SHOOTING TRAGEDY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17693, 2 August 1919, Page 7

SHOOTING TRAGEDY

YOUNG GIRL'S DEATH,

A REMARKABLE CASE.

(Pee United Press Association.) OinUSTCHURCI-I, August 1. At tho inquest on tho body of Eleanor Coventry, aged 10 years and 11 months, wiio died as the result of a gunshot wound in tho abdomen, Dr 0. A. Anderson (assistant houso surgeon at the Hospital) stated that ho saw tho deceased at 3.30 p.m. on Wednesday shortly after her admission to the ward. She w.as suffering from a gunshot wound in tho abdomen, and tho charge had gone right through tho body, coming out through tho back. Tho Coroner (Mr Bailoy, S.M.): Could you say whether the wound was self-in-flicted, such as by pulling the trigger of the gun ? ' Witness : No, I couldn't judge that; but tho gun must havo been right up against her body when it went off. Tho Coroner: In that ca.so you cannot say whether it was self-inflicted? Witness: In my opinion it probably was self-inflicted, but I cannot judge for certain whether such actually was the case. The Coroner: What puzzles mo is how she could possibly have reached her hand down to pull tho trigger Witness: I don't think she could possibly have pulled the trigger with her hand. Possibly she may have pulled it with one of her toes.

The Coroner: I cannot bring in a definite verdict of suicide, bccaust? I am not satisfied on that point.

A constable who was in tho room stated at this juncture that ho-had .been out to tho spot where the decoased was found, and quito close to her was a garden peg with which she might have hooked the trigger off.

Tho Coroner: She must liavo been an ingenious child to have thought of that. Tho father of the deceased said lie had not -used tho gun for about 10 months. He was quite positive that he did not leave it loaded.

The Coroner: Is it possible that anyone could have borrowed the gun since you last used it? Perhaps your wifo may have lent it to someone?

Witness replied that he was quite certain that the gun had not been lent to anyone since he last used it.

At this stage Sergeant Stewart opened the breech, and an empty yellow cartridge case was ejected.

The father said it was not one of his cartridges. He had never lent the gun, but the girl might have got the cartridge somewhere. The Coroner: This makes the case more extraordinary still. He said he was' not satisfied that the cirl had deliberately pulled the trigger. In his verdict the coroner recorded that the evidence was msufficieilt to show whether the wound was self-inflicted or accidental