AN UNLUCKY SHOT.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 8, Issue 90, 14 April 1916, Page 5

AN UNLUCKY SHOT.

PONSONBY LADY WOUNDED. BY PEA RIFLE BULLET. An instance of a man having to pay dearly for a moment’s thoughtlessness came before the Court at Auckland, when a young man named’ William Claude Silver was charged that on February he discharged a firearm without reasonable cause near Wallace Street, Ponsonby, so as to endanger the life and limbs of by-pass-ers.

Sub-Inspector Mcllveney stated that the defendant, a tram conductor, had borrowed a pea-rifle from a relative, and taken it home to Wallace Street. When he looked the weapon over he found that it was somewhat rusty, and a cartridge that he tried in the breech became jammed there. In order to get the cartridge out he went into the back yard, set up a board with which to stop the bullet, and fired the rifle. Unfortunately for him the board was not thick enough to stop the bullet, which clean through the board and a live hedge at the back, and struck a lady who was passing along the street at the time. The bullet struck the lady, Mrs. Price, about the biceps of one of her arms, and penetrated about six inches into the shoulder. Mrs. Price had to go to the hospial to have the bullet removed, the medical costs involved amounting to £l9 11/. The Sub-Inspector suggested that a condition might be made respecting the payment of such costs.

In reply to a question on the point of paying the medical expenses, the defendant stated that he could not pay at once, bust might manage it by instalments. His Worship convicted defendant, and ordered him to pay the Court costs (7/), a condition being made that defendant should also arrange to pay the medical costs of £l9 11/,