LETTERS FROM LITTLE FOLK
Dear Dot, — I attend the Waiareka school, and I am trying to learn as fast as I can. Father says he will let me leave school when I pass the Fifth Standard. I am now in the fourth.' My father is a grocer. We have been busy for the last three or four months, but trade is not so brisk now. The potatoes are now nearly all dug up, and the diggers are going away. The school is closed now for holidays, partly on account of the Queen's jubilee and partly because it is midwinter. There is a cheese factory near us and we get our cheese there. — Yours' truly, William Genge (aged 10 1/2 years). Weston, June 18. -Otago Witness, 8/7/1887.
LETTERS FROM LITTLE FOLK
Dear Dot, — I am going to tell you about a panorama, which was held here a few months ago. It was illustrative of the Soudan War. The first picture was one of a lot of soldiers going from New South Wales, and there were 60 other pictures. The last was a circle with flowers with "Good night" printed in the middle. I have a cat which I got about three years ago. She was very wild, and used to scratch and bite when we touched her. She is getting tamer now, however. — Yours truly, William Genge (aged 10 1/2 years). Weston, July 11. -Otago Witness, 8/7/1887.
LETTERS FROM LITTLE FOLK
Dear Dot, — I was down at Dunedin for about a fortnight. I went to see the gardens. There is a pond in them in which there were two swans. One was black and the other white. I was down on the Peninsula for four days. I was out in a boat, and I enjoyed myself very much. The farmers here have got nearly all their corn sown. There is a cheese factory here at which very good cheese is made. We get ours there. There are stone quarries here from which the beautiful Oamaru white stone is got. Most houses in this township are built of it — Yours truly, William Genge.
Weston, August 4.
[Two other black swans have been put into the gardens since you were down, so that there are now three black swans and one white one. There were originally two white ones, but a dog killed one. — Dot.] -Otago Witness, 19/8/1887.
An unfortunate accident happened yesterday, at the Show Ground, by which a son of Mr Genge, storekeeper, Weston, was seriously injured. It appears that the youth was passing behind a shooting gallery, erected on the high part of the ground, when a bullet pierced the wood work behind the gallery and struck him, imbedding itself in his stomach. He was removed to the Hospital, where the doctors, however, failed to extract the bullet. Another attempt to do this was to be made by the medical faculty this afternoon, but the operation has not, at the time of writing, been begun. Up to the time of going to press no news of the result of the operation was received. The youth lies in a very critical condition. -Oamaru Mail, 21/11/1891.
The lad Genge who was injured by a bullet from a shooting gallery at the Show was operated upon on Satimlay by Dr Garlane and Dr de Lautour. We understand that the operation was performed not so much with the object of extracting the bullet as to relieve the attendant inflammation. It appears, the bullet has not perforated the arteries but severed some of the blood veins. The operation was satisfactory inasmuch as it decreased the pulse which was previously very high and also stopped the vomiting and inability to take food, which were also previously existent. The lad is not yet out of danger, but he is progressing satisfactorily. In reference to his accident, we learn that several other children were struck by bullets from the same gallery which seem to have pierced the woodwork wholesale. One lad was struck over the eye, a second on the neck, and a third on the forehead, while a bullet also tore up the ground near a lady who was standing by. Nobody was seriously injured except the lad Genge. -Oamaru Mail, 23/11/1891.
LOCAL AND GENERAL
A Mormon meeting house has just been erected at the Takapau native settlement. Mr Marmaduke Dixon anticipates a cold wave in the weather towards the end of the present week, accompanied by storms. The boy Genge, who was injured by a bullet which passed through the target of a shooting gallery at the Oamaru show, died in the hospital last night. -Ashburton Guardian, 24/11/1891.
Inquest.
The following is the conclusion of our report of the inquest held yesterday touching the death of William Genge:-
To Sergeant O'Grady Mr Cooper said it would be hardly possible for a bullet to go through the bull's-eye without striking the bell.
To the Foreman: The gun would carry about 50ft. There was no crack in the woodwork behind. The iron protecting the bell was a piece of hoop iron. The bull's-eye was about 3ft 6in off the ground.
To a Juror: Jackson's complaint was the first he heard of anything being wrong. He did not examine the bell at dinner time, so could not say if it was broken then. The last time he saw the bell was on Thursday morning. There were people firing into the gallery just prior to Jackson's complaining.
To the police: He loaded the rifle himself, as far as he knew; but occasionally one of the customers did it. He had no knowledge of who fired the shot immediately before Jackson complained.
Constable Bradshaw stated he was on duty at the Show Ground on Friday. In consequence of a complaint made by Mr D. Genge, he accompanied Detective O'Brien to examine the target of the shooting gallery used by John Cooper. The shutter at the back was very much chipped and splintered, and on holding it up to the light he could see daylight through it. There was a bag hanging down over the bell box. Detective O'Brien advised Cooper to nail some more wood over the back of the box. He did not see the box after the wood was nailed over.
To a Juror: He did not examine the iron target. He noticed there was a guard on one side.
