THE HELENSVILLE TRAGEDY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 68, 22 March 1898, Page 2

THE HELENSVILLE TRAGEDY.

A THEORY OF THE OCCURRENCE,

At the inquest held on the body of Brewster A. Wright, the boy whose tragic death at Helensville was reported in last evening's STAR, the jury returned a verdict of " accidental death." The evidence showed that the boy, who is the son of the Helensville station-master, was despatched on Saturday afternoon with a telegram a short distance out of the township. On his way he called at his father's house and took his dog and gun, saying he would try end shoot a rabbit. The telegram Avas delivered safely at 6 o'clock, and the lad was afterwards seen making for the Cemetery, with dog and gun. The body of the boy was found that night lying close to his mother's grave. The theory of the occurrence is that while the boy was leaning on his gun gazing at his mother's grave, the dog had interrupted his meditations by jumping up, and had struck the trigger with his paw, whereby the discharge of shot had entered his heart. The coroner and jury at the commencement of the proceedings made a minute investigation of the cavity of the wound, which showed that the shot had entered in a vertical position. Constable Kelly, who conducted the inquiry, did not deem it necessary to call medical evidence as to the cause of death, and at this stage the jury returned a verdict of "accidental death."