RUSSELL—ACCIDENTAL DEATH.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 168, 23 April 1872, Page 3

RUSSELL—ACCIDENTAL DEATH.

I have the melancholy office to report to you the sad death, on the 15th instant, at Pakaraka, by the accidental discharge of his own gun whilst out duck shooting, of Edward Michael Hutton, aged 15 years, son of the Rev. T. B. Hutton, now in England, and a grandson of the late Vcn. Archdeacon Henry Williams, of Pakaraka. It appears from the evidence given befoie the Acting-Coroner, J. W, Williams, Esq., J.P., and a respectable jury, of whom Miff. W. James was chosen foreman, that the deceased, accompanied by a young native lad, named Pern; Taipa, went out duckshooting on the afternoon of the 15th instant, about 5 o’clock. Going from one pond to another through the paddocks, and finding no ducks, they were in the act of proceeding to a pond in a further paddock, where they expected to find some. On reaching the wall of the paddock, which was about six feet in height, the deceased climbed up and asked the native boy to hand up the guns, which he did, first handing up the deceased’s double-barrelled gun, which be took by the muzzle and placed on the opposite side of the wall. The native boy afterwards banded up bis own single-barrelled gun, which deceased also grasped by the muzzle, and whilst in the act of placing it by the other gun one of the barrels of his own gun went off, lodging the contents in his right breast, and inflicting a fatal wound. He then fell back, the native lad catching him in his arms. As he did so, his only words were, in Maori, “I am done.” The boy then ran to acquaint Mr Henry Williams (with whom deceased lived) of the occurrence, who, immediately calling to some of the hands to follow, ran to the scene of the accident, and found him still breathing. He called him by name, but the deceased did not reply. Mr Williams saw at once that the wound was fatal. The poor young fellow expired about an hour after the accident. On the guns being afterwards examined, one of the barrels of the double-barrelled gun was found empty, the other loaded, as was also the single-barrelled gun. — After hearing the evidence, the jury returned a verdict of accidental death. — Correspondent N. Z. Herald.