DEATH OF BANK CLERK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20132, 18 December 1928, Page 12

DEATH OF BANK CLERK.

PURELY ACCIDENTAL."

FATAL REVOLVER SHOT.

EVIDENCE AT THE INQUEST.

[BX TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WHANG AREI, Monday.

The inquest into the death of Mr. Henry Samuel Kedgley, as the result of a shooting accident at the' Bank of New South Wales on Friday, was concluded before Mr. J. H. Luxford, S.M., coroner, to-day. William Grove said he had been employed at the bank for two and a-half years and Kedgloy lucid been there for six months. All the staff were on friendly terms with Kedgley. On Friday witness stopped work at noon arid followed Kedgley to the sleeping quarters of Mr. Potter, who was resident officer. Potter was already in the room. Witness asked for another look at a Mexican .hat on top of the wardrobe and Kedgley handed it to him. Witness put it ou.his head. He was in the middle of the room, standing near the wardrobe, while Kedgley was directly in fiont of him between the mirror and the back door, Potter remarked on witness' appearance and said. "Now all you need is a, gun to make you into a, real bandit,"' and with that he pliced a revolver in witness' hand. Potter also said somei.ii>.. about "put it to your hip."'Witness did so, holding the gun., in his haud and pointing it directly J} front of Kedgley. He remembered pressing the trigger, not realising at the moment that the weapon was loaded, though he should have known. The revolver exploded and he saw Kedgley, who was standing two feet away, fall against the wall. Immediately ho realised that the revolver had been fired and he threw it r.wuy and rushed to ring the doctor. By' this time Mr. Evans, the manager, and Mr. Campbell, the accountant, had entered the room. In answer to the coroner witness said he had volunteered and given his blood for transfusion in an effort to Eave Kedgley's life. Lionel Frank Potter said he lived on the premises. Kedgley, Grove and witness were on the best of terms. As resident officer he was jn possession of a five-cham-bered .45 calibre revolver which was always fully loaded. He corrobated Grove's evidence and said that when he heard the shot fired he turned and caught Kedgley as he fell. Grave dropped the t revolver and rushed to the telephone. The revolver was always loaded, but it had no safety catch. Witness examined the weapon every two months for cleaning. He had no previous experience with revolvers except, in military camps. When he became a resident officer the revolver was simply handed to him, with no expert instruction. Lachlan Campbell, accountant, said there was no friction between Kedgley, Grove and Potter. The bank rule was that all revolvers must be kept clean and fully loaded. « On Friday he was alarmed by a report in the bc'iclt room. He passed Grove rushing to the telephone. He went to the back room and saw Potter holding Kedgley in his arms. Kedgley was lowered gently and placed on a stretcher before his removal to hospital. The boys had been laughing and joking together in the morning. Evans, manager of the bank, said Kedgley and Grove were on friendly terms. The officer in charge had absolute jurisdiction over the revolver. Really, no one had right of access to the officer's room.

Senior-Sergeant O'Grady said that h a statement to the police after the accif'sfit Kedgley said Grova and he always had been friends. When Potter picked up the revolver Kedgley had been in front pi the mirror, l.he whole occurrence was. an accident.

The coroner found that Kedgley died at the Whangarei Hospital on December 16, the cause being shock: following peritonitis. The Blhoct was the direct consequence of a hrallet fired from a revolver. Mr. Luxford said he wished to add no rider, except that the evidence disclosed conclusively that the whole thing was a pure accident, which had most tragic results.