FATAL GUN ACCIDENT.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 3032, 19 December 1891, Page 2

FATAL GUN ACCIDENT.

A LAD SHOOTS HIS BROTHER

(bt telegraph—own cokuespoxokn't.) Auckland, Last Night. Tub daugcr of keeping loaded firearms about the house was again fatally illustrated yesterday at Mount lloskill, when two little children belonging to Mr James Benton were accidentally shot by their brother. It appears that the eldest daughter of Mr Benton Wfis engaged yesterday giving the house a cleaning, and in doiug so placed an old doublebiiiTollcd fowling-piece out on the verandah. The gun had not been used for the hist two or three years, and, as usual, it was not thought to be loaded. One of the children named George Benton, a boy between 0 and 10 years of age, was playing about, and his attention was attracted by the gun. The lad appears to have procured some matches, which he attempted to snap on the hammer of the gun. His efforts were only too successful. The front door was open at the time and his brother Adam ctrid sister Agnes were in the kitchen when he pulled the trigger. The gun exploded, and the charge of shot traversed the length of the passage and struck his brother in the stomach, passing right through his body and lodging in the arm of the littJe girl Agnes Benton, who is about two years old. Both children were at once taken to the hospital, and the medical men did all that skill could do to save the boy's life, but failed, as his intestines had been sadly cut about. As a last resort the body was opened, and attempts made to sew up the wounds. The child, however, succumbed towards evening, dying between 7 und 8 o'clock. The little girl is not considered to be in any serious danger.