ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.
WOMAN SERIOUSLY INJURED.
Agnes Sunderland, a married woman 25 years of age, residing at Carey’s Bay, Port Chalmers, was admitted to the Dunedin Hospital yesterday suffering from a serious gunshot wound in the chest. Apparently a .303 gun was being loaded preparatory to its being fixed in the course of New Year’s Eve celebrations when it exploded. -Otago Daily Times, 2/1/1924.
LOADED GUN DANGER
WOMAN SUFFERS INJURY.
With a serious gunshot wound in her chest, Agnes Sunderland, a married woman, twenty-five years of age, residing at Carey’s Bay, Port Chalmers, was admitted to the Dunedin Hospital yesterday. The wound was the result of an accident with a gun that had been loaded to fire in the course of the celebration of New Year, but details of the occurrence are not available. This morning the hospital reported that the woman had shown a slight improvement. -Evening Star, 2/1/1924.
GUN EXPLODES.
Per Press Association. DUNEDIN, January 3. Further details regarding the wounding in the chest of Mrs Agnes Sunderland at Port Chalmers on New Year’s Eve show that at the suggestion of the wounded woman’s husband, a visitor, Charles Stevenson, fired in the air a rifle loaded with three cartridges. The weapon exploded, Stevenson being slightly wounded also. The woman is recovering. -Star, 3/1/1924.
RIFLE BREACH BURSTS
NEW YEAR’S EVE FATALITY.
INQUEST CONCLUDED.
The inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of Agnes Sunderland, married, twenty-five years of age, who was severely wounded in the chest at Carey’s Bay, Port Chalmrs, on New Year’s Eve, through the explosion of a rifle, and who died in the Dunedin Hospital on January 13, was continued this morning before the coroner (Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M.). Sub-inspector Eccles represented the police.
Dr Perry, assistant medical officer, Dunedin Hospital, deposed that deceased was admitted to the hospital on January 1, about 8.50 a.m. Witness saw deceased about an hour later, when he found her in a state of collapse. There was a wound about half an inch long just beneath the left breast. Her condition was critical from the start. Deceased rallied from January 3 until the afternoon of January 12, when she began to sink. Witness was called and found that her breathing was labored. Stimulants were applied, but she died about 8.30 a.m. on January 13. At the subsequent post mortem it was found that the left lung was badly torn and was practically pulp. There was a piece of metal (which would fit into the breech of the gun produced), in the inner covering of the heart. The cause of death was pericarditis and heart failure following a wound in the chest. The deceased was a healthy woman.
Eric McDonald Sunderland said that the rifle produced was his property. He used it on Wednesday, December 26, when it acted alright. It was partly cleaned and put away. Mr Stevenson put the cartridge in the gun on the night of the accident.
Charles Stevenson, laborer, residing at Carey’s Bay, said he fired off the rifle to celebrate the coming in of the new year. He loaded the rifle. Mrs Sutherland was standing on his right on the verandah. When the rifle exploded he was struck by missiles on the chest and neck. Mrs Sutherland was removed to the cottage Hospital. He examined the gun and found the breech had burst, and that a part of the cartridge was still in the breech. He could not account for the accident.
Archibald William Porteous, father of the deceased, said he was present at the time of the accident. He corroborated the previous witness’s evidence.
Charles Edward Hazard, foreman-gunssmith for Messrs A. W. McCarthy, Limited, said he had had thirty-two years’ experience of guns. He had examined the gun in question and was of opinion that it was possible that the bolt-head was loose. He was satisfied that the bolt was closed. The cartridge had nothing to do with the explosion.
The Coroner said that the evidence showed that on New Year’s Eve Sunderland and his family were celebrating the occasion. Sunderland arranged to discharge a rifle. He was a man used to rifles, and handed the rifle and cartridges to Stevenson, who fired the rifle. Unfortunately, it exploded and a portion of the breech blew out. The exact cause was difficult to determine. Witness Hazard was unable to throw much light on the matter. It was one of those distressing things which occur at times. It was a pure accident. It was rather foolish to fire a live cartridge to make a noise. Blank cartridges should have been used. The verdict would be that deceased died on January 13, at Dunedin, the cause of death being pericarditis and heart failure, following wounds caused bv the accidental bursting of a rifle fired at Carey’s Bay on New Year’s Eve. -Evening Star, 17/1/1924.
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