were caught red-handed stealing vegetables from the Chinese market gardens in the rifle range road, Jack's Point, on October 12, was related in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, when Walter Wright, David Craig and Walter Stanley Parker were charged with the theft of vegetables valued at £2, the property of Hong Ark. 

Senior-Sergeant D. J. Hewitt, who prosecuted, said there had been numerous complaints regarding thefts from the Chinese gardens and the police had kept watch. Hearing that three men were in the gardens one night, Constables Watt and Lloyd had gone down and found the three defendants preparing to decamp with cauliflowers, turnips and onions in a bag. Thieving of the sort was very prevalent, but it was not suggested that defendants were responsible for all of it —they said it was the first time they had been there. “They had heard that it was quite easy to get vegetables there, but they have now found out that it was also quite easy to get caught there,” remarked the Senior Sergeant. 

Chinese "Fair Game” Mr McRae, who appeared for Wright, said that defendants had adopted the attitude, although they were not right in doing so, that the Chinese were "fair game” and they did not attach as much seriousness to the offence as if the gardens had belonged to their own people. They were married men and on sustenance, and had been told that it was easy to get vegetables there. On Wright's behalf he pleaded for leniency as he had recently obtained work with the Public Works Department at Saltwater Creek and a conviction might have serious results for him. 

The Magistrate said the Chinese had to be protected by the law. The men were on sustenance and had no work to do, and surely would have been able to grow their own vegetables. “It was a mean theft.” he said fining each £2 with costs.  -Timaru Herald, 23/10/1936.

Chinese Gravely Injured 

Charlie Hong, a Chinese, suffered serious internal injuries yesterday morning when the lorry he was driving down a hill on the main road in the vicinity of Timaru Park collided with a power pole. The cause of the accident is unknown. The front of the lorry was damaged by the impact, the engine being pushed back, and the pole was knocked out of plumb. Hong was operated on last night, his condition being considered very serious.  -Timaru Herald, 22/12/1936.

FATAL INJURIES

INQUIRY INTO DEATH OF CHINESE 

Hong Ark, who was admitted to the Timaru Hospital on Monday suffering from severe internal injuries received when the lorry he was driving crashed into a pole at the foot of the South School hill, died yesterday morning. 

An inquest was conducted by the Coroner, Mr H. Morgan, yesterday afternoon. 

Medical evidence was given by Dr J. C. McKenzie, who said Hong was admitted to the hospital about 8.45 a.m. He was suffering from internal injuries to the abdomen, and although he was conscious he was somewhat muddled. As far as could be ascertained from Hong he was struck by the steering wheel of the truck he was driving. Towards evening it became evident that his condition was serious and it was decided to operate. It was discovered that Hong's bowel was torn. His position became worse and he died at 10 a.m. yesterday. A post-mortem examination disclosed that the structure of the back wall of the abdomen was seriously lacerated. The injuries were so serious as to be irreparable. They were consistent with his having been struck with the steering wheel of a motor vehicle. He considered that death was caused by shock following extensive abdominal injuries. 

Frank Ewald Miller, labourer, residing in Hurdley Street, said that at 8.15 on Monday morning he was near the Timaru Park gates when he heard a crash from the direction of King Street, and immediately went across. He found the truck up against a power pole. There was no other traffic about at the time. He helped the Chinese, who was conscious at the time, out of the truck. The tracks on the road indicated that the truck had steered an erratic course before it struck the pole. 

Hector Gordon Baigent, service manager for Timaru Motors, Ltd., said that the truck had been purchased about two months ago. The front of the truck was extensively damaged and the back of the cab was stove in. There was a slight bend of the steering column and the steering wheel was slightly buckled. Assuming that the speed was not excessive, the only thing that would cause the truck to zig-zag would be that there was a very heavy load on the back. 

The Coroner returned a verdict that deceased died from shock following on extensive abdominal injuries received when a motor truck he was driving accidentally collided with an electric power pole in King Street.  -Timaru Herald, 23/12/1936.

FUNERALS

ARK. — The Friends of the late C. Ng. Hong Ark, are respectfully informed that his Funeral will leave the Timaru Hospital on Sunday. December 27, at 2 p.m.. for the Timaru Cemetery. (Hall and Moore.)  -Timaru Herald, 24/12/1936.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT 

Mr Kwong Fon wishes to thank all kind friends for token and expressions of sympathy in the bereavement of his late cousin, C. Ng. Hong Ark.   -Timaru Herald, 30/12/1936.

Timaru Cemetery.

