FATAL GUN ACCIDENT.

Dunstan Times, Issue 890, 9 May 1879, Page 3

FATAL GUN ACCIDENT.

A distressing accident occurred on Sunday evening lust to a lad named Charles deer, aged 13, at a spot on the ranges known as the Hack Rock, between Conroy’s Gully and the Earnscleugh homestead, whereby the lad lost his life. He had been for some seven or eight weeks rabbiting in the neighbourhood, he and his mate Edward Luscombe occupying a tent together. They were both sitting on their beds in the tent on Sunday evening, when Geer, who seemed to have a habit of firing off his gun after ■dark, reached behind l.uscotnbe for the purpose of drawing the gun towards him, when the gun went off, and the contents of the barrel entered Geer’s left side just below the heart. Jbuscombe, after attending to hii mate, immediately hurried to the station to send into Clyde for medical aid. On being called Dr Leahy started at once and was soon on the spot, but it was clear from the first that the poor boy was beyond human aid. He was conscious almost to the last, and lingered on until 9 on Monday morning, when he died. A messenger was sent to inform the boy’s mother, who live* at Quartzville, but she did not arrive till after his death. The body was taken on a stretcher to the station, whence it was brought into town in an express.

THE IN’QCnST ■was held on Monday evening at the Hartley Arms before W. Laurence Simpson, Esq. (Coroner), end a jury of twelve, as follows : —J. U. Cambridge (foreman), John Cox, Alfred Brown, Charles Hueston, Thomas Webb, William Auckland, Benjamin Nay. lor, jun., Thomas Henry Dunne, Alexander Joss, George Fache, Thomas Waters, and Isaac Peters.

The jury having viewed the body. The Coroner very shortly informed the jury of the circumstances which they were sailed together to enquire into, and then proceeded to call evidence. Edward Lnscombe, sworn; T get my Jiving as a rabbiteron Fraser’s station. The body was that of deceased Charles Geer. Bad known him eight or nine years. Bad

been mates with him seven or eight weeks, I Wo occupied the same tent, and were both in it on Sunday night, [Witness then described the position of the beds in the tent] Was sitting on his own bed about 8.30 on Sunday evening, and deceased was sitting on his own bed. Deceased said he would have a shot; he was in the habit of firing two or throe shots every night after dark. He told deceased to take his (witness’s) gun as it would save him firing it off. The gun was loaded with an ordinary charge. Deceased stretched behind me and took hold of the muzzle of the gun, which was lying on the bed, and pulled it towards him. He heard a discharge, and deceased without speaking got up and went out of the tent door. Saw blood and knew deceased was hit by the look of his eyes. Pound deceased lying on the grass. Lifted him up and laid him on his own bed. Deceased asked me to put more blankets on him as he was cold. Deceased said he would not be afraid to be alone while witness went for a doctor. Deceased said he was suffering great pain. Caught the horse and went for the doctor, first going to Earnsclengh station, which is about two and a-half miles off. Saw llobt. Brunton, and got him to go for the doctor, and I returned to the tent. Deceased was sensible when I got back, and was still in bed. Deceased asked if the doctor would he long, and I said he would soon be here. When I returned to the tent he had his own gun between his knees, with the barrel pointing in the air. Took it away, ami asked him what he was doing with the gun there ; and he said he was going to shoot himself, he was in such great pain. He examined the gun next morning, and found paper rammed half-way down it. After removing the paper 1 found about a dram of powder in the barrel. Several wires were on the tail’s, one of which was straightened. Was certain the wires were outside when he left. Asked deceased where he got the wires, and he said he did not know When he left deceased had two shirts on, and when he returned one was lying outside the tent near the wires. Concluded that deceased must have been outside during his 'absence. Deceased said he did not then suffer pain. Remained with him till the doctor arrived. Hugh M'Kenzie returned with the doctor, and after tlio doctor and M’Kenzie had left witness went for Arch. Blue, as he was afraid to stay alone iu the tent. Blue returned and remained all night in the tent with him. C. Morris and Blue lived in a tent together. Asked Morris to ride to Quartzville to tell the mother of deceased of the accident. '1 o the Coroner : Deceased was very rash with the gun ; he frequently aimed at me with his loaded gun in play. Had cautioned him frequently about his careless way of handling a gun. Deceased was between 16 and I". Was on good terms with deceased, and he had never quarrelled with wituess. Deceased was not, a hot-headed hoy. Thomas Ivcaby, sworn : I am a duly qualified medical practitioner. Was called about 10 o’clock last nigbt by one Brunton, to go to the station to sea a lad who had been shot. Went to the station, and Hugh M’Keuzieaccura, allied me to the tent. Was about an hour and a-half on the road. Luscombe came to meet me and said deceased was easier and was sleeping. Deceased was lying on a stretcher on bis left side. Lifted him up and examined the wound. Blood had soaked through his clothes and the stretcher. When he got deceased on his right side air whistled through the wound j iu fact be breathed through it. The wound was largo enough to admit two fingers. Two ribs were broken into small pieces, and the lung wis tom away inside. Felt for shot or portions of cloth but found none. Told deceased’s mate that the boy could not possibly live beyond the morning. The pericardium was blown away, and ho could fed his heart. Put a plug iu the wound and a bandage over it, and told his mate to give him a hot drink to revive him. Nothing could have been done to save the boy. The hemorrhage was snffi di nt to hill him. and the shock to the system was also sufficient, but if he had recovered from those tho subsequent inflammation would have killed him. Saw at once the wound was fatal and entirely beyond bis power. Had heard the evidence about the hoy going outside the tent after the accident, but at that time deceased would not have lost much blood ; hemorrhage would not commence for perhaps half-an-hour afterwards. Deceased could not have lain in a better position than on the wounded side. Deceased did not say anything about the accident, and witness did not ask him any questions about it. Saw nothing to cause him to think otherwise than that the affair was purely accidental. The gun must have been very close to him when it went off, as there were only two shot marks beside the wound. Had he lain on his right side the blood flowing on the ether lung would have smothered him. Saw nothing to lead him to doubt Luscombe’s statements. Tho direction of the wound would show how the accident ocourrel, as tho shot went upwards.

Edward Lnscombe. recalled : Was sitting writing at the table when deceased took hold of the gnn. In drawing the gun round towards him it went off. The shot must have passed within an inch of witness. The gun was not cooked ; the hammer ron»t have got caught in the bedding. In lifting the gun after the accident he did not notice that the hammer had caught The trigger required about Bibs pull. The gnn lav with the hammers downwards on the bed. He never moved his position j had he done so he would have been shot This concluded the evidence.

The Coroner : Gentlemen of the jury, you have now heard all the evidence in this unfortunate case, and from it you cannot, I think, arrive at any other conclusion than that it was purely accidental, and was cansed solely through carelessness on the part of deceased. The fact of deceased pointing a loaded gun at his mate showed carelessness. The evidence given by the witness Lnscombe seemed to him quite feasible, and he thought the jury would have no difficulty in returning a verdict. The jury, without leaving the room, returned a verdict of " Accidental death.”