FAMILY SHOT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 194, 30 May 1936, Page 5

FAMILY SHOT

EVIDENCE AT THE INQUIRY. 1 AN UNEXPLAINED TRAGEDY. l ~-' __ . VERDICT BY THE” OOR-ONER. ‘ (Per Press Association} OAMARU, This Day. An inquest into the tragedy at Maerewhenuaa on February 26, when Arthur Douglas Nolan and Thelma Mabel Nolan, Lindon Patrick Nolan, and Anthony Francis Nolan were found incinerated in a burned house, was held here yesterday. Dr. Fitzgerald described the positions of the bodies when found. In the front bedroom were the charred remains Qf a man’s body on a wire mattress, and that of a female adult on the ground. In the other room were. the remains of two children. In witness’s opinion the man’s death was caused by injury to the heart consistent with a bullet wound. A _post--mortem examination of the bodies of the children indicated wounds consistend with bullet wounds. The woman’s body was too badly incinerated to in dicate the cause of death.

Charles Douglas Adams, a farmer, gave evidence of noticing the fire. He arrived too late to enter the house. Nolan was an agreeable man and got on well with his wife. Several witnesses testified to the good relations of the couple. James Joseph Hore, father of Mrs Nolan, said that his daughter had not been well. If she were responsible for the tragedy her brain must have snapped during the night. He was sure it was not premeditated. William Brash Hutchison said] that Nolan was a. very decent type of man and a. cheery worker. George Roland Here said that his sister appeared to be worrying about her baby’s health when he saw her six weeks before the tragedy.

Elizabeth Alison Here said that Mrs Nolan had been run down in health. William Arthur James Hore said his sister suffered from nerves, and he thought this got the better of her and that she killed her husband and herself. If so, witness was sure the action was not premeditated. Other witnesses said that Mrs Nolan had not been well and had wor—ried about the children’s health.

DetectiVe Ernest Thomas, giving evidence, said his investigations failed to reveal the cause of death. The Nolans were very popular and had not a single enemy. ' Sergeant MoGregor said that when the bodies were found the barrel of a repeating rifle was found near the woman’s body. There was no trace of strangers being in the district at the time of the tragedy“. Returning a verdict that the deaths of Nolan and the children were due to rifle bullet wounds, the Coroner (Mr W. Frith) said that thorough and con.scientious investigations had been made by the police'and he was convinced that no outside person was connected with the affair. The bodies were so badly incinerated that identification was very uncertain, but he had no doubt they were the remains of Mr and Mrs Nolan and their two‘children. Owing to the body of Mrs Nolan being so badly charred, it was impossible to state the cause of death. There was no doubt that the rifle found in the ruins‘ was the one used.

The father of deceased, Mr J. J. I-lore, expressed the relatives’ appreciation of the thoroughness of the investigation by the police. ,