SAD SHOOTING FATALITY.
BOY SHOT BY HIS COMPANION.
News of a sad shooting accident reached Havelock from the Opouri Valley late on Saturday afternoon. It appears that a lad of fourteen named Leslie George Gibbs, son of Mr Arthur E. Gibbs, dairy farmer, Opouri Valley, was out shooting with a companion named George Pearce, when the accidental discharge of a pea-rifle held by the latter pierced the lungs and heart of the lad Gibbs, killing him instantaneously. Great sympathy is felt for the parents (who are new settlers in the district), and for the boy Pearce, the latter being very much cut-up over the occurrence.
THE INQUEST.
An inquest was held at Opouri on Sunday, before Mr W. H. Smith, acting-Coroner, and a jury of six. George Pearce deposed that he went out shooting on the previous day with the deceased. Deceased had a pea-rifle. Deceased stooped down to get a drink, and he gave me the pea-rifle to hold. I had never used a pea-rifle previously, and I was pointing it at things across the river. I do not know how the gun was discharged. It went off and shot deceased. He just jumped up and then fell down again. I ran home and told Mrs Gibbs that Leslie was shot. I then went back with Mr Gibbs to fetch him home.
Ernest Arthur Gibbs (father of deceased) gave evidence as to the finding of the body. He undid his clothes to see if there was any chance of rallying, but found there was none. The deceased and the witness Pearce were companions and good friends.
Dr Williams (Havelock) deposed that on examining the body he found a bullet wound in the left side between the 10th and 11th rib. There were no other external signs of injury. The track of the bullet could be traced forwards and upwards to the heart. Death was due to the wound in the heart, and must have been either instantaneous or ensued in a very short time.
The jury returned the following verdict: “That deceased came to his death through being accidentally killed through the discharge of a pea-rifle fired by George Pearce. We consider that no blame is attachable to anyone.”
After the inquest the body was removed for interment to Nelson, where the relatives of deceased’s parents reside. -Pelorous Guardian and Miners Advocate, 1/5/1917.
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