SHOCKING FATALITY.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 1025, 23 April 1883, Page 2

SHOCKING FATALITY.

A CHILD SHOT BY ITS FATHER. (From to-day’s Chronicle,) : ■ nfi, A painful sensation was experienced in town on Saturday afternoon, when?it became known that a little boy had been accidentally shot and killed by, the contents of a gun discharged by bis own Jk father. The facts- of the affair are distressingly simple. Mr W.Kirkwood, the landlord of the Red Lion Hotel, at Campbelltown, was engaged, between 3 and A o’clock, in shooting some common house pigeons, which were pelted off the roof of bis- stable. He had shot two, and r the third took its flight across the path by the side of the hotel, and made for the.hill on the other side,* where there is a little cottage. Mr Kirkwood, who-was standing by the stable, and was using a breecdrloading fowling-piece, charged with No. 4 shot, let drive at the pigeon,?and at the same moment MrKirkwood’s little son George, a fine lad of between 6 and 7 years of ago, came out from behind; the’cottage' ( where he had been jdayihg oa the hill-, side), and received the contents of the. gun fairly in the front.of his body.* poor little fellow cried out lustily for his father, and actually ran some distance round the back of the cottage before he fell. .His horrifiefl father, with Mr Thomas Rnscoe and* some cither persons who had been looking on at the pigeon;shooting, rushed to the boy’s aid, aud conveyed him into the hotel, where he died in about twenty minutes,, and' before medical assistance could arrive. On examining the body it was found perfectly riddled* with 1 shots. There were twelve in the left arm, two on the neck, thirteen, on the chest cluster over the heart), one on the lower, lip, one on the left cheek, and one on the pit of the stomach. There was some hoemorrhage from the mouth, and Dr Tripe had no difficulty in coming to the conclusion that several shots had penetrated the heart, land thus caused the boy’s death. The little fellow was a" bright, intelligent scholar at the Infant Schoolj which he had attended for nearly two years past, and a‘favourite with everybody who knew Him. The blow is a fearful,, one for his father, who, although he may acquit himseliTof all blame, cannot but experience the most poignant anguish. So also with Mrs Kirkwood, whose grief-was intense, aud with the dead boy’s hi’bthers and sisters. The-whole family- are highly respected, and they will have [the' deep sympathy of a host of, personal friends in this terrible affliction, . i