SON SHOOTS FATHER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24912, 11 May 1942, Page 4

SON SHOOTS FATHER

TRAGIC OUTCOME OF PRACTICAL JOKE (P.A.) WHANGAREI, May 9. The Waihbpo tragedy, which resulted in the death of Steve XTlrich, a'wellknown settler, who was shot by his 16-year-old son, was the subject of an inquest at Kutaia yesterday. The evidence showed that Urlich, who lived with his two sons, was away all day on February 27, visiting a friend. He walked home, his horse having broken away. About 8 p.m. his sons heard a dog barking, and saw the form of a man walking near the cow shed. The elder son went to investigate, telling the younger to wait at the front of the house. The elder son found that the man foas his father, who asked him to catch the horse.

Then, thinking to play a joke on the younger son, who was unaware that the brother had been sent for the horse, the father continued with his head down, and refused to answer the challenge of the younger son, who got a gun and repeated his challenges. The father then made straight for him, and when 10 yards distant the gun was fired. The son then realised that he had shot his father, who admitted that it was all his own fault for playing the trick. The son was greatly distressed. The father and the boys were on; the best of terms.' There had been considerable trouble in the district, and the Ulrich family had been kept at a tension which led the younger sori to believe, that the approaching man had evil intent. > ..:

The coroner, found that death was due to gunshot wounds caused by a shot fired by the son.