WOUNDED MAN'S GRAPHIC STORY OF SHOOTING

Chronicle (Levin), 3 February 1949, Page 5

WOUNDED MAN'S GRAPHIC STORY OF SHOOTING

AUCKLAND, Feb. 3. How he had lain still- on the road outside his home after a buliet had struck him . to within an inch of ihis heart was related yesterday r I morning by Mr. Arthur Wiggins. I He teared that if ,he made the ! siightest move another buliet would * be fired at him. Mr. Wiggins was in his bed' in a -private room in tne Whakatane Hospital. i * As he lay helpless on the roa'd, 'he said, his thoughts were/or his iwife, who was inside the nouSe. He '•thought that if she came out she would meet the same fate as had befallen him. His only cnance was to lie as if dead, and pray that the killei* who was moving around within a few feet of him, would go •away. His oresence of mind was rewarded when the murderer mov^d oif. _ . . It was then that ,Mr. Waggms managed to drag himself into the house to warn his Wife find telephone the police. "I hope I hever. have to go through such agonising momentS hgain," he said tnis morning. "I iknew I was badly hurt and helpless, and that the killer was standirig over me with his gun. "I heard ski'dding hoises and sounds which I tnought were backfiring," he said. "I went out on to ihe road in front of my house to anvestigate, and saw the traffic [officer lying on the side of the road ,'beside a motor cycle which was on its side. A little way down the road was a ear, and a man was standing ■beside it. I was suspicious when ihe man didn't move or speak, so I called out to him 'What'S wrong?' The traffic officer was groaning. ! Then the man walked toward me. ' I did not see the gun, which he had in his hand, down by his side. "Spun Sideways" "I shone my torch on him and then he suddenly whipped up his hand and I caught a fiecting glimpse of his revolver. I spun i sideways just as the buliet Went through my chest. I dfopped to the road not far from the traffic ■ officer. I was not unconscious and 'could hear the man walking ' around. j "He must have thought I was | dead, because I lay very still, ' shamming death. He *seemed to move about for quite a while. It seemed an eternity to me. Then I 1 heard his footsteps receding and I - started to drag myself toward, my front gate to warn my wife. It was not long before the police were on the spotr" Were Ilaymaking . First on the scene _ after the | inspector and Mr. Wiggins had ! been shot, Messrs. Edward and • Hector Grant, OWen Cameron and i Cliffoid Dudson ahd Reg. Laurie ■ told their story this morning. A1L were .haymaking less than 1 200 yards from the . scene of the ! shooting when they saw a motor cycle on the road towards Taur-' anga. It was closely followed by ; j the traffic inspector's coupe and , I they heard the car's siren soun'ding, ysaw a cloud of dust an-d then heard ' j what they took to be the backfiring of a motor cycle. Deciding to investigate they went to the road. Describing the scene Mr. Laurie said: "Inspector Kehoe was lying on his back alongside the motor cycle, which was on its side. Beside his hand was his torch and cap. He was bleeding from a wound in the chest, and he lasted only'a few minutes aftel we got there. A little later Mr. Wiggins came out and told me that he had been shot."