FARMER SHOT IN FACE

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28513, 17 February 1958, Page 10

FARMER SHOT IN FACE

Police Arrest Youths

(New Zealand. Press Association) WANGANUI, February 16. Armed police were called out at Wanganui yesterday after a Long Acre Valley farmer was shot in the cheek and four youths armed with rifles took to the hills, where they were later captured. Mr Douglas Gray, a widower, was shot after he had followed the youths into the hills with a police sergeant. He was not seriously injured and was back in the search area when word came through that police had captured the youths. Mr Gray was moving off towards Mr G. B. Anderson’s Kututa farm to telephone for police reinforcements when he was hit. The first man to see the youths was Mr Maurice Gray, brother of the man who was shot. The brothers run adjoining farms. Mr Maurice Gray was out on a horse at 6 a.m. when he heard rifle shots and saw the youths near the roadway. He rode towards them and told them to leave his property. They moved down towards his brother’s property and he followed. Again he told them to leave. He said when he asked the youths if they understood that they replied that they did and they were leaving. He saw them head towards the roadway but stop for a drink at a creek below his brother’s home and only about 50 yards from the roadway. At that stage his brother came out, saw the youths with rifles and said he was telephoning the police. Stock Killed At Christmas the two farmers had lost several head of stock when they were shot and killed by two Maoris armed with bows and arrows. Mr Maurice Gray said his brother went to telephone the police as they had been told to do if they had any more trouble. Mr Maurice Gray turned back then, believing the youths would go to the road and leave. He headed back to his own farm to investigate a pile of cartons he had noticed while following the youths. He found several empty bullet cartons and two knife sheaths. They were new and still had price tags on them. He said later that when he saw the youths they were armed with rifles, including at least one .303. As well, they had knives. Inspector F. Miller, of the Wanganui police, said the three youths, aged 15, 16, and 17, would be charged with firing on the police and with wounding Gray “Several of the constables reported that they were sniped at. We consider ourselves most fortunate that we apprehended them before anyone else got hurt. I have a soft-nosed bullet here which came out of one of their guns,” said Inspector Miller.