John Cooper, recalled, stated that the bag was put over the target to prevent a glare of light on the target. He did not warn any individual prior to the accident, but he called out several times warning people away. It was a practice he had.
William Jackson, recalled, identified deceased's clothing.
Albert Isaac Garland stated that; on Friday afternoon, when he returned from the show, he found William Genge lying upon the sofa in his consulting room. He complained of having been shot. His general condition did not at that time point to a serious injury. He showed a small hole in his trousers and another in his drawers. Opposite this aperture was a small punctured wound of the abdominal wall. He (witness) examined it carefully, the probe passing easily to a depth of threequarters of an inch. He did not detect the bullet but dressed the wound. On the return of the boy's father he (witness) explained to him that the wound might possibly be of a serious nature and he had better take the boy to the Hospital. The boy was carefully lifted into a cart and conveyed to the Hospital. Next day, at the request of Dr. Stewart, he (witness) visited the boy at the Hospital and found him suffering from general peritonitis. At a consultation with Dr de Lautour it was decided that an operation was necessary. With the assistance of Dr de Lautour he opened the abdominal cavity and examined several feet of the intestines. They found a large quantity of effused blood and serum and several contusions on the coats of the bowels and mesentery. After the operation deceased's condition was much improved. He passed a fairly good night, and next morning (Sunday)his temperature was three degrees lower than at the corresponding time of the previous day. Pain was almost gone, and his pulse was much improved. His condition continued satisfactory, with the exception of vomiting, which was somewhat troublesome, until midday yesterday, when symptoms of collapse began, and gradually increased until death occurred at about 8 o'clock.
To the Foreman: The operation was performed more with the object of relieving inflammation than to find the bullet. They did not find the bullet. A pellet such as that produced might cause such a wound as he saw. The boy was in a vigorous state of health.
Dr H. A. de Lautour corroborated the evidence of Dr Garland. The operation was well and carefully performed by Dr Garland. The room had been carefully warmed and fumigated, and every attention was given to details. Prior to the operation the boy was in a very bad state. He noticed during the course of the operation, that the bullet had struck the bowel in several places.
Dr James Whitton stated he had made a post mortem examination of deceased's body, in connection with Dr Stewart. Rigor mortis and post mortem lividity were present. The body appeared to be that of a healthy young man of about 16 years. On examining the body for extraneous marks of violence we found a punctured wound three inches below the navel and one inch to the right. There was also the wound of operation beginning half-an-inch below the navel, situate in the middle line and about four inches in length. It was closed by four silk stitches and was healed by first intention. The punctured wound was also almost healed. There was no sign of pus in it, or in the operation wound. We made an incision obliquely upwards to the bottom of the breast-bone, and thence to the top of the breast-bone. When, the abdomen had thus been opened we found the peritoneum congested and both layers of it adhering to each other in places. In order to expose the parts more freely an incision was made in the right side at right angles to the other. We found flakes of lymph freely effused over the surface of the bowels. More bruised patches were found in the small bowel. The bowels were then slit up. A perforated wound was found in the first bruised patch, and also in the second bruised patch. In the third there was a double perforation. Below these patches were two other bruised patches which did not extend into the bowel. Over the right side of the body of the second lumbar vertebra there was a mark indicating a punctured wound. There was also a punctured wound in the psoas muscle of the same side. The other organs of the abdomen were healthy. The heart was healthy, and both cavities empty. The pellet was not found. There was no wound of exit, and the conclusion was that it passed inward, perforating the bowels, and lodging in or about the spinal column. Death was caused, in his opinion, by shock supervening upon peritonitis.
To the Foreman: The pellet produced would cause such a wound. The operation performed was, in his opinion, a necessary one, as it gave the patient the only possible chance for his life. In the light of the post mortem examination he did not think the operation would have made any difference if performed sooner. He was of opinion the operation prolonged the patient's life and relieved his suffering. The hospital was provided with the necessary instruments for operating.
Dr Stewart corroborated the evidence of Dr Whitton.
The jury returned a verdict that W. A. Genge died from a bullet wound accidentally received, and added the following rider: — "That the jurors are unanimous in their opinion that Mr John Cooper and the N.O.A. and P. Association displayed great carelessness in not ascertaining whether the shooting gallery was sufficiently strong to protect the public." -Oamaru Mail, 25/11/1891.
DEATH.
Genge. — On the 24th instant, at the Oamaru Hospital (by accident) William Alexander, eldest son of David Genge, storekeeper, Weston, aged 14 years and 11 months.
The funeral will leave the father's residence, Weston, on Thursday, the 26th instant, at 1.30 o'clock, for the Oamaru Cemetery. Friends will kindly accept this intimation.
Thos. Falconer, Undertaker, Thames-street. -Oamaru Mail, 25/11/1891.
Mr D. Genge, father of the lad who was accidentally shot, wishes to express his appreciation of the great kindness and attention displayed towards his son by the matron and warden of the Hospital and by the medical faculty. The inquest on the lad Genge lasted from 2.30 to 6.30. -Oamaru Mail, 25/11/1891.
Oamaru Cemetery.
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