BOY FIRED AT FARMER

Chronicle (Levin), 14 January 1947, Page 4

BOY FIRED AT FARMER

-Press Association

Two Youihs Face Attempted Murdej- Ciiarge

By TelegrapT v-

TAUiVlARUNUI, Jan. 13. In the Juvenile Court Messrs W. A. CampbelJ and W. Thomas, justices of the peaee, at the Tau.iiariuuii hospital heard the evidence of R.aynioud Douglas Brink- • oiau as to hpw he came to be s-hot in the stomaeh by a repeater rifle. Two boys, aged 14 and 16, eharged with attempted murder, vrore represented by Mr. J. M. McKenzie. Brinkman deposed that he returned from uiustering' at 12.30 and found the windows and doors of the house open. They had i)een ciosed but not locked when he lefl. Ile saw one of Ihe aeeused niu across the lawn to a slied, He then procured a stiek for der fenee when he noticed another boy elimbing' the hill. Witness called out: " What are yon doing, son?^ The boy replied: £Chasing rnbbits." Witness said/ "Dome down at once." When witness finished talking the older boy jumpe.d out IVom hehind the shed with a .22 ealilrre re])eater rifle at his shoulder'and (ired hitting witness in the stomaeh from five yards -away. Jt was all over in a fiash. Witness ran down a track with the boy following him trying to hit him aga'm. The boy fired three or four more shots, but only the first shot hit him. The last shot was fired as witness got over a bridge. Witness ran to the bank of the stream and jumped over, staying there. Witness then dragged himself to the road where he was found by a cyclist. Witness ide.ntified a eigarette case, lighter and fountain pen as his. He had lel't the articles in, the house. He. had never s.een accnsed before. Witness identified the two aeensed in eourt. In reply to' Af t\ MeKenzie he said he was not absolutely eertain which aeensed fired the shot though h.ethought it was Ihe elder boy.. Aeensed were remanded to appear at Auckland on the 20th.