YOUNG MAN KILLED

Waipa Post, Volume 33, Issue 2010, 24 May 1927, Page 4

YOUNG MAN KILLED

SHOT MEANT FOR MAD COW.

LIVES ENDANGERED BY BEAST. CHRISTCHURCH, Monday. Receiving in his face and head the full force of a charge of shot, a young married man named Leonard Gabites, of Sabeys Road, Halswell, was fatally injured at 3.30 p.m. yesterday. The accident had some remarkable features, a cow, the property of Gabites, went mad after having eaten some poisonous herbage, and it broke into the property of his neighbour, Mr George W. Cox. Finding that the beast was practically unmanageable, Gabites asked Cox to assist him to get the cow back into his own property, as he feared it would do some damage. Cox got a single barrel shot gun for use in case of emergency, as it was likely that the cow would rush anyone who went near it. The cow made 1 several attempts to attack those about it, and then turned its attention to a glass house in which tomatoes were growing. As there appeared to be every likelihood that the animal would do serious damage to the glass-house, Gabites called to Cox to shoot it. Cox did so, but the shot proved ineffective of stopping the beast, which continued its career about the place attacking anyone who came near it. Cox hurriedly reloaded the gun, the cow charged him and tripped him before he had time to fire again, and as -he fell the gun went off. Gabites was standing about eight yards away at the time and he received the charge in the face and head. An (ambulance was sent for, and he was transferred to hospital -as speedily as possible. He died shortly before 10 o’clock last night.