Young Wife Shot at Play

Hokitika Guardian, 5 January 1923, Page 4

Young Wife Shot at Play

tragic came of BURGLARS. LONDON; November 1-1. llow a young wife, Elsie Masiua (Mamie; Aston, 20, was accidentally .shut dead by her husband. Douglas AYilloughbv Gordon Aston. 18, while ~laving ai ‘burglars” at, their limno, 70, windmill-street. Gravesend, Kent, alt.-r liny had only been monied tlii-eo months, was described at an inquest at Gravesend last evening. The husband. wh<> sobbed bitterly while giving evidence, said he was 1 ailing an automatic pistol to m .-•■(• how the mechanism worker!. He knew it was loaded, and put. the s:det> ealch nil. hut had to cock the pistol. His V it,, admired it. and as she took it in In.- hue! he warned h r 1 he ealelul. •‘HANDS UP!” Whlon cent iimcd : She s ml, '\ « ■ , ml („ he luiiglar." “Ull in my hag in which 1 keep the vci-s." 1 said, “and pretend to be rohhinn ii.” She turned round to cover me with the automatic, saying “Hands up. Mr Burglar!” | -matched a revolver from the hag. and, covering her with it. pnlh-d the trigger, meaning tochek it. 1 thought it. was unloaded. I did that to show her that if if had been real 1 would have been throe fir i. She had walked tn-wards we and the report seemed to deafen me. After the shot my wife stood quite still for a moment and just put lmr hands up to her breast. I said. “My Cod! Don’t say T have shot you ATnisie.” She replied in quite an orrlinarv voice. “Acs. you h ,; ve: run for a doctor.” She fell hack and t caught her in ray arms and laid her down. At first I bad a wild hope that she had not. really been shot, hut only frightened. The Coroner: TL w was it the revolver came to he loaded? , T have had it for months, hut with the safety catch on. At nno time I used to have it under my pillow. TTow did you come to he in possession of so many revolvers? They have had a fascination for me ever since 1 was a. child. T could not resist buying one if I bad money. The jury returned a verdict of Death from Misadventure.