Old news from Armidale and New England

Tuesday 28 September 1897, The Sydney Morning Herald

TRAGEDY AT NINE MILE.

AN EXTRAORDINARY ACCIDENT.

SHOT THROUGH THE HEART.

A telegram to the following effect was yesterday received at the office of the Inspector-General of Police from the Armidale superintendent of police :- “William White was on Saturday last found dead half a mile from his residence, Nine Mile, Deepwater, shot in the breast with slugs. The post-mortem examination resulted in four slugs being found in the body. One passed through the heart. Death was instantaneous. The shot was not fired from close quarters. White left home on Friday morning, carrying a Winchester repeating rifle, which was found lying at his feet, and contained one empty cartridge. No further information.” Investigations are being made by Senior-sergeant Hicks, of Tenterfield, and Senior-sergeant Travers, of Glen Innes.

Superintendent Garvan, of the Armidale police district, yesterday evening telegraphed to the Inspector-General as follows :- “White’s death is now understood to be the result of an accident. Thirty yards from where the body lay his hat was found, and 4 ft. from his hat a rifle, fired recently into the face of a granite boulder. Four pieces of lead, believed to be portions of a bullet that ricocheted, and a piece of granite, were found embedded in deceased’s neck by a doctor. The circumstances surrounding the case do not point to murder. Bullet mark on rock was discovered this morning.”