SEARCH FOR A RIFLE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 53, Issue 251, 4 August 1933, Page 2

SEARCH FOR A RIFLE

ADDINGTON SHOOTING CASE. PROVISIONS OF THE ACT. (Special to the " Guardian.") CHRISTCHURCH, August 3. Inquiries among the owners of a certain type of rifle are at present occupying the attention of the detectives, who have in hand the investigation of the mysterious shooting episode at the Addington Railway Station a fortnight ago. Apart from this the matter is at a standstill. The police are playing a waiting game—waiting for the lead that will give them a chance for greater activity. If it does not come 'soon, the case possibly must go without a solution. The condition of Mr Leonard Lee, the victim, in the meantime steadily improves. The double fracture of his jaw is mending slowly, but well, and the still embedded bullet is not causing serious trouble. The bullet is in a position so close to the nerve centre and main arteries of the neck as to make, its removal extremely hazardous. The search for the rifle and its owner even with the assistance of the bullet, would be a matter of great difficulty. The provisions of the Arms Act supply the police with full data concerning all firearms in the Dominion and the province, but the selection of one particular rifle from.the many thousands of registrations woidd be Aext to impossible without positive identificaiton. In addition, hundreds of rifles change hands and location every week. It would ba considerably to identify a revolver or pistol. iThese vary considerably in feature and construction, and . more important, they are very restricted in ownership. The police recognise that the major danger in firearms lies with the short weapon, which can be easily carried and concealed. Therefore, to get a permit to carry small airms, a person re-quh-es a particular reason and must undergo a close investigation by the police. The permit is granted in such cases by the Superintendent of the province, or by the Commissioner himself. An excuse such as protection against animals would not be regarded as sufficiently strong unless there were special features to the case. The view the police take is that the fewer weapons of the type there are in the country the less likelihood there is of their getting into wrong hands. In the present case the police are dealing with' a sporting aifle, and their search is much more complicated. They must find the rifle/find the motive and then ftnd the man.