SHOOTING FATALITY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XL, Issue 13171, 3 September 1913, Page 4

SHOOTING FATALITY.

"A PURE ACCIDENTS

Tho inquest !-heldv .yesterday afternoon, fcsforo Mr R< Ss FWailce, S.M., and a jury,, concerning the death. of the boy Edward Evans, aged 12 years, who^was shpt, m the back by another^boy, ITarold .barker,- oh Sjnidayy-afterhooh; 'wa« coii- / <dcrct«d by Senior. Sergeant Hutton: : Th_ Jury consisted of (Messrs HA. Sutton (foreman), J. Olsen, W. v.0.- Smith, G. E. Eisherwoodv B. Abraham, and H. Field: The._ coroner • said he hadythe jury «to join -him; m; the inquiry for' the' purpose of taking the load off one man's mind. It was,, not absolutely, necessary -now, •unless' a coroner required it, to hold an inquest before a jury; but m this case , it; Was ! such a serious one he thought he- <shouM' like tD'<have-*a-'ips!B^__ppo«t and assistance m deciding: what -was th§ cause olkdeath, and'jwho was to Mame ' for it, or if anyone was to blame at all.'Alfred * Garland Evans, deceased's hsdther, said 1 he was .15 -years of age. He wc^ked; at home^. helping his father: Last Sun day ; afternoon he, with Al vih Geeves,.Y^ldon Geeves, and deceased, left heme^ about 3.15 p.m., and went to the Waik&haeTagoon: When they got there they went. 6n the lagoon m Mr Geeves' boat ior.o, row. , After rowing about for a time, they went to where Parker's boat •was drawn up on the. bank. Sepibr Sergeant Hutton : Did anyone say 'anything 'about having a row m BarketV boat?- i Yes. Vtfho ?— Alvin . Geeves . What did he say?— He said, "Let's go for a -row." Didiyoa ;g0 for a' row?— -Nov Just as wie came . near the boat the ' big boy Pairker, Bernard, stepped out from behind some raupo. „.,..- -,'-.,-•■ ■-.' Well, what was said? — I did not hear anything said. . !' The coroner : You heard him say something, but you don't know wliat lie *a»ti ?— Yes, I heard him say something. Senior Sergeant Hutton : Well, did you see 'him?— -Yes. "-f ( When he spoke, did he speak angrily? —Oh, no. . How far away was he?— Not very far a.wayC • ■ ■"

What happened next? — Then the other boy ' came. Where did he corhe from?— From the raupo. t ■

What was his name ?^ — Harold Parker. Did you notice whether he was .carrying anything?— Yes) he liad a gun. Did he speak? — Yes, he spoke to my brother. ' ■;. .'•*"

What was said ?— My brother asked him if he had seen his boat, and he said ho had seen a boy. coming up the lagoon m it, and when he saw th»m he turned htok. ■'. ' '■ ; " -'■'■'•.

Well, what was 'done then ? — That is' all! remember. I had hold of the reeds, pulling tile boat m. What do you next remember? — 'J.he next thing. I hoard was tlie gun go ; ng off.

Well, when the gun went off, what took "place? — It very nearly knocked me off. tho back of the boat./

The coroner: What did ?— Tlie concussion.

Senior Sergeant Hutton : Where was your brother. at this time?-r-He was m the sariie boat, .sitting , ou the middle ee*t. :; ' t //- When. Parker came out of the rushes, what position would he.be m regard to the . boat?-^He' was m front, partly to one side,

When you saw Parker; come out of the rushes, how was he carrying, the gun ? — He was carryihg it like this ' (indicating the, gun' being held iii front, by two hands, about the hips). Was there any words or dispute between you boys before, that shot went off ?— No. ';

