A fatal accident occurred on Friday evening to a young man named George Robert Taylor, who was residing with his parents near Gulgong. It appears he went out opossum shooting, that the dogs by which he was accompanied commenced fighting, and that he made a blow at them with the gun, which was thus accidentally discharged into his abdomen, the charge passing upwards.
A powder flask, containing powder, which he carried in his breast pocket, was shattered, and the powder exploding ignited his clothes, which were completely consumed. Wounded as he was, he was able, with assistance, to walk home (a distance of 300 yards) where he was put to bed, and surgical aid sent for. It appears, however, there was some difficulty in obtaining it at that hour at night, until the circumstances of the case were reported to Mr Medley, who immediately dispatched his own surgeon to the case, and very fortunately too, for on his arrival, finding the sufferer still sensible, he impressed upon him the certainty of death within an hour or so, and that anything he had to say with respect to the wound would be of importance. Taylor then desired the Church of England prayers for the dying to be read to him. When his desire bad been fulfilled, he gave this account of the accident, which in less than an hour deprived him of life.
Dr King held an enquiry on Saturday (an inquest by jury being impossible) into the circumstances, when the above particulars were elicited - Western Post, Oct 1
Source: The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser (NSW : 1843 - 1893) Tue 11 Oct 1870 Page 31870 - FATAL GUN ACCIDENT.
An unfortunate casuality is reported by the Western Post to have occurred on Friday evening, to a young man named George Robert Taylor, who was residing with his parents near Gulgong. It appears he went out opossum shooting, that the dogs by which he was accompanied commenced fighting and that he made a blow at them with the gun, which was thus accidentally discharged into his abdomen, the charge passing upwards. A powder flask containing powder, which he carried in his breast pocket, was shattered, and the powder exploding, ignited his clothes, which were completely consumed. Wounded as he was, he was able with assistance, to walk home (a distance of 300 yards), where he was put to bed, and surgical aid sent for. It appears, however, there was some difficulty in obtaining it at that hour at night until the circumstances of the case were reported to Mr Medley, who immediately dispatched his own surgeon to the case. The wounded man died within about an hour of the accident.
Source: Queanbeyan Age (NSW : 1867 - 1904) Thu 13 Oct 1870 Page 2
