FREDERICK EXNER
Death Of Young Man Near Dandenong Creek.
The article below was published in the Dandenong Advertiser on 18 June 1903.
Sad Fatal Accident
A very sad fatal gun accident happened on the verdure clad banks of the Dandenong Creek on Sunday last, by which a fine young man named Fred Exner, 21 years of age, son of Mr Fred Exner, Gladstone Road, about 2 miles from Dandenong, lost his life.
The young man, with a couple of companions, went out shooting in the afternoon, and were returning when they were joined by a lad named Fred Schmidt, son of Mr A. C. Schmidt, baker, Gladstone Road, who had his own double barrelled gun, and asked to be allowed to have a flying shot at a bird.
Exner, who, like his father, is a known pigeon shot, good naturedly consented, and stepped forward to throw a stick to dislodge some birds from a tree, when Schmidt's gun went off, lodging a charge of shot at close range in the back of the right leg, just above the knee joint, making an ugly wound, and shattering the bone.
Exner fell to the ground exclaiming, "I'm shot!" The wound lacerated the tendons, large arteries, and also shattered the bone. Young Schmidt ran for assistance, while the wounded man endeavoured to staunch the flow of life's ebbing tide.
By a singular coincidence, Dr Barclay Thomson happened to be on a visit to a relative of young Exner, Mrs Weist, and on hearing of the accident ran down to the injured man and put on a tourniquet, which stopped the flow of blood. The injured man was then placed in a covered waggon provided by a neighbour, Mr Armstrong, and made as comfortable as possible on a weary 18 miles journey to the Homeopathic Hospital, where he arrived in an exhausted condition. He was there attended to by the staff, but sank and died at 7 a.m. on Monday morning
An enquiry was held at the hospital on Monday, and a verdict of accidental death returned, no blame being attached to anyone. Deceased was a splendid young fellow, and a great help to his parents, for whom he performed the work of two ordinary men. He was a member of Court Dandenong A.0.F., and was a general favourite. Much sympathy is felt for his bereaved parents, who had lost two grown up children within the past few months from typhoid fever.
The funeral took place on Wednesday (yesterday), and was largely attended. The remains were interred in the Church of England portion of the Dandenong Cemetery, The Rev. E. Veal officiating at the grave. Mr. W. H. Rodd, C.R., Court Dandenong, A.O.F., (under whom the members marched in front of the hearse) read the service of the Order. There were over 40 conveyances in the procession and several horsemen.
First published in the Dandenong Advertiser on 18 June 1903.
Published in the August 2002 (No 229) edition of the Rowville-Lysterfield Community News.