A YOUTH SHOT

Hokitika Guardian, 12 August 1926, Page 1

A YOUTH SHOT

A MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR.

[by telegraph—rEii press association.]

PUKEKOHE, August. 11

Mervyn Hoe,, a Technical School pupil, was shot early this morning under mysterious circumstances at the Soldier Settlement of Puti, five and a-half miles from Pukekohe. The youth who was aged eighteen years attended school yesterday, and he studied till late last night at tlie home of his brother Joseph, where 'he is living.

At one o’clock Mervyn went for a short walk before retiring, and when a little way from the house, lie felt something press against his chest. He reeled round several times, and when he recovered from the shock, lie returned to the house and informed his brother. Doctor Bogg was summoned, and discovered that a bullet had entered the youth’s chest slightly above the heart. " Tho lad, who is of a bright and happy disposition, is not ill a serious condition, but lie is suffering greatly from shock. The bullet is still in his body. The police are unable' to find any trace of weapons, nor were there any oil the premises. FURTHER DETAILS. AUCKLAND, August 11. R was an extraordinary affair that occurred at the Soldiers’ Settlement at Puni, some five miles from Pukekolic at about one o’clock this morning, when Mervvon Hoe, 18 years of age. was shot in the dark by an unknown assailant. Tho bullet penetrated his body fairly high up on the left side of the

chest and caused a serious wound. The victim resides with his married brother, Mr Joseph Hoe, one of the soldier settlers, and is a pupil of Pukekohe Technical High School. He attended School yesterday and after tea was engaged in homework until after midnight. lie then wont out for a short walk before retiring. When about 100 yards from the house he suddenly noticed tlie outline of a man and felt .soemthing pressed against his chest, followed by a concussion. Ho reeled and staggered back to tlie house‘where ho informed li'is brother. Dr Bogg was summoned and later tlie Pukekohe police. The doctor’s examination showed that the bullet must have passed within a fraction of an inch of the heart. The patient was suffering fromshock and loss of blood. It was not possible to move him to-day, but probably be Will be taken to Auckland Hospital to-morrow for an X-ray examination to locate the bullet. Constables R. Millar and S. O’Donnell searched the immediate vicinity on arrival shortly after daybreak, giving particular attention to a piece of busli in a gully about 200 yards from the scone of the shooting. However, no trace of the assailant was found, and the victim and His brother are unable to give any indication as to who he might be, or why he fired the shot. Tlie house stands in a paddock about 200 yards from tlie roads, and within a quarter of a mile radius there are other homesteads, there being in all 12 homesteads in tlie settlement. There aro no trees round Mr Roe’s house. Young T-Too came from Rcwiti, Helensvillc, some weeks ago. He was again visited by tlie doctor this afternoon and it is not expected his wound will prove fatal.

Sergeant Cowan and Constable Millar are still engaged in searching the locality at five o’clock to-night.