SHOOTING MYSTERY CLEARED

Evening Star, Issue 19327, 13 August 1926, Page 5

SHOOTING MYSTERY CLEARED

YOUTH’S STORY A FABRICATION SHOT HIMSELF BY ACCIBEMT INVENTED STORY OF MAN IN THE DARK. [Per United Press Association.] AUCKLAND, August 12. The mysterious shooting of an eighteen-year-old lad, Mervyn Hoe, at the home of his brother, Joseph Hoe, a soldier settler of Puni, was cleared up this morning, when th<j injured youth made a statement to Detectivesergeant O’Brien. Previously ho told the police that at about teu minutes to 1 yesterday morning, after finishing his home work, ho had gone for a short walk in the paddock adjoining the house, before retiring. He alleged that when 100yds from his brother’s house he saw the outline of a man, and that the man pressed a gun, first against his ■stomach, and then to his chest, and pulled the trigger. He added that after reeling from the blow of the bullet ho staggered back to tho house and awakened Ids brother, Joseph Hoe, who, after attending to him, went to the house of a neighbor (Mr M'Leod) and telephoned to Dr Begg, who went out from ■ Pukckoho. On arrival the doctor found that tho injured youth was suffering from shock, but that, strangely enough, ho had not lost much blood. By this time the Pukokohe police had arrived on the scene, and immediately carried out an extensive search of a narrow strip of bush about 400yds to the west of tho house. Last night Detective-sergeant O’Brien, Detective Barling, and Constable Muir arrived at the house from Auckland to institute further inquiries, and afterwards returned to Pukekohe. This morning the two detectives went out again to Puni, and found that the patient, although ho had slept very little, was conscious and able to be interviewed. Meantime the boy’s parents had arrived from Helensviilo.

In a statement made this morning by Hoe to Detective-sergeant O’Brien it is understood that he said ho borrowed a Winchester rifle a month ago from a neighbor, Mr Thomas Borns, to shoot a horse, and that he then asked permission to retain it for the purpose of going shooting. On Sunday last ho states that he put the gun in tho cowshed, standing it against the wall, and left it there. As his brother had taxed him with not having kept tho riflo clean, ho decided to give it a cleaning before going to bed early yesterday morning. After finishing his homework he wont out, and was in tho act of picking up the rifle when his finger came in contact with the trigger and exploded a shell in the gun, tho bullet lodging near his heart. This frightened him, and as tho bullet was so near his heart he feared his people might put it down to attempted suicide, so he invented the story about being attacked by a man with a gun. Tho boy added that tho whole occurrence was pure accident. His condition had improved to-day, though he was still too weak to be moved to Hospital, Young Hoc has been staying with his brother since last Easter, and has attended ■ Pukekohe Technical High School, where his masters have apparently noticed nothing abnormal about him.