James Haggie, 1864-1880

FATAL GUN ACCIDENT.

Yesterday a lad named Charles Haggie, aged 16 years, fatally shot himself by accident. He was accompanied by a friend named George Finn, from whose statement the accident was ascertained to have occurred as follows. Between 6 and half-past 6 o'clock in the morning, the two lads left Oamaru in quest of game. Haggie carried a double-barrelled, and Finn carried a single-barrelled gun. They walked to tho Kakanui River, where they fired off several shots. At about 3 o'clock in the afternoon they reached Reidston, distant about 7 1/2 miles from town. At Mr O'Grady's store, they stoppod for ten minutes and had some biscuits. From the store they walked along the road for half-a-mile in the direction of Oamaru. After this they entered a paddock and traversed it for a short distance. On emerging from the paddock, Haggie took the lead in crawling through the fenco, whereupon Finn handed him both the guns. As Finn was getting through the fence Haggie was in the act of buttoning up his great-eoat, resting the guns against his side. Suddenly the right barrel of the double gun went off, and the oharge entered the point of the short rib of the right side, forming a wound an inch and a quarter long and an inch wide. On looking up, Finn observed his friend fall to the ground on his right side. He then turned on his back and sang out, "Georgie! Georgie! I'm dying." Haggle continued to breathe for but a few seconds, and then died. Finn took off his overcoat, covered the body with it, and immediately ran to Mr O'Grady's, to acquaint him with what had happened. Mr O'Grady jumped on his horse, and made for the place where the body lay; having seen the body, he at once rode in to Oamaru, and gave information to tho police. 

Mrs Haggie, the poor lad's mother, some time back obtained a protection order in Oamaru from her husband, who was seen in Ohristchurch a week ago. She lives in Usk street, where she keeps a private boarding-house. For eighteen months the deceased was in Mr O'Grady's employ as assistant, earning LI a week, but he had not been there for the last four months. Mrs Haggie has a large and helpless family, and Charles' earnings had been of great assistance to her. 

On being apprised of the accident, Constable O'leary rode out, reaching the spot at 10 minutes after 6 o'clock yesterday evening, and had the body conveyed to Mr Ayton's Hotel, Reidston. Mrs Haggie, and the deceased boy's uncle, Mr Reid, also went out. The mother's outbursts of grief are said by those who witnessed them to have been heartrending.  -North Otago Times, 17/5/1880.

Oamaru Old Cemetery.

THE LATE FATAL GUN ACCIDENT.

An inquest was held yesterday afters noon at the Medora Hotel, before G. Sumpter, Esq., J.P., acting Coroner, and a jury, of whom Mr. John Marks was foreman, touching the death of Charles Haggie. The jury haying viewed the body, the Coroner pointed out that from the information he had received prior to the inquest he had not thought it necessary to order a post mortem examination; but if, after the evidence had been heard they had any doubt as to which direction the shot had taken effect he would take upon himself to adjourn the inquiry to enable a medical examination to be held. He did not wish to convey any impression that the deceased had met his death in any way than by accidentally shooting himself but it was their duty to make the fullest possible inquiry.

The following evidence was then taken;— 

George Finn, being sworn, said: I am a clerk in Mr. Hannay's office, in Oamaru. I live in Mrs. Haggie's boardinghouse. I have seen the body now on view, and recognise it to be Charles Haggie, the son of Mrs. Haggie, with whom I board. He has been living there during the last three weeks, while I have been there. He was seventeen years of age, and I was fourteen last July. We both left Oamaru yesterday (the 16th), on foot, at about half-past six, to go out shooting. We went down the South Road. Haggie had a double-barrelled gun, and I had a single-barrelled one. We had about twentyfive charges. We went to Kakanui and shot some birds, but I do not know how many shots were fired. We then went to Mr. O'Grady's, and got there about three in the afternoon. We did not go to any house from the time we left Oamaru till we went to O'Grady's. Mr. O'Grady was there, and two other men whom I do not know. We went into the sittingroom, and stayed there about a quarter of an hour. Mrs. O'Grady gave us some biscuits. Haggie took some. I had port wine, Mr- O'Grady having asked me what I would have to drink. Haggie had lemonade. After I had had the one glass of wine one of the men told O'Grady to give us another drink. He gave me port wine and Haggie shandygaff. The two men had a beer each. One of the men, called Dick, paid O'Grady for them. I remained about five minutes after this. I have not had any wine for the last twelve months. The glass of wine did not affect me at all. I was quite sober. The deceased was sober, and right to all appearance. When we left I carried the single-barrellied gun. It was not loaded. Haggie carried the double-barrelled gun, which was also not loaded. After leaving a few minutes we loaded them. We went along the North Road. Aftr going along the road about half a mile we went into a paddock, and remained there a minute or two, and then came out again, going on about forty yards. There was a gorse fence round the paddock. When going into the paddock I went first, and deceased came out first. He crawled through the fence. Before going through he laid the gun against the fence. I then handed him first the double and then the single-barrelled gun over the fence, which was about four feet high. When I had handed the guns over I did not see what he did with them, as I was crawling through the bottom of the fence. When I had got about my head through the fence I heard the gun go off. I looked up and saw the deceased fall. When I passed the guns over the hammers were down on the caps, When he had the guns I saw him pulling his coat as if he was going to fasten it. I came out when I heard the report and saw him falling, and when I got to him the guns were lying one on each side of him. He sang out "George, George." When I got to him I saw the smoke and unbuttoned his coat, as I thought he was shot under the arm. He said he was dying. He died in a few seconds. Both guns were fully loaded when I passed them over the fence. When he died I put his hat over his face and covered him with my coat. I then fired off the two barrels — one out of the single and out of the double-barrelled gun. I then went to Mr. O'Grady's and told him what had happened. I did not lose my presence of mind, although I was flurried. The charge out of the gun must have passed upwards.  As we were going along the road we were advised by Messrs Taylor and o'Brian to go into the paddock to look for a pheasant. We did not see anything althqugh they said the pheasant was at the brow of the hill. Both my parents are living at Waimate. I did not notice anything wrong with either of the guns. I have been out shooting three or four times before. When going into the paddock, I got over the fence first and Haggie handed over the guns. He got through the bottom of the fence. Haggie had a gun that I borrowed from Mr. Gow. The one I had belonged to deceased.

