HORRIBLE ACCIDENT.— A BOY SHOOTS HIS BROTHER.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3738, 9 July 1883, Page 3

HORRIBLE ACCIDENT. — A BOY SHOOTS HIS BROTHER.

Blenheim, This day. A horrible accident with a gun occurred in town yesterday. A loud report was heard at the back of Mr John Smith's tinsmith's shop by two persons, who at the time Avere standing talking on the footpath in front of Mr Smith's premises. On hearing the report they went across the street, and as they were crossing a son of Mr Smith's ran wildly out of the shop and dowu the street. They at once entered the shop, and seeing nothing in the front part went Avcnt into the back room, Avhere to their horror they found a young lad lying dead on the floor, with a pool of blood near his bead. The body was lying doubled up in a corner, leaning against the door in a sitting posture, the head being between his legs. On examination they found there was a wound of a bullet on the left side of the face between the left eye and the nostril, an inch from the latter. Frank Smith, brother of the deceased, states that a gun Avas brought in at dinner time by a settler for repair. He put a cap on the gun to try it, ancl then, thinking he would try another gun standing close by which had been

brought in about six weeks ago, he lifted it down and put a cap on it. Just as he cocked it his brother John ran across from the opposite side of the back shop, and as Frank pulled the trigger his brother received the charge it contained full in the face. Throwing the gun down on the bench, and stupefied with what ho had done, he rushed out of the shop towards home.