A STORY OF YOUTHFUL FOLLY.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14843, 8 December 1913, Page 8

A STORY OF YOUTHFUL FOLLY.

WOMAN SHOT DEAD. (STTKCIAL TO "THE MUES9.") INVERCAKGILL. December ?. With a revolver and a pea-rifle, held about the level of his hips, a.youth at Kew, a few miles from Invercargill, called to Mrs Martin on Friday night, "I'm Buffalo Billl" There was a click and a report, and a woman's scream followed. Mrs Lydia Frances Martin stumbled into her kitchen, and in a few minutes died as tho result of. ft revolver wound in the breast. The story of how tho shot came to be fired was told at the inquest yesterday. ; Dr. J. 6. Crawford said that at about 9 o'clock on Friday night'he received a telephone call to go to Mrs Martin's residence at Kew. On his arrival there he found Mrs Martin lying on Her back on the kitchen floor. Hβ mado an examination and found that she : was' dead. He discovered a bullet wound in. the chest. Death was due to hemorrhage of the aorta, as the result of '•: a bullet- wound. George McDermott, 18 years of age, * who was obviously very distressed, stated that he had been in Mr Martin's employ for about two months. On the evening of the fatality he wont around the edge of the. bush shooting birds ;...-'. and rabbits with a pea-rifle. He re- ~; turned to the houso for tea, and again: went shooting. He camo back to the . house between 8 and 8.30 o'clock, and ' practised shooting with the rifle at a target erected near the corner of the A bouse. Hβ then asked Mrs Martin if she knew where the revolver was, BBS she told him that it was in her son'a room. A little girl brought him the .< revolver, and he had some shots with. it at the target. Tho revolver took thesame ammunition as tho rifle. He could not say hew many shots ho fired, but _.-; before he finished he puned the trigger about ten times to see if there was any live cartridges left in the chambers. There was no discharge, and ho was satisfied that it.was empty. He then picked up the rifle, which -was lying near the target, and pointing it in the air, he also tested it to make sure that it was not loaded. Mrs Martin and a little girl named Elsie Buck were" standing in the doorway, and he said' to them: "I'm Buffalo Billl" and pointed the revolver and the rifle at about the height of' his hips in the direction of Mrs Martin and the child. • As he said it he pulled both hammers. The revolver exploded, and the shot? hit Mrs Martin. Ho never heard her say anything, but she gave a scream, and turning round, staggered into the kitchen. He rushed into the house, left ■' the rifle and revolver in the scullery, and went for assistance. The revolver had not, to his knowledge, misfired. Hβ loaded the revolver twice, inserting six cartridges each time. All the cartridge* exploded tho first time, out apparently one misfired on the second occasion. William George Martin, draper, eaidtf that he was th© deceased woman's hu»-:;V band. He was out at a meeting on .tie • night in question, and returned home : shortly after 9 o'clock. When be came"home his wife "was dead. The pea-rifle# McDermott was using belonged toiii;;; elder eon, and the revolver to the wo-.o ond.son. McDermott had permisaoaijto use the weapons whenever he,liked. '■■:', t Knowing all the circumstances of the case, he was more than satisfied-I&*6 it was purely an accident. McPanaott was nearly out of his mmd,.«ul ; K»'<W'-,' everything in his power to console XUJB under the circumstances. : *. Sergeant Sampson explained that tT» revolver had been examined by Mr Strang, manager for McCarthy's, ftad it was found that one of the chambcw • had misfired. .•■„'■■ •,'

Tho Coroner returned a yerdSct tl»4 the deceased was accidentally ehofc bjf , having a. revolver pointed ot hot UJ . ] play. He also stated that he wonld make it a suggestion to tho; Education Board, Scout masters, end ' TemiorW officers that attention be drawn to the necessity of the exorcise of care m w use of firearms. Hβ further itatod tfi» everyono who knew how to uso a firesyiS always kept the barrel pointing d0*- 1,,----the only time it was raised _wae when they were aiming at something. Ewtj , now and then they read in tho newspapers of such accidents happening, *M it was the silliest possiblo thing enj i ono could do to point a tiroana et »** J j other person.: ' , ,