THE MATAPU FATALITY.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXV, Issue LXV, 20 May 1913, Page 5

THE MATAPU FATALITY.

CORONER'S INQUEST.

. Mr Kennek, S.M., Coroner, held an inquest at Matapu on Monday afternoon touching the death of Lucy __3_ Dick, who died on Sunday evening S t ,a gunshot wound. Sergeant Griffith represented the police. a t lSte Grant Dick, farmer, residing at Matapu said the deceased was-SS sister and he last saw her alive on hunday morning between 10.30 and 11 friend hs°™ f ?rZ Manaia with . six sLst^ 6 MtJ ler m the hoi,se Wfc,» six sisters and a cousin and her eldes^oS 011'- ?»*?*»»* was.;|_eldest ot the girls at home. Witftess afterwards . S aw-her brother at MS, twelve o^lock who cauglit tlmiS t £ naia ' "& Who told th^ t_st went J U aT dl nt. V th a Sim> whidf SS Tb ? 0t his sister in w'_ bw^er explained he had going out to try it, when it went off just as he closed the breach. lhe Coroner: Did he say anvthinaabout putting in any cartridgef g Witness: Yes. He said he had out two m, which he had gotlrmn witness' room adjoining the fitchen wh er ; S™S ad??i.^ ook place- He tnen |c! turned with his married brother, whW tbp l + gOD-^°,visii He found that the doctor had been summoned. Witwhere \lf *\ °nCe to the bediSi »to+ SlSt^r was» and sfie said: Don t worry; it was only an accident you do r don't blame Sam." lhe sister and brother were the be-<fc or menus, ana there had no? been any quarrel between them. EverythlnJ foi tnVd? lV C°/ ld J 6 done donf toi the deceased, a trained nurse having been called in «nS 6 wTff: Did ? 0U look at *o gm. Was there anything wrong'with

in one of the locks, and my brother •^ aVmf, ian idea of "lending S' thought he would try and fix it g ' . oimon Dick, farmer, aged 93 " r^.l ing «t Matapu, stated thTtfthe fun bW^f ?*" T' in^'he w«* to "the blacksmith to get one. He got an old spHn^iv'fT? •; v 1 hieh Je *"* «£ it fit the gun, and on the Sundaw morning he went into his room^S put the gun -together. The sprint toetrV di t allo,W* ™4 thei decSdeS nis bro+Lv' Slde- Het^n went into Jhs biothers room and put two cartages m the .gun. Having done this o came out into the kitchen, and as Tbfn Pr^ he f °01; he dosed the gun i- G nfj Xt _hln£ lle knew the gun went off He thought the shot had gone into the wall. Lucy cried out He then saw that Lucy had been shot n the arm. He removed her to her room and seeing that he could not do anything he then called up the docl + i He _ „a r ftmv{lrds went for his brother at Manaia. When he returr- £*? H af pu DVMl^ Dijl™"d hid ar•ov c -.m r°U &I°im a"ad Dr Mil"

tr f mbfo ea |ntt Gl' iffith: Was the™ any tumble between you and y«ur sister? we were always mates nnrl T could not believe it had-occim-ef at

The Coroner: The gun has been tried smce P-Yes: my brother had tested it and found it still weak, and nould go oft on closing. lhe witness added that his sister Sot help \r Mf ■" '<0h ' Sam" A ~«W not help, ifc ; vt was an accident." l,£?° nai; d Allen , McCracken, farm laborer of Mangatoki, deposed that the members of the family were Quito friendly, and were much attached £ wasw Deak her- He k^ that theguS

nf fhi S oro. ncr: ? r°? v"hat y°« kTl<>w of the family and of the surrounding circumstances it was an accident?•^n- 1* "£?,* pure accident. Lilian Dick, aged 13, said she was !■»,?? kl _rchen. "'llen the accident occuned Her sister was baking at the rnLf w ro°ni and^ent into John's .com Was not sure whether he had anything .in his hand. On coming out ot the room he had a gun in his hand. Wei- sister was at one end of the table and witness was a good yard away. hhe heard the gun go off, and when her sister Lucy screamed she knowthat she must be hurt. Simon and Lucy were on good terms, and she was cry happy. Witness did not remember wlmt occurred after, because she must have fainted. When she went *S°i, seer's room later Lucy said: Jell poor Sam not to worrvfit was not his fault." " '

Evidence was given by Dr MacDiarmid as to the nature of the injuries. He said that death was due to hemorrhage in the lung caused by the gunshot Avound.

The gun was produced and shown to be defective.

The Coroner said the gun was detective, and there was every reason lo believe that the occurrence was accidental. He returned a verdict of accidental death, and in accordance with the medical testimony.