/The coroner: Not a word, eh?— No.' V Senior Sergeant Hutton : Had there at' any time previously been any dispute or ill-feehng. a'oout the possession of these boats 'amongst you boys^-rNo;, none. •■■' : -' -■ -'■> ■' - • y y '. .» The coroner-. Or the use of these "boats?— N0.,-- -, Sergeant Hutton : Have you at all times been friendly with each other? —-Oh, yes/ 7— » ! '"' .'• Going 'I to school; together aiid quite friendly^-Yeß,..my, brother and Ha&old Piurker were .the best. of mates. What other effect had the shot? I—My1 — My brother called out, "Oh, Tm done," and grabbed at Hub back. You then saw, I ; suppose, that he had been shot?— Yes. - Did amy of the other boys say anything? — I don't remember. The coroner: Did Harold Parker say anything?— Yes; .ho said, "Oh, I have shot him." •■-,.' ' - .-: . JH.OW did he say it ; can you describe it? — Se was nearly Crying. Jn an agonised *" voice ?— Yes. " ' " Well, what happened?— The -big- boy Parker told hiriu-to go for Assistance; Continuing, witness said deceased got tip m the^bottom of tho boat for about twenty seconds,! and then collapsed.' They then carried him ashore. Harold Parker's sister came on the scene rfirst,, and then Mr Patrick Parker came, arid held deceased's head up. lieceased /gttvea couple of. gaspsyand. then, expired. '"' Senior Sergeant Hutton: As far as you could see,, this was .nothing .but the result of an accident ?— Yes, I could see nothing else.- : "•'""- ' •' - ! ' ' ,f ■ ■ '■ - 'y Alvin Geeves, of Taruheru, _did -he was 14 years of age. He left homey with his brother^ about.. 2 ..p.m. on Sunday, and went 'to' Evens', and with Edward and Alfred Evans thiey subsequently' went to the 'swamp, and- began -to- ! ro*w about m his father's boat. They pulled up. the swamp to,,where...Park«-'a .boat M"as drawn up on the side, clear of the water. .'■-," •,/*' -;•" """." }"{/'' Senior Sergeant Hutton : On' reachinc the boat, was any remark . made, about Parker's boat? — Yes ; I said 'to Aif. Evans, " Shall . : Vire go for a Vow m Parker's boat?"

On saying that, did anything else transpire ? Did^auybody , else t ,oome •■ on th? scene?— No, I i said this before we reached Parker's- boat. ( Before you te-ok possession of Parker's boat, did anything happen?— We never got possession of. 'the boat; just As we got there, Bernard, Parker came out of the raupo. .■-<-.'■ What was said ? — Bernard Parker said, "Very nice you takjng our boat." What else was said?— Wo exchanged a few words. . ...... In angei'T-^No, not at aU. 'They were said m a jocular way. ' ' "''.,'• Well?— Harold • Parker then stepped out oi theY.raupo. Was 1%. currying anything?— Yes, he had. a/gflh;/ •',-:■ ->' ■ ' '.',''. ■• Howt^te-'he carrying it?— Across his hips. . ''•:'* *.' ■■'■ ''■-' liid ;fcff v niake any remark?— He said,' ' ' We' vosdtfp_d you. this: time," -or -words to thatvejldbt, thinking we . were^ taking the boatV';/ • *;'/ A\-f. "y A/ "■".,''■ The -wjt)ive»» identified the double-barrßlleft^g^Mi^-prodwced as the on&iJiv questjohj »md ne showed how Harold Parker' W&'^mng the , gun. „ Ooatinu-, ing ho-^»J' the Wat they were m was a fUt-ir^omeS punt. 'The bow was pointing'w thtf shore- Witness' Tittle brother^flfee<J..9> wa* sittnig m -^c how with r£p*ck:Ato the shore. , Witness was sitting o'q the first seat, and had the oare was sitting oh the middle ys6ft, salso with his back, to the shoro. '^i^ard Evans was sitting m the< stern -fßOjiig the, shore,.., Deceased and;, witness'! -brbther ha<t hold pi ,tbe,,raupo to fce^the/boat steady. When Harold Parker^me out of th<? -y»u_s>ihs wasnear y mty<m> with ilie gun pointing tow»r_^W.'boat. ' . The< v cesorier : Was it cocked, do >ou know?-^sb«Ud not say, but immediate: ly ■• aft&ftrie: spoke it Went offYmi^idY riot notice him cocking it ?—

No. \Yaa-' -' ' WjtriM*; coptinuiiw, deposed as to the rosult^hb^ing, of the ggu. He said, Mr P4bf#c,<Parker was tho first to arrive! yap v tKen deceased's Sister came. MR P^r sent Berhawl Parker for m*terial-yfwr. a st«etcher. - - V,: TW^ner-.: 'I have pot got yet how thia gWfVent off. •■■■-■■• „ ; Seroprr^ge-nt. Hutton : We can t get that ;fipnvtfiese boys if they had nothing to-doXw^'-t^eiorun. <■■ * ' The'-tyironor : Yes, but hero was a. gun m frbrit^of these boys. It could be seeri,?;f; should think, if there was. -any movieihehtYoft'he hands. The^oroner (to witness) : Did ybu see th\ 'haiidCon th 6 trigger?— No, I was, no.t'l<jbki^_ at that. : - RetjiV; 'Sergeant Hutton : When the Park^.-^first. spoke, did thoy speak m BJ;ger.Tw~JJo.

