SHOOTING TRAGEDY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 3762, 9 April 1907, Page 3

SHOOTING TRAGEDY.

■ Captain Cuthbert - was able to give a 1 brief but sufficient account at the inquest held at his place, Beaufroiit Castle, near Hexham, of how he came tb shoot his wife, I,ady Dorothy Cuthbert, and the jury, without hesitation, returned a verdict of accidental death.

Captain Cuthbert related that .his wife, who was 25 years of age, joined him in Robson’s Wood. Together they walked in a line with the beaters, Lady Dprothy being just behind him. He was cairying his gun with the muzzle pointing over his left shoulder, and his hand low down on the stock. The gun was at the “.safe,” as he always carried it. He saw what he thought was a pigeon on his left rear, and began to put up his gun to shoot. He must have caught the trigger with his fingers, which were very cold, as he pulled the “safe.” The gun never got .up to his shoulder before it went off. The contents entered Lady Cuthbert’s head and she was killed instantly.

The beaters, who had been near at the time Ot the accident, were called, but neither of them actually saw what happened. They heard a shot and immediately afterwards saw Lady Dorothy Cuthbert lying on the ground dead and her husband prostrate with- grief- a little distance away.

In- the summing up the-Coroner said : that’ he thought Captain Cuthbert had told : him' very sufficiently .how the fatality occurred. So'far as he could see it Was g. pure accident, and was not due to any negligence or carelessness on Captain Cqtbbert’s part. , It, was the most distressing, case into which he had ever inquired, and he felt! that he could assure Captain Cuthbert of the sympathy of all present.