FATAL JOKE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 258, 30 October 1926, Page 26

FATAL JOKE.

PEALS OF LAUGHTEB, THEN DEATH. After spending a jovial evening: at the house of a friend, Charles Edmund Barker (28), Insurance agent, and his ' wife returned to their home at The Bungalow, HUI Crest, Crofton, Wakefield, and were Joined there by Mr. and Mrs. H. W. North. At 11.15 p.m., during conversation, and when the two men were seated on the settee, with the women present, Barker produced a Service revolver. Someone exclaimed: 'Tut that away." bnt the next instant there was a loui report, and Barker fell back dead on the settee with a bullet wound, through the forehead. ' When examined later by the police the revolver was found to contain four llv* cartridges and one spent one. Charles Robinson Barker, the father, stated at the subsequent inquest that his son was married about four and a-half years ago, and bad two boys. He was six and a-half years In the army, being a flight sergeant The revolver was a war souvenir, and he was very much attached to It. Asked was his son happy, witness said: "Yes, one of the happiest lads In the world, wrapped up in his wife and the two babies. "He was sometimes given to Joking in a silly fashion, and flourishing the revolver before women to tease them. His domestic life was happy in every possible way." The widow, Grace Elizabeth Barker, who was greatly distressed, said that at the tune of the occurrence there were four of them In the room, and they were all laugh* lng and joking together. Her husband was handling the revolver, and she heard a bang. She too- it to be a joke, her first thought being that the noise would wake the baby. She then saw tier husband had fallen back on the settee behind Mr. North. Her husband had carried the revolver about with him loaded since the strike, on account of once having been held up on the road. Mrs. Alice North, who was also present at the time, said that a short time before the revolver went off Mr. Barker had been showing it to her. He said: "Don't fool about with that. I don't want to be a witness to anything." Mr. Barker was quite sober, but he was a lively boy at any time. Herbert William North, who was seated on the settee with Barker, said he came into the room only a few minutes before the occurrence, and he never once saw the revolver. He was sitting next to Barker, and they were in ordinary general conversation when there was a bang, and Mrs. Barker exclaimed: "Good God. Teddy, don't do that. Ton will waken the kiddie." A verdict of "Death from misadventure" was returned.