Barney O'Grady deposed: I am a storekeeper residing at Reidston. I recognise the body now on view as that of Charles Haggie. He called at my place on Sunday with the last witness at about three o'clock. He went into the sitting-room, where I was with two persons named George Matthews and Robert Horseman. They were both quite sober as far as I know. When the deceased came in I asked whether he would have some biscuits, and he said "Yes, for I feel hungry." When I gave them to him he put them into his pocket and commenced eating them. I gave them both biscuits and something to drink. I gave Finn a small glass of sherry and the deceased lemonade. That is all they got from me out of my hands, and I do not think they got any more. They stopped about ten minutes or a quarter of an hour. There was no second glass of drink supplied while I was in the room. I went out of the room while they were there. Nobody paid for the drink. I will swear that Matthews told me to give them. I did so, but charged nothing for it. Finn, to my knowledge, had only one glass of wine. He was sober, and so was Haggie. They were quite friendly. Finn returned about half-an-hour after they had left. I was in the kitchen. He tapped me on the shoulder and called me outside, and when I went out he told me Charley was dead. I said what happened to him, and he said he had shot himself. I inquired how he had done it, and he replied "Crawling through the fence." He said you had better yoke up the cart and take him into town. I replied that I could not do so till the police arrived. When the boy came he was all of a shake and as white as a sheet. After he came out I met two other men. I told them that a boy had shot himself. I then galloped up, thinking he might only be wounded, The body was lying on its back with the arm across the chest and one of the legs crooked upwards. The face was covered with deceased's hat, and there was a ooat over the body. I went up and found that he was quite dead. I covered him up and went at once for the police. I did not take any notice of the guns. I thought by the appearance of the wound when I saw it afterwards at the hotel that the shot, had passed upwards in a slanting direction.

George Finn, re-called, deposed : I am quite certain that I had two glasses of wine. The last one was, as well as the first, served by Mr. O'Grady. They were both served in the presence of the two men who were in the room. Dick paid three shillings for them, Mr. O'Grady said he would owe him the sixpence. 

Michael Cleary deposed; I am a Constable, stationed at Oamaru. I proceeded to Reidston yesterday in consequence of information I had received, and found the body now on view, and I recognise it as Charles Haggie. It was lying on the side of the road, about a mile from here, and was quite dead. I examined it, there was one wound by the point of the short rib, on the right side, about an inch and a quarter long and an inch wide, of an oval shape. The wound was apparently in a slanting direction pointing upwards through the chest. There were no other wounds. I could not find any shot in the wound. I found some gun-shot in the pocket, about two charges in the left hand pocket, and in the right hand some wads. The witness Finn gave me some gun-shot and caps, and they corresponded with that found on the body of the deceased. The guns were lying on the ground close by, one single and one double, not loaded. The double had a discharged cap on the left nipple — the trigger of the right was halfcocked, and the cap corresponded with that given by the witness Finn. I placed the double gun along the body of the deceased, the butt by his feet, and the muzzle reached about two inches above the wound.

The Coroner pointed out that .there was a discrepancy between the evidence given by the boy Finn and that of Mr. O'Grady, It was still very difficult to ascertain in what manner the accident happened, The jury, after a brief consultation, returned a verdiot to the effect that the deceased had met his death by accidentally shooting himself.  -Oamaru Mail, 18/5/1880.

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