SHOT ON HIS HONEYMOON BY VOLUNTEERS.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XLIII, Issue 15000, 21 November 1899, Page 3

SHOT ON HIS HONEYMOON BY VOLUNTEERS.

- . - » : — By order, of ' Lieut. -General Sir W. But- . ler,. commanding the Western district, an, -. Inquiry jras conducted at Dawlish, on Sepr tember26tb; relative to the' shooting of Mr 'Horace Gripper, a visitor, by Volunteers • *s|ho were at- target practice oh September - 16th. Mr "Gripper Himself was too serimjs)v il} ill ttJ "attend the' inquiiy.indih. .'Court took his evidence in his bedroom. ■ -He reside^ ftt Ware, in Hertfordshire, and • at 'the time of the accident -was on his "•':• honeymoon -with his -wife. He went tQ - Eftmouth, a neighbouring seaside place, ■ for .a sail, passing the Warren rifle range - on the way.' As the yacht approached the range ' the firing ceased. On the return journey Mr Gripper expected that the firing would- again ' stop,\but apparently no notice was taken of the yacht as it passed behind the butts. "Suddenly he heard, bullets, -whistling over hh head, and he told his wife to lie down in the boat. This she ■ did, and immediately after a number of bullets struck 1 the yacht.' One lodged in Mr Gripper's neck, where it still remains ; another struck him in the shoulder, and a third passed right through his thigh. Captain Roberts and Captain and Adjutant VivHn satd the usual yrecautiotls were | taken to sra'f.cau'ifrd" people* passing behind 4he>'tar{jet&, euh'ef onshore or atsea. Men iffete posted at each end of the range to gtop" the "firing when peopte came within {he danger area, but the look-out men had te use their own judgment aa t<\ whuther or people were ; in the danger area. Prif'alfe Alpin, who was the look-out man on thft.Pawlisbv side, said b,e s»w .the boat, and raised the danger , flagi t»ut the firingdid not immediately stop. The other loqV • out man, however, declared that he t i JJO boat at all. The. officer* qonduptlng -V.c" Inquiry subsequently visited the rarfge.