STRUCK BY BULLET.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 79, 2 March 1938, Page 9

STRUCK BY BULLET.

INQUEST ON MAN’S DEATH. Per Press Association. INVERCARGILL, March 1. A verdict that Sydney Francis Macpherson met his death as a result of being struck by a bullet at Bushy Point on February 12 was returned by the jury at an inquest to-day. It added a rider that, according to the evidence, it found that insufficient warning notices were placed on the defence reserve (rifle range). Dr L. C. McNiclde, superintendent of the Southland Hospital, said that the wounds indicated that deceased had been struck by a service .303 bullet which had been deflected by his skull.

John Keith Robie, a lieutenant in the Southland Regiment, said he was in charge of eight men at the rifle range on Saturday, February 12. They were firing Vickers .303 machine-guns at 3,ooyds. A flag at the butts was flown to warn people. That was the only flag flown while shooting was going on. They had two guns and were firing in bursts of five or ten. Service targets were being used with a stop bank behind them. Boards with numbers were on top of that. “I saw a man come from the Stead. Street direction and travel south. I did not see him again after he passed the butts. It have often been on the range and quite often I have found people in the danger zone I have warned them away. Shooting started at about 2.15 and finished about 5 o’clock. When we finished we pulled the flags down. I was not aware where the bullets were going ,if they missed the target.”