Kevin Lawless - Merriwa, NSW - Graves Mentioning a Cause of Death on Waymarking.com

His headstone is difficult to read but the photograph on the Australian Cemeteries Index is clearer as it has been taken from directly in front. I prefer to take photographs at an angle lest I stand on the graves this small.

Australian Cemeteries Index Kevin Lawless: (visit link)

The National Library of Australia Trove Digitised Newspapers (website below) has details of his death & subsequent Coroner's investigation as reported by The Sydney Morning Herald on 23 July 1912:

PEA-RIFLE FATALITIES.
"ONLY TOO COMMON."
MERRIWA Monday.

On Saturday afternoon five boys, whose ages ranged up to 13 years, each armed with a pea rifle, went rabbit shooting on Merriwa common.
Archibald and Kevin Lawless, sons of Mr. James Lawless, were engaged In skinning operations,- when 'Norman Salon, who was standing behind Kevin Lawless, picked up one of the rifles, and whilst handling it the weapon went off, the bullet entering Kevin's head at the back and coming out at the other side. He was brought into tho hospital, and attended to, but died 'during tho night. The district coroner (Mr. W. Martin) held an inquest, and, In bringing in a finding of death by misadventure, said it was time legislation was Introduced which would prevent the use of firearms by children. Parents and guardians would be acting wisely in prohibiting children from going out shooting unless accompanied by a responsible person. The danger, he said, lay in the very fact that the pea-rifle was considered by many as a comparatively harmless weapon, and consequently led to a degree of carelessness resulting in accident and fatalities which are unfortunately only too common.

Type of Death Listed: Killed by something Website (if available): [Web Link] Cause of death inscription on headstone: Not listed

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