LAD FATALLY SHOT

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 245, 6 January 1928, Page 16

LAD FATALLY SHOT

RIFLE EXPLODES VERDICT AT INQUEST (Special to THE SUN.) WANGANUI, To-day. At the inquest yesterday concerning the death of Edward William Head, who died of a gunshot wound, a verdict was returned that death was due to the accidental discharge of a rifle and that no blame was attachable to anyone. In the course of his evidence, George William Rogers, who resides with his uncle, William P. Head, said on December 27 he had been out with his rifle. Fe had not used it, however, and arrived home just . before 6 p.m. He went to his bedroom to unload the weapon, which held 11 cartridges. He emptied nine from the magazine, but the other two were apparently jammed. He managed to remove one and the other exploded as he was attempting to extract it through the breach.

Deceased, his cousin, entered the room as witness opened the magazine and the final bullet exploded. Deceased wheeled half-round and called out, ‘Oh, George, I’m shot,” and- witness jumped up and caught the wounded youth as he fell. Witness could not say what made the rifle discharge, and he did not remember touching the trigger. In witness’s opinion the extracting device had not acted properly when the last cartridge was being removed.