ACCIDENTS AND DEATHS

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 11539, 16 January 1932, Page 7

ACCIDENTS AND DEATHS

ACCIDENTALLY SHOT BY HUSBAND. RARBIT-SHOOTER’S DEFECTIVE * IiEFLE. CORONER. DJaDERS WEAPON TO m DESTROYED. (Dress Association.) PALMERSTON N., Jan. 15. At . the inquest to-day concerning Clio death of Mi*s.; Gladys Rita Gecl-:-OH, 22, who died in hospital from; •a bullet wound in-the stomach, Stc-J plien Thomas Gedson, husband of the deceased, gave evidence that she: nc-' companied him to shoot : rabbits. He was using.-, ah' old' Winchester) rifle, flio stock of- which, had been broken sind v\t'is' c .Round,: found with . string.' He had . two : of three unsuccessful allots, -'Mid' noticing that tlio . string. Mndiyg -had -come undone, remarked rt> his,:Nvife;;who ; was a short distance v*.waYv''ThaL-th , h :( .rifle was no gbodii He uas holding The rifle in front of him with both, hands as he approached his' wife to,jshow her .what was wrong with' it, and when within three yards, the weapon, suddenly exploded 1 hough liis . finger was not near the trigger. His wife was struck by the bullet. He had no idea what made it go off. * <

The -police demonstrated how the looseness of flic barrel, permitting it to iPioro,;would cause the rifle to discharger,' Godson;.stated-thjit the weapon was a borrowed-: ope, -though it had been registered. V The police, said that had tin- weapon been-seen- in the arms, office-in its damaged state it Iwoulcl have been iinnounded and registration refused. The coroner r.eturncd a verdict of accidental death, arid issued an order for the destruction of the rifle. PLAYING WITH MATCHES. TWO-YEAR-OLD BOY FATALLY BURNED. (Press Association’* HASTINGS, Jan. 15. An inquest into the death of Bryan Hugh McCann, 21, who died in Royston Hospital on Wednesday as a result of burns received when his. nightdress caught tire, was held in Hastings this morning. Deceased was a. son of Mr. James MeCunn, fanner, of Pakowhai, Hastings, who gave ’ evidence that at 7 a,m. on the day: of the fatality he left the house to go to the milking shed, two chains distant. His wife followed 20 minutes later, leaving the child playing at the back door. Three minutes afterwards the child came running to the shed with his nightdress alight. Witness immediately extinguished the flames anjd hurried the child to hospital. By some means the child had obtained a box of wax matches from a ledge uliove the lied where his parents dept. ; According to the medical evidence, the cass. was hopeless from the beginning. • . . "• _ The jurv returned a verdict of accidental death, no blame being attachable to the parents' YOUTH ELECTROCUTED. -IN BATH DANGER OF PORTABLE ELEC- ", ' TRIO LIGHTS. (Press Association) DUNEDIN, Jan. 15. At the adjourned inquest on Russell Albert Howes, 19. the coroner returned a. verdict of death from cardiac failure, caused by an electric shock. Ho emphasised the danger of (isiug portable electric lights in bathrooms or. places where one was liable to come in contact with metal. The evidence had shown that tho deceased was shaving in the bath, using a portable light which was de-fective-in insulation, so that touching the metal uart would cause a shock that would beiintensified if the hands were wet. Moreover, the de-l-eased had a .weak heart as a result of rheumatic fCver. COLLAPSE OF BRIDGE. DOUBLE-DECKER~SHEEP LORRY WRECKED. FIFTY-THREE ANIMALS KILLED(Press Association) FIIA All LT ON, Jan. 15. The collapso of a bridge over tho R.ua-kiwi Stream hurled a double-deck-er lorry carrying 85 lambs into the stream BOft. below. The lorry landed, wheels up, but fortunately the cngiiie rested on a bank, enabling the driver,. f Mr, J. Hampstead, •to make his escape. He had one'arm broken and Tece-ived. severe bruises. The lorry was wrecked, and 53 lambs were killed. Who pays the bill for tho injured? Consult the Standard Insurance Company for full protection.— _C. G. Bloore, chief agent. S.. G. Northe, local manager. —(Advt.)