A FATAL GUN ACCIDENT.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 19, Issue 1325, 16 May 1872, Page 3

A FATAL GUN ACCIDENT.

(From the correspondent of the Southern Cross.) Another melancholy and tatal accident occurred at Northern Wairoa on Sunday last, sth inst. About ten o'clock in the morning, Patrick Muiphy, a shoemaker in the employ of Mr John J)ennin, weno out pigeon shooting, taking with him a little boy of about twelve years of age, son of Mr William Gear, one of our oldest residents. According to Murphy's statement they landed on the eastern bank of the river opposite Mr W. A. Marriner's island, and the Httle boy led the way towards some pigeons he had discovered, Murphy following close behnd him with the gun at full cock. They came to she bank of a small creek, and the little boy said, " Here is a creek to cross," when at that instant the gun went off, the contents entering the lower part of the back of the boy's head, completely blowing off the back of the skull, shattering it into several pieces, and taking the bi-ains and all the interior of the skull completely out; the poor little fellow fell forward into the creek, and Murphy at once picked him up, but of course death was instantaneous. Murphy then left the corpse, with the dog, gun, &c, and pulled down to Mi Dennin's, who, in company with Mr D. Manning, went off at once to find the body; but Murphy was so completely beside him self with grief and fright, that his account of the accident, and the spot where it happened, was nothing but a few incoherent sentences, and nothing clear could be got out of him. They then went and searched all the afternoon on the island, but not finding the body they pulled up to Mangawhare, when Messrs; W. A. Marriner, W. Johnson, L. Dacre, J. Wilson, and themselves manned a whaleboat, and, proceeding to the eastern bank of the river, spent nearly the whole of the night searching for the body, but without success; they found, however, the dog, gun, and several other articles At daybreak they recommenced the searoh, and, at low water, found the body in the state I have previously described ; which, as it was high water at the time ot the first search, was covered by the tide. The body was brought to Mangawhare, and Mr Gear was sent for. His feelings at beholding the shattered remains of his poor boy may be easily imagined. An inquest was held by Mr Web!>, and a \erdict of " Accidental death " was returned. The remains of the little boy was buried in the mission burying-ground, at, Mount Wesley, by the side of his sister, who was drowned many years ago in the Wairoa.