A DANGEROUS GAME.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2098, 13 November 1880, Page 2

A DANGEROUS GAME.

One of the most foolish and reprehen* sibla actions we ever heard of was perpetrated last week by a boy named Petherick, living in Wellington (says a contemporary) He had by some means, it appears from the local _ papers, obtained possession of a dynamite cartridge with the nsual fuse and explosive cap attached. While walking up Cuba street with a companion named Bennet, the conversation turned on the cartridge, and the manner in which it could be exploded. In order to see how the fuse burned Bennett lit a match and applied it to ita end, Petherick putting it out, as ha thought, when it had burnt down some little distance, A few moments afterwardu the cartridge exploded with appalling violence, blowing o£E Petherick’s left hand, in which ho was carrying it, and completely shattering the show window of Mr Bannister’s shop, in front of which the lads were standing. Both of them were thrown down with considerable violence, and the neighborhood within a radius of half a mile was considerably alarmed by the report, which resembled that of a cannon shot. A large crowd gathered on the scene of the accident, nobody having the slightest idea of what had happened until Petherick coolly got up and walked into the shop, where one of the attendants, seeing that prompt action was necessary, at once tied a pocket handkerchief as tightly around the wrist as the appliances at his disposal would permit, in order to prevent hemorrhage. Constable O’Connor arrived a minute or two later, and at once conveyed Petherick in a cab to the surgery of Dr. Diver, who found it necessary to amputate the limb at the middle of the fore-arm. The arm was so completely severed at the wrist that anyone who saw it and had not heard of the accident, would have been led to the belief that it had been out off with a blunt axe. All the sinews leading to the fingers were, however, hanging to the stump, looking as white as flax. The hand was subsequently found about 150 yards down the street, being, of course, fearfully mangled. Bennett was also considerably bruised about the legs and arms.