SHOOTING AFFRAY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 March 1942, Page 3

SHOOTING AFFRAY

a HATCHERY MANAGER DIES e — . ALLEGED ATTEMPT TO SET HOUSE e ON FIRE. 1 ■ f TRAGEDY AT HAKATARAMEA. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) ‘ OAMARU, March 8. After a shooting affray following an 1 alleged attempt to set fire to a house occupied by Mrs J. S. Main and her family at the Government fish hatch- , ery, Hakataramea, Clarence Gilbert Oliver, aged 33, manager of the hatchery, died in the Oamaru Public Hospi- ! tai at 7 a.m. on Saturday. It is alleged that he was shot by James Main, aged ; 14, Mrs Main's elder son, and that the ! weapon used was. a shot-gun, the 1 charge from which struck Oliver in the right shoulder, chest, and face. Details are meagre as yet, but it appears that Oliver, who is alleged to have become mentally unbalanced, apparently set fire to the hatchery residence. This is occupied by Mrs Main, who husband, prior to his death some time ago, was manager of the hatchery. The fire was discovered in its incipient stages. Investigations by the family indicated that a quantity of scrim saturated with kerosene, had been placed under the house and then ignited. When ‘the fire was discovered there was no sign of Oliver. Subsequently Mrs Main and her family, watching from a window of the house, observed a man who was later identified as Oliver, cautiously approaching the dwelling. They called out to him to go away, but their request was ignored, and when he continued to approach, James Main, using the window ledge as a rest, is said to have fired the shotgun, and Oliver fell. Mrs Main, assisted by her daughter and two sons, aged 12 and 14 respectively, took him into the house, where they attended to him till Dr. Z. Aitken, of Kurow, and Constables J. I. Preston and W. Voyce arrived. Oliver was later taken by ambulance to the Oamaru Public Hospital, where he was given a blood transfusion shortly after his arrival at 4 a.m. yesterday. There appeared to be no hope for him, however, and he died at 7 o’clock. An inquest was held this afternoon for identification purposes.