ACCIDENTALLY SHOT
AN EXTRAORDINARY (’ASI
SUVA' (Fiji) June 27. One of the most extraordinary cases of killing by accident in recent times was revealed sit th ( « recent Criminal Court sittings at Lautoka. An elderly Indian named Yekatasnini was walking along the railway line near where a steam plough stood, on April 27th.. when lie was seen to fall. When the Indian who saw him fall reached him he was bathed in blood, and after being <-onveyed to the Lautoka- Hospital, died after an operation. The medical evidence showed be bad been shot on the outer part of the left buttock and again through the intestines two inches to the right of the navel. A returned soldier named Lieut V . J. A Weir, manager of Drasa Estate, was charged with manslaughter.
Mr Weir said he had a .303 rifle, as he was a member of a rifle eluh, and ns he could not attend the rifle butts often lie practised shooting at targets or pigeons on the estate. On April 27th. he said, hr fired at pigeons to wards the hills, after taking care that no one was likely to he in that direction. The bird was on a mango tree, and behind the mango was n jungle, and behind that a swamp. The pigeon was missed and flew to a smaller tree. He fired again, the rifle being sighted at zero. There were stone Iwmlders in the jungle. After hearing of the eident he connected himself with it. From the way he held the rifle the bullet could not have gone within 800 yards of where the man was hit. He was well acquainted' with the spot where the plough was. The plough was fully 1500 yards from where lie fired He said the biillets must have rieooheited ones' or even twice to have been able to hit the man.
This was amazing enough, and the evidence supported the idea, of a double richoohot, ns the medical evidence shoved that the bullet was travelling m> from the ground when it (or they) hit the deceased.
Air Weir was found not guilty and discharged. Outside <4 the war. probably sueh a remarkui V m - blent has never been heaid of.
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Hokitika Guardian, 18 July 1921, Page 3
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369ACCIDENTALLY SHOT Hokitika Guardian, 18 July 1921, Page 3
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