FATALITY AT MOTUTAPU.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVIII, Issue 300, 28 December 1897, Page 5

FATALITY AT MOTUTAPU.

A BOY ACCIDENTALLY SHOT

A boy named Arthur James Harrison, 14 years and 8 months old, son of Mr Tobias Harrison, shoemaker, of Alpha Koad, Parnell, accidentally lost his life at Motutapu on Christmas Day. The particulars of the sad accident . are as follows: — The boy Harrison and two brothers, and other lads, namely, Reid, Shepherd (2) and Sharratt, made up a party to go in a boat, rabbitshooting at Motutapu. Harrison, Sharratt, and some other lads went round the pawnbrokers' shops on Christmas Eve, looking for a gun, and at last bought one, a single-barreled muzzle-loader, so they state, at a local pawnbroker's shop, paying 13s for it. Mr Harrison was opposed to his son going on the trip, and asked him to come with him to the Thames, but the boy was bent on going to Motutapu. The last words the father said in parting were, "Take care, and don't shoot yourself." The lads went away' in the boat on Friday evening, and camped at Drunken Bay. On Saturday they went up on Motutapu to shoot rabbits. Deceased had a shot at a wallaby. Young Harrisonre-loadeclthegun, buthavingno powder measure put thecharge in by hand, and four teaspoonfuls of shot. The lad Sharratt told Harrison he was overloading the gun. but Harrison said he had not overloaded it. Shortly afterwards they were coming down a cliff when Shepherd, who was a little distance off, heard the report of a gun. On looking round he saw Harrison lying on his face with his hands pressed to his side. He went up to him and asked what was up. Harrison said "I am shot !" He removed Harrison's hands from his side, and saw the charge had gone into the side, and-blood was "welling from the wound. Harrison cried out, " Oh, my poor father !" The gun seemed to be in three pieces—the stock and the barrel in two pieces. The boys gave the alarm to the men in some of the yachts, and they came on shore, improvised a stretcher, and carried the wounded boy to the boat. He died in half an hour. The lads pulled up to town with the body, and took it to the residence ot the parents at Parnell. Mr Harrison was also informed by wire of the death of his son, and he at once returned to Auckland.

The parents of the deceased boy being anxious that the burial should take placeon Sunday, an inquest was therefore held on that clay at the Swan Hotel, Mechanics' Bay, before Dr. Baker (coroner). Constable Hutchison represented the police. The evidence of Thomas James Shepherd (aged 15) and William Sharratt (aged 17) was taken, their testimony being as narrated above.

Dr. Gordon gave evidence. He attribiited the wound to the bursting of a gun. f■ At*this rstage-tbe .inquest wgs actjoarhetl until 2 o'clock to-day (Tuesday), as only the stock of the gun -was produced, the lads nob being dear- as to what became' of the two pieces of the gun barrel, which they thought were left at Motutapu.