THE PALMERSTON SHOOTING FATALITY.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 8902, 23 August 1907, Page 2

THE PALMERSTON SHOOTING FATALITY.

Inquest. i Tho Coroner (Cape. Mowlem) contacted an inquiry at 1.30 p.m. yesterday iftoruoon into iiso circunv-laiiees under which the lad Sidney Carson met Ids loath. . , ■ Following was the jury empanelled dessrs ti. W. White, Deo. Me Donald ’foreman), "William Cronin, John Wliiteicad, Samuel Dowdall, Frank Waters. Dr W. 11. Stowe deposed that he was billed to tho house at 7.30 ».m. on Wednesday and found deceased on tho door of a bedroom. He was alive and jxhibitod all signs of shock and severe injury to the brain. I had no doubt the injury was causeol by a shot from the revolver which was handed tome. Xhe pistol in Court was tho one. I left tho boy till midday when i had him removed on a stretcher to Mrs I reeman s i fospital. Thebov remained unconscious throughout the day. and about 7 p.m. was cabod and found lis a, the boy wa - dead. The bullet was Hi!; !..dgcd in the dead. lam of the opinion that ucceasco. died from injuries received IVoin the bullet, causing hemorrhage of tho brain, and that the pistol had been held eloco to tho forehead, as there was an impression of tho muzzle of the pistol on the forehead. Tho pistol went off with tho least touch and it was quite possible tho boy | did not expect it to go oil 1 . | Dr I*. T. Futuam deposed that he was scut by tho Police to tho Carson's house shortly alter 7.30 a.m. on tho Jlst and found'that Dr Stowe had already arrived. Ho corroborated the evidence ot tho previous witness. When he lett ho had no hope of ti'.e boy’s recovery. James Jlourv Carson, father ot deceased, deposed : 1 am a cordial manufacturer carrying on business in Pangiti-kei-stroel. Tho' deceased was my son and was aged Id years and 1 months, ti lio first I knew of his being possessed of the pisjtol (produced) was on Tuesday night about 11 p.m. One of my other sons told mo tho boy Sidney had a pistol. Deceased J was at that time in bed. I was also in j bed and said nothing that night to him. I The following morning at 0.30 a.m. when I I got up my oldest son AH rod also got upland T told him that Sumey had a pistol and requested him to .-ay nothing to the boy as I would get it from him. About 7 a.'m. I heard Sidney getting up, went into his room and asked him if lie had a pistol. Ho said “Vos. Have you got it hero ? lie said “To.-. ' 1 said “I want it and I want tc know where von got it.” Ho said “Its not mine, it belongs to tho boy Kitchen, who louud it and gave it to me.” I said "That is a lie, it belongs to you and I want to know where you got the money to buy it.’ ( _ At

