ACCIDENTALLY SHOT.

Evening Star, Issue 14624, 21 July 1911, Page 6

ACCIDENTALLY SHOT.

SOUTH DUNEDIN BOY KILLED,

A DANGEROUS RIFLE

Yesterday afternoon a boy of 13, named .Alexander Cunningham, residing with hk parents at 49 Bradshaw road, South Dunedin, was shot through the head with a bullet from a small rifle. He died 10 minutes after, before medical aid could , arrive.

The very sad occurrence is a variation of the old. old story of young lads getting hold of a firearm and using it loaded in their play. Bradshaw road is the thoroughfare which leads into Macandrew Toad at the point where the school is situated. After school yesterday afternoon young Cunningham and another lad, Thomas Trainor, aged only 10, went to play with Edward Warren, aged 13. Young Warren is an orphan, living with the Johnsons (Mrs Johnson being his aunt). The Johnsons live almost opposite the Cunninghams, and their yard offered peculiar attractions. Entirely screened from the Johr*sons\hou3eby a fence, and not overlooked by neighboring houses, it offered comparative seclusion. Furthermore, against one of the fences was an erection of boards and galvanised iron—evidently the handiwork of tho boys—which typified for them an Indian wigwam or hut, as its side, decorated with rude drawings of a horse's head, an arrow, a tent, and the words "Indian hut" signified. To gain access, "one stepped over a rather high boarding through a narrow door, and back in a corner was a rude seat. Here the boys used to play a game they called '"cowboys." To heighten tho realism young Warren possessed a gun, and, what is worse, ammunition. This gun is a small Winchester rifle of 22 bore, somewhere about the size of a pea rifle. Warren had got it in a " swap" with a child of 10, whose father had discarded it as useless, for the barrel was "leaded." But young Warren got the carrel cleaned at a gunsmith's, secured cartridges to fit it, and, never heeding that tho hammer was dangerously loose, so that it would go off on almost no provocation, used the weapon for shooting birds about the neighborhood. It was with this weapon, then, that these 'children were playing yesterday. They had put in <i cartridge meant to bring down a bird, and they went on playing "cowhovV with the cartridge still in, and the hammer at full cock. Tile game involved the pointing of this " plaything " at the desperadoes who were being bailed up. They knew the gun was loaded, but seemed to have never a qualm. The inevitable happened. Warren had been " bailed up " by Cunningham in the usual way, and then the boys seemed to tire of the game. Cunningham dvoppdd the loaded and cocked gun to step through the door into the hut. Tho jar on the stock released the flimsy spring of the hammer, and in a moment play became tragedy. THE INQUEST. Tho Coroner (Mr C. C. Graham) held an inquest to-day at the residence of the boy's parents in Bradshaw road. Alexander Cunningham, the boy's father, a.n iron turner, said ho was not aware that his son was in possession of a firearm. The boy had no firearm of his own—certainly not at the house. The boy had no knowledge of the nee of firearms. His boys had always been warned about firearms—never even to point a toy gun at anyone. Dr James Howard, medical practitioner. Forbury road, said that at 5.20 p.m. yesterday'ho arrived at 42 Bradshaw road, where* he found the body lying fullv dressed on a couch. Tho boy was quite dead —no signs of pulsation or breathing. He examined the body and found an indented wound behind the right ear, from which blood and brainmatter was oozing There had also been bleeding from the nose. • The wound could have been made by a bullet from a cartridge such as was taken from the gun after tho accident, and was such as to cause instantaneous death. The direction of the bullet had evidently been upwards, in a diagonal direction, sudr as would be caused by the gun being fired from the ground. The next witness was Edward Charles Warren, a schoolboy of 13. He is an orphan, living with -his aunt (Mrs Johnson) at 42 Bradshaw street, and gave his evidence in a straightforward, intelligent manner. He said : I was playing with Alexander Cunningham and Thomas Trainor yesterday afternoon at ray aunt's house. We were playing at being cowboys. We had a small rifle. It belonged to me. I got it from a boy named Leslie Brown in exchange for a football and a mouth organ. Leslie Brown is about 10 years old. I don't know where he yot the rifle.

The Coroner : Are not you aware that it is forbidden by law for email boy« under 16 to have firearms in their possession ? Witness : Yes. What did you buy the rifle for?—lie said that it was broken.

So much the more dangerous. Did you know when playing that tho riHe was loaded ''—Yes. Who loaded it?—l did.

Why did you put a cartridge into a broken rifle?" Where did you get the cartridge 7 —From Vincent Martin. Witness, continuing, said : I had put one of tho cartridges in the rifle. I went inside the hut, and when I came out again he bailed me up with it, and made mcput up my hands. He marched me into the hut again, and then said '" It's nil right." So I came out. again. Then he said he was going into the hut to sort out his "Toblers"—pictures you got with chocolates. He just put. his foot over, and threw down the gun behind him. It exploded. He fell down backwards and tho gun fell forward. The other boy, Trainer, was inside the hut; he had been marched in before me, and had stayed inside. I ran and called my auntie, and then, went for help. I met *a man outside the gate. He came over, and we went to the Ropeworks and rang up for Dr Howard. , The : Coroner : ' Did deceased know that the rifle was loaded? Witness: Yes. Just before he bailed mo up he opened tho breech, showed me the cartridge, and said : " Lock, Ed !" Then he closed it, up and pulled back the hammer.

