ACCIDENTALLY SHOT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16299, 4 August 1916, Page 7

ACCIDENTALLY SHOT.

THE ONEHUNGA FATALITY.

BROTHERS FATAL MISTAKE.

COMMENTS OF CORONER.

A verdict of accidental death was returned by the coroner. Mr. E. C. Cutten, at the inquest held yesterday concerning the death of Clifford Brain, 'a bov of 14 years, who died in the Auckland Hospital on Wednesday morning, as the result of a revolver wound in the head received at his home, Selwvn. Street, Onehunga, on July 28. Thomas Claude Brain, a taxicab-driver, brother of the deceased, gave evidence that he returned to his home in Selwyn Street, Onehunga, at 11 p.m. on July 28. The deceased was asleep in bed with another brother, and a young man named Duff occupied a bed in an adjoining room. Duff was awake, and witness "'skylarked" with him for a few moments. Witness went to the room occupied bv his brothers, and, taking a revolver* (produced), which he believed had been King untouched on the shelf where he found it lor sis months, he returned to Duff's room. He pointed the weapon at Duff and laughingly ordered him to hold up his hand. Duff obeyed, and witness pulled the trigger. The revolver, a sixchambered weapon of .22 calibre, clicked harmlessly. Witness remarked that he would wake his brother Clifford bv clicking the revolver near his head. He went into the adjoining room, and, pointing the revolver at his brother when at a distance of sft from him, he fired. Witness said he was thunderstruck at hearing the report, and anxiously inquired whether the cartridge contained a bullet , Witness afterwards ascertained that de'inK- 6 97 had be , en J Usin 3 the revolver on Jnlj 27, and had left two undischarged cartridges in the chambers. The deceased had left school a little while before, and had been at home ill George Duff, a lively stable employee, gave evidence corroborating that of 'the previous witness respecting what occurred in Duffs room on the night of the acci- j

n iPn'ffl * ?u We . S - senior resident medical officer at the Auckland Hospital, said tie deceased was admitted to the hosK.I, su . ffen "Sr jr om » bullet wound in the head He died rather suddenly at 7 am. on Wednesday. By direction of the coroner witness made a post-mortem examination and found that the bullet produced) had entered the left ride of the forehead and had traversed diagonal backwards The brain was lacerated, and tins caused death. a nX .T? n ?f' in givin s his verdict, faded that l,e^ Case afforded one more illustration of the stupidity of people who pointed firearms at others These rase*, he said occurred with marked regularity and he was at a loss for words with wnich to impress updn people the foolishness of the practice he referred to -Mr. Cutten appended to his verdict a note of the mam facts disclosed Bv the evidence.