GORED TO DEATH BY A STAG.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1803, 16 October 1888, Page 3

GORED TO DEATH BY A STAG.

Full particulars as to the death of Lieutenant Colonel George Sowerby, of Putteridge Park, near Luton, who was gored to death by a pet stag an August 2, came out at the inquest subsequently held. It appears that Mr Sworder, a young gentleman in very delicate health, with his cousin, Miss Clara Sworder, obtained permission to photograph the herd of deer in Colonel Sowerby’s park. The Colonel invited them to go and see a pair of spotted deer which a friend in Egypt sent him a couple of years ago, and which were kept in a special paddock. The stag being of a surely disposition was muzzled. The animal was small hut powerful, with antlers of an immense size, and particularly sharp tines. Mr Sworder was following the colonel into the paddock when the latter said, “ Don’t come, as you are a stranger;” and, laughing, he added, “ Perhaps it may run at me.” Mr Sworder returned to undo bis camera, and his cousin went to assist him. Looking round directly after she saw the colonel on the ground with the stag butting at him. She screamed, “ Look; he’s down,” and Mr Sworder instantly jumped over the fence, taking the tripod of his camera as a weapon and went to his aid, shouting also for help. A scene of excitement followed. The colonel was on his back, pinned down by the stag’s antlers, and he had a gash under his eye. Mr Sworder got a knife to stab the animal, but the colonel said, “ All right, we’ll manage him.” The stag made another rush at the fallen colonel, which Mr Sworder stopped by laying hold of its antlers. In the struggle he was tossed over its head. The beast became more infuriated, and before Mr Sworder could recover himself, thrust twice more at the prostrate and bleeding man. Again Mr Sworder seized the stag, and by great efforts managed to hold it till help had been fetched by Miss Sworder. In a few minutes three other s men had come to the enclosure, and they,’with Mr Sworder, threw the stag over the fence, and it bounded away across the park. The colonel was then bleeding very much from a wound in the thigh, and Mr Sworder tied his handerchief round it to staunch the effusion, and took the colonel’s from his pocket to put on his forehead. He was carried into the house in an unconscious state, and after a few gasps he died. He had sustained wounds on the face, side, and thigh of a superficial character, and a fatal gash below the collar-bone, four, inches long, and penetrating to the heart. The stag was subsequently shot.