The Inquest.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3844, 25 April 1881, Page 2

The Inquest.

On Saturday afternoon an inquest was held at Lipsey's hotel before Mr P. Austin, J.P., Acting Coroner, and a Jury, of whom Mr C. F. Mitchell was chosen Foreman. After viewing the boy the following evidence was taken :— The father of deceased, J. Ritchie, identified the body.

Lewis Snodgrass, sworn, deposed—l was on "toy farm, near Te Puke to-day at 3 o'clock, and while there I heard several shots on the other side of the river. A short time afterwards I heard another shot, followed immediately by the sound of boys crying out, " 0 heaven, what shall we do! " On hearing the cries 1 took my boat and went over the river to see what was the matter. On arriving at the other side I met three boys, Frederick Lipsey, Ernest Moore, and Thomas Cashen, junr., who were in great distress. They told me that Walter Ritchie was shot; and I asked where he was lying. Ernest Moore pointed out the direction, and I went and found the body of deceased lying on his back with hia brains blown out. It would be about seven yards from the bank of the river on open ground to where the body was found. Frederick Lipsey said to me " What shall I do: the gun went off accidentally and I shot him." The other two boys said that when Lipsey was in the act of firing, the deceased ran before him and was shot; When I saw him he was dead, and I sent my son David for Sergeant Russell, to tell bin what had occurred, and stayed with the body until the Sergeant came. I heard no sound of disputes or quarreling previous to the shot being fired. Thomas Cashen deposed : I am 14 years old. I went out to-day with Fred. Lipsey, about ten o'clock, wi|h the intention of shooting ducks and pigeon. I had no gun. F. Lipsey had a double-barrelled breech-loader. We went towards the junction, and crossed the river near Hadra Tareranui's settlement, and then went near Mr Lipsey's farm. About 12 o'clock we saw Walter Ritchie on the opposite side of the river. We re-crossed, and he joined us, and we went down to Mr Moore's, and there Ernest Moore joined us and took us across the river. The deceased had also a gun with him. No shots were fired by any of us previously to getting opposite Mr Snodgrass's. We went to some distance below his house to a fig tree, and after getting some figs we saw a shag on a tree, and Walter Ritchie fired at it, and Fred Lipsey also discharged both barrels of his gun, and then reloaded. Whilst deceased was re-loading we saw another shag, and Lipsey called out to deceacsed, "I am going to fire," at the same time raising his gun. Deceased was then standing about a yard and a-half on the left side of Lipsey, and shifted his position in front of Lipsey's gun. The gun was discharged, and deceased received the contents in his head. I was about a yard behind them when the shot was fired. I think the reason the deceased stepped in front was to prevent Lipsey firing until he (deceased) was ready to shoot too. Th*e bird was sitting in a willow tree, directly in front of Lipsey. Did not ice deceased take hold of Lipsey's gun. Was satisfied Lipsey did not intend to shoot deceased.

By one of the Jury—Lipsey aud deceased were on the best of terms one moment before. After the accident we all ran away screaming. Deceased neither moved nor cried after being shot. We saw his brains scattered about before we ran away. Ernest Moore and Frederick Lipsey gave corroborative evidence.

Albert Russell, Sergeant of Police, deposed that about half-past three o'clock this day David Snodgrass, junr., came to the police station and informed me that Walter Ritchie was shot, and that his body was lying across the river, opposite i his farm, near Te Puke. I inquired of him how it happened, and he told me Fred. Lipsey had shot him. I immediately went to where the body was lying, and found it was about two chains below Mr Snodgrass's house, on the opposite side of the river, and about ten paces from the bank. Found the body lying on its back. The right leg was slightly bent, and the head inclined-to the right, with the brains protruding, which I supposed to be a gunshot wound through the right temple. The wound was 6 or 7 inches in circumference. With the assistance of a native I put the brains back into the head through the wound. Close to where the body lay on the right hand sido there was a briar bush. The body was about two yards to the left and a half yard nearer to the bank of the river than the bush. I saw Thomas Cashen and asked him how tho boy came to be shot; he told me Fred. Lipsey had shot him; he also pointed out the spot where Lipsey had stood when he fired. I paced it and found it about six yards further from the river thau where ihe body was found. It appeared to me as if deceased had come out from behind the ! bush. I should think that anyone standing behind the bush could not be seen by Lipsey. I went to Lipsey arid accused him of shooting Walter Ritchie, aad arrested him, cautioning him in the usual manner. The only remark he made was, " I don't know how it was done ; it was accidental." I took the gun (produced)— a double-barrelled, breech loading, pinfire Snider—from him, and found the left chamber empty, the right loaded, and the gun at full cock. I found a singlebarrelled gun lying by the deceased. I think there is only powder in* it. Took pjssession of the body, and conveyed jfc to where the jury have seen it, and con? sider that a cartridge fired from a doublebarrelled gun would be sufficient to inflict the wound in deceased head. I believe the boys were y^ery good friends. TheCoronereommentedon the evidence, and the Jury returned the following verdict :—'• The Jury are unanimously of opinion that the deceased, Walter Ritchie,, met with his death by a gun-shot wound inflicted by Frederick Lipsey, and that it was purely accidental and. a misadveutuxe."