SAD FATALITY AT WAIKANAE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 1047, 7 January 1913, Page 3

SAD FATALITY AT WAIKANAE.

LITTLE BOY, SHOOTS HIS

SISTER

A distressing fatal accident happened at the residence ot Mr Alex. Campion, Paitawa, near Waikanae, on Friday last, by which a little girl of the family, known as Dorrie,” met her death, accidentally, at the hands of a brother three years older than herself. An inquest was held before district Coroner Nation on Saturday and a verdict of accidental death returned. The little boy outlined the tragedy at the inquest as follows“ I am thirteen years old. Just after dinner yesterday—after one o’clock —I was playing with my sister Alexis outside the house, and we were good friends. We were playing with a ball, throwing it against a wall and catching it. It was her turn and I went into the boys’ room to get out of the sun. There were two guns there—one was locked. The other I took up and poked it out of the door. I did not know there was a charge iu the gun. I pulled one trigger and the guu did not go off. I then pulled the other, and I did not point it at my sister. She was three or lour yards away. There were silting close by Gwilfa Taylor, Isabel Taylor and Maggie, my sister—all iu a group. They were sitting down, and “ Dorrie ” was standing up. This is how she received the shots from the guu. I did not point the gun at anything or anyone ; I just poked it out of the door and pulled the trigger, not knowing or believing there was a charge in one of the barrels. It was a double-barrelled guu, belonging to one of my brothers. The three children screamed, and I ran out to the children, and mother had come out of the house. “ Dorrie ” had fallen down, and then I saw what had happened. I did not even put the guu to my shoulder. I merely poked the muzzle out of the door and pulled the trigger. We were all friends and I snapped the gun thoughtlessly, not knowing there was a charge in the barrel.”