THE DEADLY PEA RIFLE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 452, 10 March 1909, Page 2

THE DEADLY PEA RIFLE.

SUNDAY'S FATALITY AT NGAIO. RESULT OF THE INQUEST. An inquest was held at the hospital yestev* day afternoon, before Dr. A. M'Arthur, S.M.i coronor, into tho circumstances surrounding tho death of the youth, Percy von Keiscnberg, 1G years of age, .who died at the ]iospital on Monday night, :as ; the result of a bullet wound in the neck. Sergeant Murphy and Constable Stevens represented the police. Dr. Simpson, assistant medical officer at the hospital, stated that deceased was admitted to the hospital, at about 9 "a.m. .on Sunday, suffering from a penetrating wound in tho neck, which wound extended through the windpipe. Tho youth was in a state of collapse, and an operation was performed to relieve his breathing. Ho revived for a time, but soptio pneumonia set in, and he died at 9 p.m. on Monday. Tho cause of death was septio pneumonia, secondary to, a penetrating wound in tho neck. Arthur von ICeisenberg, brother of deceased, stated that he, deceased, and two other lads, Fred. Panting and Harold Smith,', went out camping at Ngaio on Saturday night. At about 5.30 a.m. on Sunday the party went up the hill opposite the station, and commenced to have breakfast. Witness and his brother had a disputo during breakfast, and,, when th» quarrel was over, witness picked up a pea rifle to clean .it. His coat was open, and tho wind was blowing the coat, which' caught on the trigger. Witness'pushed the gun back totry and release the trigger, .but ho could not do so, and just then the trigger went down, and the gun went off, tho bullet hitting Percy in tho neck. Percy stood still for a minute, and then called witness "a silly fool," adding that ho had hit him in tho throat. Percy then ran down the hill, screaming, towards a house, tho others following. Witness knocked at the door of tho house, and a man came out, and subsequently got some rag and tied th« wound up, telling the injured boy to lie down, but saying that tho wound was not 6eriouii. Percy' began to complain of the pain after a while, and somo men look him down to tho station, where someone ruhg up Dr. Anderson, who came out and ordered tho boy's removal to the hospital. , , , To Dr. M'Arthur: The pea rifle had been used on Sunday morning before the accident, when witness fired shots and deceased fired two. When it went off deceased did not have hold of it, and they were hot squabbling then. Witness fired his shots after his brother had been firing. He did not know there was a bullet in the rifle when lie picked it up to clean it. Further, cross-examined, witness said that he remembered reloading the rifle after ha fired tho three shots. He forgot that it was loaded wlicu he picked it up again to clean it. Tho trigger was pulled right back. Deceased was about two and a half yards away from witness when the gun went off. Witness, has quite sure thero was not a squabblo over tho riile. To Sergeant Murphy: Constable Stevens had warned him last" Thursday.not to uso tho gua. Tho shot going off was a pure accident. Frederick Win. Panting, telegraph mcssonger, who was out with deceased and tho other lads, deposed that lie hoard Arthur and Percy von ICeisenberg having the dispute at breakfast time on Sunday. The dispute was exactly what tho previous witness had stated. Witness saw Arthur nick up the riflo (o clean it, and the nest he knew was that tho rifle had gone off. Tho quarrel was all ovor when Arthur pickcd up the weapon. Harold Smith, who was also with tho camping party, stated that Arthur von ICeisenberg picked up the pun, saying that ho was going to clean it. His coat got caught in tho trigger and tho gun went off., Tho bovs were not quarrelling when the gun went oft. Constablo Stevens, stationed at Tinnkori Road, stated that, on Thursday last, ho saw deceased, and warned him against allowing boys under 1G to handle the rifle. Witness also warned Smith and Arthur von Keiscnberg that, if tlioy wero found with n gun, lie would roport them,' as thev were under 16. A verdict was returned that death was du® to septic pneumonia, supervening on a penetrating wound in tho neck, nis Worship added that he could not express too strongly his disapproval of lads taking out guns when they had no knowledge of them, and, in this particular case, more especially as tho boys had been warned by Constablo Stevens.