On June 9 a pretty wedding was celebrated at Coalburn, Stirling, the contracting parties being Miss Annie McPherson and Private Robert Irving (M.M.), both of Stirling. The bride, who looked charming in a dress of white silk, ornamented with pearl sequins, wore the customary veil and orange blossoms, and carried an aster and asparagus fern bouquet, and was given away by her uncle, Mr D. Milne. The cridesmaid, Miss Ulrica Lemon of Christchurch, wore a dainty frock of white-crepe de chine, with overdress of Irish shadow lace and pale blue aeroplane hat. Mr John Mcpherson, brother of the bride, acted as best man, and after the marriage ceremony, performed by Rev. J. Alexander, the guests were entertained at breakfast, when the usual toasts were suitably responded to, and afterwards a very enjoyable evening was spent. -Clutha Leader, 15/6/1920.
SOUTH OTAGO
BALCLUTHA
Death from Blood Poisoning
The adjourned inquest on Robert Ford Burgess Irving, aged 42, was continued yesterday before Mr A. E. Russell, district coroner. Mr J. T Walter represented the relatives of the deceased and Mr A. J. Hight the Railways Department. Constable Boyle conducted the inquiry on behalf of the police.
Annie Irving, widow of deceased, said her husband had been an acting ganger of railway surfacemen, and lived at Stirling. On September 18 he suffered a scratched hand while at work. He did not complain to her, but she noticed on the Monday morning following that he had a bad left hand. He bathed his hand with hot water before leaving for work that morning, but he came home at 12. He did not eat much and lay down on his bed before going back to work. He came home at 4 and went to bed, and complained of lack of power in his hand. Although he was a returned soldier and had been wounded in the war, he was usually in the best of health. — To Mr Walter: On the Monday (September 25) the swelling from the hand extended up the arm. Witness treated the hand and arm with hot water, and then put Epsom salts in the water she used. The mark on the back of the left hand was small in appearance. Next morning she rang Dr Frengley, of Balclutha, but he could not get out to Stirling till 5 p.m. The doctor prescribed treatment, but the patient grew worse and was removed to hospital on the Friday.
James Sidney Gregory, railway surfaceman, Lovell’s Flat, said he had been working with the deceased on September 18 in the Stirling railway yard, and when putting a steel rail into a point the deceased scratched the back of his left hand. The deceased was trying to work a bed plate under the rail at the time, when his hand slipped. The injury was so slight that no notice was taken of it. It hardly bled at all. The deceased continued working that week and made no mention of the injured hand until September 25 (a Monday), when he said the hand was sore and he had a lump under the arm. He continued at work till 4 p.m., however, and when witness next saw him It was on September 27, when he was in bed and very ill. — To Mr Walter: Prior to the accident the deceased enjoyed good health. The rail on which he scratched his hand had a sharp, ragged edge. — To Mr Hight: It had not been reported to the inspector of permanent way on form 92A. as prescribed.
Dr D. M. Frengley, Balclutha, in the course of his evidence, said that deceased did not respond to treatment at his home, and on the Friday, September 29, he had him removed to hospital, where he died on the morning of October 1. Witness conducted a post-mortem that evening and found that death was due to toxaemia, or blood poisoning, and there was slight pneumonia arising from the infection. The swelling of the hand and arm was due to inflammation caused by the infection. He did not think the deceased was in danger when he saw him in hospital on the Saturday, but the pneumonia developed rapidly and there were signs also of jaundice. His war wound had no effect on his condition.
The coroner returned a verdict of death from blood poisoning following the effects of an abrasion to the left hand. -Otago Daily Times, 13/10/1939.
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