SERIOUS ACCIDENT.

Northern Advocate, 9 July 1887, Page 3

SERIOUS ACCIDENT.

An accident of a serious nature occurred on Wednesday to Mr Leslie E. Mair, second son of our v respected fellow-citizen and .town clerk, Mr Robert Mair. It appears that about 12 o'clock on that day he took his gun to go out . shooting on the Doveron farm. .Tho dogrtScentod a pheasant, and Mr Mair ran the dog with his. finger on the trigger and the gun full-cocked. There is little doubt that in running he flipped over a stump (of which .there a great. number in the paddock) and thus by £he jerk pulled the trigger and exploded the gun. The full charge went through his left foot on 'the outer side of the instep, and remained buried in the sole of the bjoot. In tripping and falling it is probable, that the stock of the gun jffflulfl jjwn hoimn' t**rr"~--fcofc^x ouhg Mair 8 yeij*rP n :.oi the affair is to the effect that the ,'ffun , did not go off until after he had ftMjen over it, and that the trigger must h|Jv%Jieon caught by a stick, and thus polled. The shot was heard at the house* and sbortly"?s*aa faint " cooey " showed that something was wrong. On reaching the spot he was found to be in great pain, was carried into the house, and Dr. Clarke sent for. The doctor immediately proceeded to tho house and dressed the wound. It was found that one of the metacarpel bones was completely shattered, but otherwise the injury wasnot very serious. The bones will form again, but is must be some mouths before the patient will be able to move about freely. ,It is fortunate that the accident is not more serious, Dr. Clarke having expressed an opinion that had the shot entered in the centre of the'imtep, amputation would have been necessary. The pegs and sprigs in the sole of the -boot have .been actually driven out by the force of the shot after passing through the foot. We wish our young friend a speedy recovery ; and are glad to hear that ho is progressing as favourably as can be expected. A lesson is to be taught by this accident to our young sportsmen who go .out shooting, and it is this: — Don't carry your gun about at full-cock, but cock it when bringing it to your shoulder. Had this been done in the present, case, we should, not have had to chronicle this unfortunate accident!