NORTH SYDNEY TRAGEDY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19254, 19 August 1924, Page 7

NORTH SYDNEY TRAGEDY

HINDER COMMITTED FOR TRIAL. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. SYDNEY, August 18. (Received August 18, at 10.15 p.m.) At the inquest on the victims of tho North Sydney shooting Colin Hinder, aged 15, was committed for trial on a charge of manslaughter. Evidence was given that 7 the accused was always on the best ol terms with the other two boys. A message from Sydney on July 14 stated that Colin Hinder, aged 16, a military trainee, when playing with his younger brother, said that be would show him now to be a soldier. He secured a service rifle, and took what he supposed to be two dummy cartridges, which were inserted in the magazine. They then played in the yard for a few minutes, when the younger boy chased his brother. The latter, carrying the rifle, ran towards the gate. He tripped and fell, with the muzzle pointing to James Roberts, who was sitting 10ft away. This lad was killed instantly. Alfred Do Caulzel, who was four years of age, died an hour later. As a sequel to the tragedy. Hinder was arrested and formally charged with murder. The police, who investigated the matter, thought that Hinder’s statement—that the rifle went off when he tripped—almost impossible, as it would have had to point at right angles to the direction in which he was running. In reply to further questions Hinder said he had not fallen, but that be emerged from the back gate saying: “ Look out, or I will hurt you.” Roberts said: “Don’t be foolish.” The rifle then went off.