STALKING TRAGEDY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23026, 2 May 1938, Page 8

STALKING TRAGEDY

BOY FATALLY SHOT COMPANION'S MISTAKE THOUGHT DEER MOVED BUSH [by telegraph—OWN correspondent] DUNE DIN, Sunday A tragedy occurred on a deer-stalk-ing expedition at Greenvale, near Gore, about 3 p.m. to-day, when James Ralph Clark, aged 15, son of a widow of Bay Road, Waitati, was fatally shot. In company with two other youths, John Allan, of Waitati, and Leonard Ritchie, of Gore, Clark, who was not carrying a rifle, set out on a deerstalking expedition on the property of Messrs H. R. and S. Henderson. The members of the party separated and not long after Allan saw a clump of manuka being disturbed. Evidently thinking a deer caused the movement, he aimed his .303 rifle and fired into the bush.

On investigating, Allan found that the movement was caused by Clark, on whom he had unknowingly fired. An examination showed that Clark had been shot through the groin and was still alive. Allan and Ritchie hurriedly made a stretcher and, when Clark had been made as comfortable as possible, set out on their return across difficult country, through dense bush, to tlis homestead. Before they reached it, liowever, Clark bad died.

The body was brought to Gore and an inquest will be held to-morrow morning.