A DRUNKEN AFFRAY.

Hokitika Guardian, 8 June 1925, Page 1

A DRUNKEN AFFRAY.

A MAN SHOT. At lhe Grey Diver Hospital is a- man, I'Veberiek Kasterbrook. in a precarious (■olid i i ion. as Hie outcome of a Iranis that occurred on Friday evening in a litish ramp ini the Otira Line, in the viciuitv ol' Ai•!•:<• 11 s, some six miles from. Otira township, the man's injurs- being the evidciii outcome ol the influence of a number of drinks taken prior to the all ray. Apparently the men. who were engaged in woodcull l ug had pa id a number of vi-its lo the adjacent hotel, the Hush Inn. and later returned to camp for tea. Hobson and Kasterbrook had their tea lirst together, am! it was just, then, when Fnsierltrnnk either accidently or designedly kicked over the teapot which was lying in the vicinity of tlu' lire. Heron, then came to have his meal, and tinding the tea spilt, lie called Kasterbrook to task for kicking out the pol aml leaving him no tea. iKasterhrok retorted with an angry ■ Itiei'v as to why he picked on to him.. Iml Heron replied: "You are not going to nick a row with me!" Heron then walked away into his own tent,

whilst the other two remained behind conversing and indulging also in a I'ricndlv wrestling bout. Then Hobson followed Heron into the latter's tent, where they each sat on a bed, leaving ’F.nstvrhrook still in the cookhouse. The next tiling to happen was the appearance at the door ol Heron’s tent of (Kasterbrook with the gun. He was grasping the weapon by the barrels, and holding it over his shoulder, and he announced that he was going to ‘‘knock Heron’s h y head oil!" He swung the gun, hut did not allow for a rope that hung across the tentwhen lie made the swipe at Heron and

the stock was deflected by the rope, or otherwise. From what was gleamed by Detective-Sergeant Young on investigating the facts, there seems to have been every probability that Heron's brains would have been dashed out.

As it was, the stock- <ti<l strike Heron a glancing blow on the head, where there are now the marks of the impact. Heron at once grappled with Eiistorbrook, hut stall'd later that he did not at the time know that it was the gnu the other man liarl in his hands. Hobson, however, who was awitness of the souffle, said it was the gun Kasterbrook had. and as it was empty ai midday, it is apparent from what ensued that Kasterbrook must have loaded it. before coming at Heron with it.

In the “entile there was an explosior if the gun and Kasterbrook cried out

" My God. I’m shot.’' as he collapsed in the doorway. It turned out that a charge of shot had gone clean through his right thigh, high up near the groin. The other two men at once got busy with the idea of conveying the wounded man to Otira for medical aid. but Kasterbrook must have lost a lot of blood.

Summing up the I acts, it appears that Kasterbrook was to blame for the accident and this inference is strengthened by the fact that it is supported by the testimony of the third party. Hobson, who has been Knsterbrook’s workmate. Whatever his intention. .Kasterbrook evidently loaded the gun, and was bent on using it upon Heron when the latter closed with him in a scuffle during which the explosion oecu rred.