On Monday last a fatal accident happened at the residence of Christian Hansen, Frankton, whereby a three-year-old child named John James Henderson was shot by his nephew, Christian Hansen. It appears that the latter, a lad of 17 years, was out with the gun, a pea rifle, on the evening before the sad occurrence, and when he came home he put the gun, loaded, and with the trigger at full cock, up on the wall in his bedroom. Next morning, 27th inst., the child was in the bedroom, and, taking the loaded gun down from the wall, began to play with it. Hansen at once proceeded to take the weapon away from the boy, noticing at the same time that he had forgotten to unload it the night before. While in the act of doing this, he accidentally put his finger on the trigger, with the result that the gun went off, and the contents were discharged into the child's breast. Dr Douglas was at once sent for, but the boy died within twenty minutes after his arrival from the injuries caused. An inquest was held on Tuesday 28th inst. before Coroner Hotop and a jury of six, W. Birse being chosen foreman. Evidence was given by the lad, Hansen, Dr Douglas, and the father of the boy, and the circumstances related to the jury were very much the same as given above. A verdict was brought in of accidental death through the explosion of a pea rifle, which was being taken from him by Christian Hansen. -Lake Wakatip Mail, 31/1/1902.
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