Was there any dispute or quarrel about these boats? — No.

Had thero been any quarrel before this? — No, never m our lives. <

They spoke quite quietly?— Yes. m a jocular manner. Y. .-• The coiyohers ; Wheh, Haloid Parker said, ''Weyeyc^jJped yOu how;," you say he •■*__" fjoldrig'?— Yes-. ' V Seizor/ Sergealivt tiulloii • Tliat *:was' hbAvfy^u took it^?— Yes. Did- it not seem- strange to you for a boy 'to jump out of theYraupo and^say what he did? You see. it might.- have bten you he shot? — I nearly was 'shot, !t°6. ' ' y ; Well, did it -hot seem strange to you that ho should jump out of the raupo and says, that? — Well, yes it did. Yet yoii saiy he was joking?— YW' " The 'coroner t- How do you kiiow? — 1 spoke to him afterwards, and asked him. < ...

s The coroner s „ Ok, { you asked him. Don't tell i_j\anything you said to hiim or he to ybul-' 'Just tell' 'tis' what happened. '• ' .♦ ' ' • ' ' The forenian : Did the gun go off when it was across , the boy's hips, or did he put it toy his shoulder ?— Be did not put it to his shoulder at all.

At this stage a juryman examined the gun, : and remarked that the lock was stroiig and m, good .condition. It took some pulling to set it off. Tlie coronetf : ' ' Yes, that is what 1 noticed. ' ' Eldoii Geeyes, aged _ years* also gave evidence oil the same lines, He added that when' Bernard Parker emerged from the raupo he remarked that he was -j'list going to shoot /at a hawk, When he heard somebody paddling up the swamp. Wheh Mr Parker paine., he sadd, ''What have- you been doing with the gun? 1 told ! you not' to take it." ' .lust before the gun went' off Bernard Parker told them'; he had had a miMiap with" his boat.. He said he .was out on. the lagoon and a stick toreY'the side of the canoe, •which was a oahvas bile! Just as ho was saying it the giui went off. ; Senior Sergeant Hfttton'r Has anybody been^ speaking to.you about the evidence yon should give to-day?— No, no one. Has anybody told you what to say? — No. , ■'- '•" ■•-••:: : - '.- :

Are you sure of that? — Yes. . , Did the. gun go off immediately Harold Parker said, "We've copped you now?" — No; he held it for a while.'

In -the meantime Bernard Parker conversed with you about the mishap to his boat? — Yes. *

