SERIOUS SHOOTING ACCIDENT at WELLINGTON.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4804, 20 August 1894, Page 2

SERIOUS SHOOTING ACCIDENT at WELLINGTON.

It was 'reported to the police on Saturday afternoon that a boy named Ernest Arthur Coles, about 15 years of age, who lives with his father in Tinakori road, had been seriously injured by a'Bhot from a gun..Mounted Constable Smith was at once sent out to enquire into the affair, and from the 'statements mado to him'by witnesses it appears that about 4.15 p.m. Coles was walking oil tlie hill at the back of Tinakori road when he met three othor boys—Arthur Haddon, Archie Mason and Arthur Parsonage, who had been out shooting and were roturninf home, 'Coles stood talking with them for' a. few minutes, and while playing with Parsonage ho says he heard Haddon calling out ;< Look hore." On look ing round ho saw Haddon pointing the gun at Mm, and the weapon then exploded, the charge, entering his right choek':ond, oye. • Haddon at once ran off in tho direction of his father's house, in Mary street, and the injured boy .was taken to<Dr Chappie, who attended' to his injuries. Coles states that the affair was an accident, as ho and Haddon had always been on friendly terms,' and had been mates for some time; Haddon, who is 18 years of age, states that he saw a bird sitting ori an old cowshed and raised his gun to fire at it, when his foot slipped down the hill and the gun went off accidentally, He adds that his' reason for running away was to tell his parents of what he had done.' ' The right half of the boy's face was riddled with shot, which had also' penetrated the right' eye-ball, and Dr Chappie deemed it necessary to remove the eye. This was done and the boy is pronounced to bo out' of immediate danger.~.o. Times