this time the bey Sidney had both stockings and ono boot on. Ho was partly dressed. 1 returned to tbo kitchen, intending' to come back again as I was (jnito satisfied he was going to giio mo the pistol. I was not vexed with the boy nor did 1 speak to him in an angry manner. He spoke to me in his usual maimer, L had not been in the kitchen 2 minutes when I beard a report from the direction of his room. 1 hastened there and found him lying on his back near the fireplace, his head" having struck the edge of the fireplace. I called out and tbo other members of my family came to me. Ho was then unconscious and bleeding from a wound in the forehead. The pistol was lying on the bed, which was about T feet fromtho fireplace. The pistol was pointing away from deceased, and beside it was the pouch (produced) a number of cartridges which would fit it. I lifted the boy and tried to stop the bleeding with a wet cloth until the arrival of the doctors, who took charge of the case. Later in the day L'r .Stowe came and assisted to remove deceased to Mrs_ Freeman's private hospital, where he died at about 7 o’clock last night. This morning the body was brought back. Deceased sleeps with another brother, a third also sharing the room. The two brothers left deceased in bed sleeping, and they were not in the room w hen I spoke to dccea.-ed about delivering the pistol to mo. There had been no altercation between the boys that morning. I had not threatened deceased in any way. He was not a nervous lad. James Henry Carson, pm., deposed: I am IT years T months of ago 1 sloop in the same room as deceased did. On Tuesday night last I was at the Opera House, and was told by another boy that my brother, the deceased, had a pistol. After the play I returned home, the deceased following, and we both went to our bedroom together. 1 spoke to him about the pistol. Alter some conversation I asked him where ho got the pistol. He said, “"Who told you 1 had a pistol 1 told him about putting a bullet through a chocolate box in a Chinamans shop that night. 1 asked him if he bought it. Ho said, “ How could 1 ? I'm under 1(>.” A couple of days before that ho told mo that a cripple who goes about playing a tin whistle had a icvolver to sell for »s. [ called out to my father from my bedroom that Sidney had a revolver. No more was said that night. Next morning I and my eldest brother got up and wont to the kitchen. Nothing was said. About 7.20 a.in. we hoard the report of a lire arm and we all rushed in. A few days before this tragedy my elder brother lost some money out of his box, about 13s. The deceased was questioned by his father and brother and denied all knowledge of the money. He was perfectly cool and said he know nothing of it. John Francis Domain deposed, am in the employ of Mr Levy a tobacconist of this town. I knew deceased and remember selling him the pistol produced. On Saturday 17bh I sold the pistol for 8s fid, ho paid me Os that afternoon but I kept the pistol in my possession until the balance was paid. lie came on Monday morning the 19th, paid the balance and I gave him the pistol. On Saturday afternoon the transaction took place in the shop, and on Monday the purchase was completed outside the shop. Deceased said he wanted it to shoot birds. The first time be saw the pistol was on Friday, the IGth. Ho must have seen it in my pocket. Ho asked mo to show it to him. When ho took the pistol away I gave him 10 cartridges. About 5.30 p.m. on the lyfch he came to me iu front of Mr Levy’s shop and asked me to get him some wore cartridges. He said lie had used the 10 he got previously on shooting birds. Ho asked me to get him a box which I did, purchasing them at the U.F.C.A. I do not know who served me. The box I purchased held 100. The deceased waited for me at the post office. I got him the cartridges, and ho went away. He said lie had knocked down a few birds. Two or three days previously 1 purchased at the U.F.C.A. 100 cartridges. Air Dallow served me, I purchased the pistol from Langi Forsaith, a boy of about 10. 1 gave 2s tor it. lam XT years old, but stated to Mr Dallow that I was IG. Athol Kitchen, 13yrs G months old, deposed : 1 was a playmate of the deceased. 1 think about Thursday night the deceased saw the pistol and ho said he was going to buy it. On the morning of the 19th when ho came to school he had the pistol. Ho said lie had bought it from Jack Dennau for 3s. He had also a pouch (produced) nearly full of cartridges. On the evening of the 19th ho came to our place about 7 p.m. and wo went out together. Ho had the pistol with him: We went round the Square and I bought some pears from a Chinaman j we stayed there a bit and the Chinaman wanted to see the pistol. The Chinaman said “ Show mo how it shoots,” and deceased fired it into the floor. We then wont out and went to the shooting gallery, and when 9 o’clock struck I went home, leaving deceased there. The following morning deceased came to school j he had the pistol then. On the same evening I met deceased near Scott’s the chemist at G. 30 p.m, and then we went to the Opera House and waited till it was open. Sid Carson paid for me. After the performance I returned with Carson to Copeland’s corner. Deceased never borrowed money from me. Constable W. J. Connor gave evidence that he was informed of the occurrence by deceased’s brother. Ho wont to the house and found the pistol and cartridges produced on the bed. The jury, after a brief interval, returned a verdict to the effect that “Deceased Sidney Angus Carson died from the effects of a pistol shot wound in the head, and the jury are of opinion that the wound was accidentally inflicted by himself.”