PEA RIFLE TRAGEDY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17527, 10 July 1917, Page 7

PEA RIFLE TRAGEDY.

R ANGIORA BOY SHOT BY

BROTHER.

THE INQUEST. The tragic death of Janies Beaton, who was shot through the heart with a pea rifle by his brother on Sunday afternoon at Coldstream Farm, Grason’e Road, ltangiora, was the subject of an inquest yesterday morning before Mr C. I. Jennings, J.P., and a jury, having Mr C. A. Cunningham as foreman. Mrs Agnes Mary. Beaton, mother of tho deceased, stated that he was twelve years of ago last November. On Sunday, at 2 p.m., James and bis brother William left the liouso with a gun and a pea rifle to shoot sparrows. They looked in the doorway as they passed. James had the pea rifle. Witness said the pea riflo was dangerous and not fab for him to use. He laughed, and his brother said James was only carrying it for him. Within a few minutes Janies brought in a dead bird and left the house again. Almost directly afterwards William came to the door and said “I bavo shot Jim.” Witness found tho boy lying at the back of the fowlhouse, apparently dead. Dr Burnett was sent for, and found life ex*UWilliam W.'lson Beaton stated that he was seventeen years of age. On Sunday afternoon he went with lus brother to shoot - sparrows at the fowlhouse. When near tho fowlhouse, ho took the pea riflo from his. brother and shot a sparrow, which his brother took back to the house. Witness was in the act of aiming at a sparrow from behind the fowlhouse, when lie heard his brother coming along the side of the building. He dropped the rifle to a lower position with the intention of not firing, but it went off just as his brother emerged from the corner of the fowlhouse, within two yards of the muzzle of the weapon, and he received the bullet in his chest. He fell forward, and witness jumped up and caught him in his arms, and laid him down. His brother never spoke. Witness ran to the house and told his mother of tho accident. He had been out shooting with his brother on several occasions. His brother had never used the pea rifle. Witness bought the riflo over eighteen months ago from a Rangiora shop, and the cartridges over a year ago. He would bo eighteen years of age on August 4. Dr L. B. Burnett stated that the last witness came to him in a very distressed state and said he had shot his brother. Witness went to Beaton’s place and, on examining the body of the hoy, found life to bo extinct. There was a small round hole in the centre of the chest over the heart, such as might have been caused by a pea riflo bullet. Death was caused by the bullet wound, and there was nothing to suggest that it was other than accidental.

The jury returned a verdict of accidental death.