CHILD'S DEATH FROM GUNSHOT.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 August 1919, Page 5

CHILD'S DEATH FROM GUNSHOT.

THE CORONER PERPLEXED. By Telegraph.—Press Association. I' Christoh'urch, Last Night. At the inquest on the child Eleanor Coventry, ten years and eleven months ; of age, who died from a gunshot wound ,' in the abdomen, Mr. ,C. A. Anderson, assistant house surgeon at the hospital, ' stated that he saw deceased av sib' p.m. on Wednesday, shortly.after admission to the ward. She was suffering from a gunshot wound in the abdomen, and (he charge had gone right through the body, coming out through the back.'' The coroner (Mr. Bailey, S.M-); Could you say whether the wound was self inflicted, such as by pulling the. trigger of the gun? Witness: No. I couldn't judge that, but the gun must have beea right up against her body when it went off. The coroner: In thai, case you can't say whether it was self inflicted. Witness: In my opinion it was probably self inflicted, but 1 cannot judge; for certain whether such actually wa« the case. The coroner: What puzzles me is how she could possibly have reached her hand down to pull the trigger. Witness: 1 don't think she could possibly have nulled the trigger with her hand. Possibly she may have pulled the trigger with her toes. The coroner: I cannot bring in a "definite verdict of suicide, because I'm not satisfied on that point. A constable who was in the room stated at this juncture that he had been out to the spot v.here deceased was found, mid quite close to her was a garden peg, with which she may have hooked the trigger off. The coroner: She must have been an Ingenious child to have thought of that. The father of deceased said he had not Used the gun for about ten months. He wns quite positive he did not leave it loaded. The coroner: Is it possible that anyone could have borrowed the gun since you last used it? Perhaps your wife may have lent it to someone Witness replied that he was quit* "'■ certain the gun had not been lent to anyone since he last used it. At this stage Sergeant Stewart opened the breech, and a vellow cartridge case was ejected. The father said it was not one of his cartridges. He only,used red cartridges. He had never lent the gun, but the girl might have got the, yellow-cased cartridge somowhere. The coroner: This makes the case more extraordinary still. He said lie was„ however, not satisfied thai the girl had deliberately pulled the trigger. In hie • verdict the coroner recorded that the evidence wns insufficient to show whether the wound was self inflicted or acoi- ' dental.