Archibald Furse, (1883-13/10/1919). "too late to see her husband"

DEATHS

FURSE. — On October 10th, at the Timaru Hospital, Archibald, beloved husband of Mildred Furse, late of Otaki; aged 34 years.  -Timaru Herald, 13/10/1919.

OBITUARY.

MR A. FURSE. 

Many friends in Otaki and district will hear with deep regret of the sudden death of Mr Arch. Furse, a respected resident of Otaki, who died at Timaru on Saturday last. Mr Furse some little time ago was seriously ill with pneumonia, but made a good recovery. He went to Timaru some weeks ago to carry out some work for a friend. He had completed his task, and intended leaving for home on Friday last, and had actually secured his ticket, when he took ill in the street. On being taken to the hospital it was found necessary to operate at once, but he died the next day. Mrs Furse was wired for, and left Otaki on Saturday - too late to see her husband. 

Mr Furse was aged about 30 years. He was a native of Cornwall, and had been in New Zealand about six years. He leaves a wife and two young children, with whom the deepest sympathy is felt in their loss. Mr E. Furse, of Olaki, is a brother to deceased, whose, mother resides in Cornwall.  -Otaki Mail, 13/10/1919.

Timaru Cemetery.

29930 Private John George McKelvy, (12/4/1895-4/10/1917). "life had scarce begun"

John McKelvy was with the 3rd Battalion, Canterbury Infantry Regiment, when it made a successful and relatively casualty-free attack on German positions during the Battle of Passchendaele. Possibly the success of October 4th led to the costly failure of the next advance on October 12. Artillery which had been valuable on the 4th was largely unable to move over the captured ground to support the next attack due to the very muddy conditions.

John was initially reported missing and his death was established by a Court of Enquiry later in the month.

WHILE DOING THEIR DUTY.

Mrs Leonard, Wyndham, was informed on Thursday that her son, Private John G. McKelvy, previously reported as missing, was now reported as killed in action at Bellevue Spur. James William Palmer, previously reported as wounded, is now declared to have been killed on October 4th.  -Mataura Ensign, 10/11/1917.

IN MEMORIAM

McKELVY. — In loving memory of Private John G. McKelvy, who was killed in action in France, October 4th, 1917. 

"Somewhere in France" he is laid to rest, His life work truly done. 

'Twas a sacrifice for liberty, Ere life had scarce begun. 

— Inserted by his brother and sisters.  -Timaru Herald, 4/10/1919.

Timaru Cemetery.

10/3941 Private William Henry Luck, (3/11/1888-31/8/1916). "at the front"

William Luck was wounded in France on June 29, 1916, while serving with the Wellington Infantry Battalion.  His Army record, in typically concise words describes his wound as "shell wound loin." Another form in his record contains the word "abdomen."

He spent 18 days in a hospital in Bolougne before transfer to the London General Hospital at Chelsea. He died one month after he was wounded.

Mr John Luck’s son, Private William Henry Luck, was wounded on 29th June at the front. Private Luck was brought up at Willowbridge, and attended the school there.  -Waimate Daily Advertiser, 14/7/1916.

Timaru Cemetery.

40914 Private Francis Alexander Dunn, (25/5/1893-23/10/1918). "she loved him best"

Private Frank A. Dunn, who was reported wounded in France on October 23, is the sixth son of Mr and Mrs John Dunn, Otamita. Private Dunn was born at Arthurton and educated at the Knapdale school and Gore High school. He joined up with the 23rd Reinforcements, and was 25 years of age. Prior to enlisting he was in partnership with his brother, Mr D. Dunn, of the firm Dunn Bros., of the Gore foundry.  -Mataura Ensign, 21/11/1918.

IN MEMORIAM

FOR THE EMPIRE.

DUNN. — In loving memory of Private Frank Dunn, killed in action October 23, 1918. 

We miss thee from our home, dear Frank, We miss thee from thy place

A shadow o’er our life is cast, We miss the sunshine of thy face.

'Tis hard to break the tender chord, When love has bound the heart; 

’Tis hard, so hard, to speak the words, "We for a time must part.’' 

IN MEMORIAM.

FOR THE EMPIRE. 

DUNN. — In loving memory of Private F. A. Dunn (Frank), 23rd Reinforcement, who was killed in France on October 23, 1918. 

She loved him best who knew him well. 

Inserted by M.M.G.  -Mataura Ensign, 23/10/1919.

There is a discrepancy between Frank Dunn's date of death in the newspapers of the time and his memorial on his family's gravestone.  It might have been because he was initially reported missing, then wounded, then dead, on a busy day for the Otago Infantry Regiment.

Timaru Cemetery.