BOY PLAYED WITH GUN

Greymouth Evening Star, 28 February 1931, Page 12

BOY PLAYED WITH GUN

PITIFUL CHRISTMAS TRAGEDY

How the unexpected discharge of a pistol produced by a boy in play broke up a card-playing party and brought tragedy for Christmas was told to the Barking coroner. The dramatic story of the accident, which caused the death of Clifford Ager, aged 18, at The Triangle, Barking, was related by his father. On Christmas night, he said, he was playing cards with his two sons, Clifford and Percival. Clifford earlier on had dressed up and made the party laugh. George—Percival’s nine-year-old son —thought apparently it would be good fun 'to do the same. He went out. of the room and returned wearing his Scout fiat and his uncle’s coat. Suddenly, drawing a safety pistol from the coat pocket, George shouted, “Hands up, Uncle!” and fired.

“He did not point the pistol,” Mr Ager said. “It all happened so suddenly. His mother told me the boy had read books about cowboys and that had taught him to be ‘quick on the draw.’ ” The pistol was an- automatic.

The Coroner: Has your son been in the habit of carrying, pistols about with him? —Mr Ager: I have never taken much notice, but his. mother told me that he had others, and that she threw them into the river.- Clifford was fascinated by arms of all kinds. He was going to join the Air Force in a week or two, and was looking forward to it. ;

The coroner, recording a verdict of accidental death, described the manner in which the pistol had been carried about as “almost criminal negligence.” “There can be no justification,’; he said. “for people in this country carrying pistols, especially loaded, in their pockets. It was very foolish. This will probably r’emain a mark on the child’s life for the rest of his days.”