, Bernard Parker, agod 16 years, a High School boy, said. he and his brother left hoihe 1 about 1:30 for the Waikanae swanrp. He took his gun arid a few cartridges* Senior Sergeant Hutton j Had you any necessity to use and load the gun during i th-- afternoon?—- We'll,' a. hawk came along just before the accident, and' 1 loaded the right barrel with an ordinary No- 4 cartridge. Did you fire that shot?— No, the hawk was out of range. What became of the gun?— The hawk was Still circling round, and I just laid the gun aside, .. Did? you continue to carry the gun ?— No, X just laid' it aside ; my brother and I were sitting downY Tlie, coroner : That accounts for their not being seen. . , Witness said while, they were sitting down; they heard. the splash of a boat coming,- along. They were riot m the raupo when they heard voices. V" Senior Sergeant Hutton .- Do I understand,' then, that you. went and hid m thi raupo? — Well, yes we ..went '..round a bend Of the swamp ' into" the raupo.. Did yoii recognise Whose voices they were you heara?^-Yesy Did' you hear' them say anything? — We heard or understood them to say they were .going to take our boat, whicli tvas up but of; the water.* : ' "' : ''" '' " At this time: was the gun m your hand br youiv brother's hands? — It wrts while |Wb were m there waiting to see if they would take our boat that the hawk Icame along. ; TliefcoTOneu' : Why did you thinfc- they would teikP ybiii* boat?— We "did riot mirid if they did; it wasyjust for a lark' that we h^d. tq see iff. they -took' it. We had ofterif token/ each other's; boats, andndt mJinded'at aJi- , ' v Witness >A asid 'it Hras 'while they were waiting' that "they Understood Alvin Geeves" to say they would take tho bottt. Just as» they oame up witness stepped out of the raupo and said, "Yes, my boat if a nice phe," they having made some remark to that effect, i Senior Sergeant Hutton: : . Did you have the gun then?-— No.., Whej:© hadi you left it? — Where we were s|ttiflg. The ; coroner: Where was youi brother? — Where we were, sitting. Senior Sergeant Hutton : Alongside the guii?— <Yes/ What happened next? — Alvin .Geeves asked me' if I had the gun. Yes?^-I told him "Yes, I did have it." Yes?:— He asked me then if- 1 had any cartridges. :■-,«. - ■ > Yes? — I wasn't going to tell him at first, ahd then I said, "Yes, I have a couple here." ■ ' ' Yes?— Alvin Geeves' asked hie then to lend him the gun to go up. the swamp with it} to see. if,. he could get a shot. Where' was your. brj^lierf-—JHe ; ,was still ba&k' 'al£h{j th_'swamp a. bit." Did^ he come cftnV after that?— About thii time he 'rah out frOm'tee' raupo. . Hoto was he' holding' the gnU"? — I cari'l say-' th4t, for I had N :my back .to t' him. When, he came,, out ■he said, "We've copped yoii this' time," or something like thd-t. Then all laughed: Eddie Evans theri asked, us if we liad seen lib boat. 'My brother said he had seen, s bo\ r on Kile, swamp with it earlier. •Witness said When tliey were, coiivers ;ing the, gun <yen Seniofr Sergeant Hutton : Could yo* say how, your brpthcr' was standing oi holding; the. gun? — "We^ll, I wheeled rouiu immediately 'the guii went off, and h< had it ftcross his hips. When you laid 'the gun on the ground, fVrere the.hanwers cocked or uncocked? T^ey were uncocked, but one barrel was loaded. . / Witness " corroborated Hvliat the other witnesses said about the results of the gun going off, ' Senior Sergeant Hutton : Was any resentment shown by you or your brother towards the other lads coming up to 'take your boat?— No, none m the least. i You heard your brother say, n "W*'vo copped you now," and/ immediately the gun. went off ?— No, hot immediately, j' J Weli, within a minute ortWo7— Yes. | What did you thiiik he meant by those words? — It- was really only saidiii fun; there was no moaning mit y at'air. Y. ; Had you had 'a quarrel of any kind with these . boys?— No ; we were the ibest' of > friends ; m fact, Eddie Evans was' my brother's greatest friendThe coroner: You dbri't propose to call tho brother, do you? Senior' Sergeant Hutton : Yes. „ The coroner: I don't know whether thf. jury want to hear "him. 4 The foreman, after consulting the'jury, ■Gaicb they did not wish to hear the other boy. ... , , Senior Sergeant ' Hutton : There are ohe or Iwo points that might be made 'perfectiy clear. --. The coroner: Well, I don't know what action the police intend taking m the matter. ; If the boy is_like'iy To Become anyaccused person, I think it is better lie should not be troubled. .'Senior Seirgeant Hutton < Very well, your Worship.. The coroner : Of course, you can please •yourself; But it would not prejudice your case nor prejudice -his caso if thero wore a charge. If you don't press for tyim. to he called, the jury don't want :him, and I don't. ' ' Senior Sergeant Hutton saiad the police liad the : - boy's statement. The Coroner: Oh, very well; then you kno<v what it is, and you .will know if it is correct ( or not.- , .Patrick Joseph Parker, uncle of the two Parker boys, gave evidence as to going toy the v scene of the accident m oensequence iof ? Httrold Parker having told hWhe had aopidentaliy shot Edward Evans, and; as. to assisting ..to carry the body to the hoilsfe." V ' Constable' 'Moore' 1 deposed to proceeding to Mr a T. Parker's residence at 5.20 p.m<. on Sunday, m consequent*} of a telephone message, and to seeing the body of deceased' there. He found a foinshot wqundJ m the small of the.back, a charge of shot having entered the body/. He mibsequently got possession '\ii the' gun. which was handed to him by Mr C. J. Parker, jun., father of the two boys. He found that a cartridge bad been fired from the right barrel

He, obtained • a statement- from • Harold Parker, aiid.it was on the safne lines as and accorded with the evidence given that day. v. TMs; concluded the evidence.

"I ■ ddn'tv think there,', is? ahy need for me to review the 'evidence," said th.c coroner,' . addressing '-. the , jury. "You 'enow -very well .wliat -you' have heard, •\ifd'vwliat the"- result -'of -the 'inquiry will lead-' to."- ./.No prosecution ';'•■ would ', follow what 1 would be done here particularly to-day. If anything is - done; it '? will he done" m the ordinary way. But still you have to consider what sort of verdict you have, to bring m, whether it was caused by a careless person or whether It AVas a pure accident. You can take tlihe tp consider it if you like. Don't do anything ih a hurry." After a few minutes' consideration, tlis jury returned a verdict, that the cause of death' was a pure accident. The coroner said he quite concurred with the verdict.