AN OPEN VERDICT.
DUNEDIN, Sunday.
At the inquest on tlie body of Mr J. R. Thornton, barrister and solicitor, who was' picked up unconscious on St Clair s beach on Friday, and (lied in the hospital on Saturday mornimr. medical evidence was to the effect that the horizontal position of the wound was more consistent with the butt of the pea-rifle being ou the sand and £oin_ off while deceased was looking down into the barrel than with the theory that the wound was selfinflicted. Tlie jury returned a verdict that deceased came to his death from a shot from a rifle, but that there was not sufficient evidence to show in what way. The Coroner: You mean it was selfinflicted. A juryman: We don't. We don't know. The Coroner said the verdict left it open to be. said that the; wound might have been caused by someone else. A juryman: So it might; there may have been boys about. The jury intimated that they were of opinion that there was nothing to show who fired the shot, and the verdict as handed in was recorded.
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Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 58, 9 March 1903, Page 2
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186AN OPEN VERDICT. Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 58, 9 March 1903, Page 2
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