Woman Wounded When Cartridge Explodes

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 308, 29 December 1938, Page 8

Woman Wounded When Cartridge Explodes

BULLET THROUGH WALL NEW PLYMOUTH, Last Night. Severely injuring a New Plymouth woman, a bullet from a .32 rifle penetrated the wall of a house at Awakino and passed through her body. The accident occurred on Monday evening. The woman, Mrs. D. E. Tarrant, Fitzroy, was attended immediately at Awakino and was then transferred to a private hospital at New Plymouth. Mrs. Tarrant was a visitor to Mr. Fraser Smith’s home at Awakino. During the day a party of men was made up to go pig-hunting, and when ttey returned later in the day Mr. Fraser Smith took from the house a rifle which had become jammed and still had a cartridge in the breech. Jagged Wound. While he was attempting to remove the cartridge it exploded. The bullet passed through the side of the dwelling and struck Mrs. Tarrant, causing a jagged wound. Immediately the injured woman was attended by the district nurse at Awakino, Sister Sinclair. A private car was arranged so that Mrs. Tarrant could lie at full length in the back and in a comfortable position. Arriving at New Plymouth at 10 p.m. the patient was attended by Dr. D. E. Brown. An operation was performed at midnight. The wound was not slight, said Dr. Brown last night, the bullet having passed right through the injured woman’s body. Mrs. Tarrant’s prospects for recovery were stated to be excellent.