SHOT BY DAUGHTER

Evening Star, Issue 22367, 17 June 1936, Page 1

SHOT BY DAUGHTER

TRAGEDY NEAR NELSON CISL FIRED TO FRIGHTEN FATHER [Per United Press Association’.! NELSON. June IG. Joseph Caldwell, aged 46, of Kiwi, met his death this morning just before 9 o’.clock under tragic circumstances, being shot with a .303 rifle by his fif-tcon-year-old daughter. Mr Caldwell, who was a well-known resident of the Tadmorc district, was a returned soldier, having served with the A.I.F. He suffered from the effects of gas while at the war, and at times was depr«*sed. It is stated by residents of the district that ho frequently became rather violent. This morning! it is alleged, he was attacking his wife when his daughter became alarmed, and, putting a cartridge in a .303 rifle, fired it off, it is thought, to frighten her father, but the bullet entered Caldwell’s neck,, killing him instantaneously. Mr Winter, who was staying at Kiwi wdth Mr R. Ricketts, the nearest neighbour to Caldwell’s, heard the shot and a scream, and went across the paddocks to investigate. The deceased’s daughter ran down to the railway line which runs just behind Caldwell’s house and informed the linesmen who .were passing on a trolley that she had shot her father. The police at Nelson were informed, and Inspector F. Lewin, accompanied by Sergeant W. H. Simister and Constable Houston, of Wakefield, proceeded to Kiwi to make investigations. Kiwi is about 45 miles from Nelson. FURTHER PARTICULARS _ NELSON, June 17._ The quarrel in the Caldwell family arose over the removal of some sheep from one part of the farm to another. The deceased commenced to ill-treat his wife in the kitchen, and she called to her daughter for help. Such quarrels were frequent as the result of Caldwell’s bad temper. The deceased frequently used his rifle on the farm, and this was always left in the house. The daughter said she had intended to frighten her father. Her condition was such that she did not remember whether she put a cartridge in the rifle or whether it was already loaded. No arrest has been made. The police stated to-day that a charge would be preferred in! due course. An inquest will fco opened to-morrow and then adjourned to next week.