Did you put that cartridge in?--Yes, to shoot birds. You are. at school. Do you ever get any lessons about the. use, of firearms?— No. You are never warned there at all about it?-No. Well, it is a great pity that schoolmasters do not do something of tho kind. Have you never been warned about firearms? —-Yes, by my auntie. Yet yon put' the "cartridge in the. rifte'!— To shoot birds. But you were not going to shoot birds. You were playing cowboys.—Ho took the rifle from the'boy that was going to shoot birds. Sergeant Emerson: Did not your aunt know vou had a rifle? Witness: Sho did not know I had it loaded. . .

She cave you permission to get it from the bov Brown, did she not?— No. The "Coroner : Where did you keep this rifle?—ln the hut. Sometimes 1 took it into the house. The Coroner : I don"t wish to say anything about it, but I think she was very much to blame if she knew a small boy like vou had a rifle, and did not take it from you. Sergeant Emerson: Where was Irainof? Sitting inside the hut. When he heard the report he came out. From where hewas sitting ho could not see the accident. Was the hammer cocked during the time the boy was playing with it?— Yes, it was pulled"back. Sergeant Emerson : At full cock? — There is no half-cock. The Coroner : Were not you afraid, knowing he was behind you with the loaded rifle at full cock? When he was chasing you, did not you warn him that the gun was leaded and at full cock? Did not 3*ou know there was some risk in that ? —Yes.

Sergeant Emerson : He pointed it at you, didn't he ?—Yea ; he pointed it at my chest. The Coroner : It is a mercy that you were not killed also. Witness continued that the butt of the gun struck the ground, the muzzle slant-

ing upwards, and pointing at deceased's head.

Sergeant Emerson : These cartridges (in a match box) were found in deoea*ed'6 coat pocket. Witness : He got them. Where?—At Sfaelton's stationery shop. We each put together 444 and got a box. I got some more long once. Mr Cunningham : Did Alick put in 4£d? Witness : Yes; and so did I. The Coroner : Is it legal to sail ammunition to boys of this age? . Sergeant Emerson : I don't think it is. The Coroner : It is a matter that should be inquired into. " Sergeant Emerson : How long since you got them? Witness : About a month. We used the rest up shooting rabbits one day and shooting birds. You said last night you got the cartridges from a boy named Vincent Martin ? —I got those I put in the gun yesterday from Vincent Martin. Have you no cartridges now ?—No; I used up all mine one holiday. Mr-Cunningham : Did not Mrs Boreham come out of her place on Thursday and check you for shooting at her fence? Witness : No; we were shooting birds. Did she not say you might hit her? — No; I did not hear her. She might have said it to the other boys I was with. The Coroner : It is a pity she did not complain to the police. Sergeant : This accident might not have happened had we been informed that this sort of thing was going on. Witness, replying to Sergeant Emerson, said that when he grot the rifle the barrel was' clogged, and he got it cleaned at Henry's (the gunsmith). Jemima Johnson, wife of Magnus Johneon, a crane-driver on the railways, said the three boys were playing in her yard. It was not commanded by any windows, and she could not see what they wore doing. The CbroneT: Did vou know thev had a rifle?

Witness : No. I did not know they had tho rifle there. I knew Edward had a rifle, but I did not think they had it there until I heard the shot. I never knew he had any ammunition. Were" you aware that it is illegal for fwys under 16 to have firearms?— Yes: but I thought the gun was no good. I thoueht it was broken—only a toy. You did not know he had got it mended at Henrv's?—No ; that is news to me.

I think inquiry should be made at Henry's as to why he repaired a rifle for a small boy like that. Witness continued that Edward met her as she ran out and said : " Dick hns shot himself." She found him lying at the door of the hut. She lifted his head, and he moaned. With the help of Mr P. Recee she carried him inside, and laid him on a sofa, where he died' before the doctor came.

Sergeant Emerson : He got the pun from vounu Brown with your permission ?—No. The 'first I knew was when he brought it home, lifter bavins; swapped a football for it. He had an air gun two years ago, and I was .always in terror of it, though he oniv fired wheat with it. Did you ever see him shoot birds with this gun?—No ; I never saw him shoot anything Sergeant Emerson : I made inquiries about'the history of this gun. It belonged to a bov of about 9 or 10 years named Brown. " It formerly belonged to Brown's father, but it got too old and useless for shooting. Young Warren wanted it. and swapped with young Brown. Mr Brown would not allow his son to hand the gun over unless Warren's guardians authorised it. He ways he lias Wan-en's mother's permission in writing. The gun was practically -useless, and young Brown used to plav "with it. The bore was blocked up with lead—" shotted "it is called. Warren had it cleaned up. Now it is a most dangerous weapon, as the hammer is weak, and" it goes off almost of its own accord. The hammer won't hold at all. The Coroner: 1 can only come to the conclusion that the death was a matter of pure inadvertence. These boys had <a gun illegally in their possession, they being under "l 6 years of age. 1 find that the cause of death was "Accidentally shot while playing with a rifle."