PAKARAE SHOOTING CASE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2220, 18 June 1908, Page 2

PAKARAE SHOOTING CASE.

MISS PETERSEN OUT OF DANGER. SECOND BULLET REMOVED BY NURSE. A MARVELLOUS RECOVERY.

The sensational shooting case which occurred at/ Pakarao on Tuesday or last week, and which seemed likely to terminate in tlie murder of a young girl under peculiar horrifying circumstances, has quite unexpectedly ended in tlie recovery of the victim, who has, in verity, been “snatched Irom tlie jaws of death.” “Tho second bullet is out, and she will recover," was tho information vouchsafed last night by Dr. Collins to a “Times” reporter. It will be remembered by those Who read the first available details of tho shooting, which appeared in the “Times” of Wednesday week, that Symons fired two bullets at his victim, one penetrating the body near tlie left Jung, and tlie other passing through the upper jaw into the head. The first was removed on Thursday last, immediate action being neces-. .•■ary, as excessive hemorrhage had already set in, but Dr. Collins, afterlocating tlie second bullet, deemed it wise to give the natient an oppoi tunity to recover lior strength before attempting to remove it. This second operation promised to be an exceedingly difficult and intricate one. ’Hie surgeon’s plan was to first chloroform the natient in tlie ordinary way, and then perform tho operation of' traeheaotomy, which means making an opening in the trachea or windpipe. A small silver tube would have been inserted into the windpipe, and when breathing through the oneniiig was complete the chloroform would bo transferred from the nose to tho tube so as to leave the mouth free for the operation of removing the pellet. Tho removal of the bullet yesterday lias, however, dispensed with any need for the operation, and the wound will now -only need to be carefully dressed to heal satisfactorily. The bullet penetrated the bard palate of the mouth, opening up a cavity known as tho antrum of highinore. a large cavity which exists in the upper jaw, and ie bounded above by the lower plate of the orbit, below by the hard palato, internally by the nasal bones, and externally by tho bone of the cheek. In this cavity it set up a fairly severe suppuration, and from it. were extracted loose pieces of bone, a tooth, and bits of a dental plate, all of which had been driven up by the bullet. The wound has been daily syringed out and kept well drained. Tho continued suppuration widened the aperture in • which, the bullet lay, thus allowing the missile to present itself at tlie opening, whereu]X)n it was removed with a pair of forceps by the nurse in charge of the patient. Miss Petersen is now out of danger, and her recovery is assured. She will bo moved to town as soon as her condition permits, not much the worse for her adventure.

“A good ending to a very bad case” was Dr. Collins’ summing up of the position. '* - The young man Walter Symons,who lias been charged with shooting the girl, will be brought before the Police Court, to-morrow morning, when Sergeant Hutton will again apply for a vemand. The hearing, of the case will not be proceeded with until Miss Petersen is well enough to appear to give evidence So far Symons has not been visited by a lawyer or asked to have legal advice.