SHOCKING SHOOTING FATALITY.

North Otago Times, Volume CV, Issue 13929, 10 July 1917, Page 3

SHOCKING SHOOTING FATALITY.

YOUTH KILLS HIS YOUNGER BROTH Hit. « Per Press Association. CHRISTCHUItCH, July !>. A shocking shooting fatality occurred, in the Kangiora district yesterday afternoon. The victim was a boy of twelve years named James Beaton, second son of Mr Peter Beaton, foreman cf Mr W. Cunningham, on the Coldstream Farm, Gressbns road. The boy, 'with-an elder brother, William Benton, aged seventeen years, left at two o'clock in the afternoon with a shot gun and a pea rifle, intending to shoot sparrows in somo trees about a chain away. The elder boy shot a sparrow with the pea vide, and, .his brother picked up tho bird and ran back to tho house with it, On his return ho had to pass along the back of a fowl house, The elder lad, who was at the far end of this building taking aim at a bird high up in a tree, heard his brother coining towards' him and dropped the muzzle of the "gun. Just'as the gun came down the smaller boy slipped out from .behind the building, the trigger was accidentally pulled and he was shot through the heart, dropping dead.on-the ;:pol. ■ His ', lirollinr. .rushed Jo llie house and tnhl what he .had done. Dr. Bennett was-summoned .from Railgiora' and came wiln all Hived only to. lind his services of no avail,