THREE DEATHS BY SHOOTING

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21797, 1 June 1936, Page 7

THREE DEATHS BY SHOOTING

▼ TRAGEDY NEAR OAMARU CORONER’S FINDING AT INQUEST (F2XS3 ASSOCIATION TILEGEAM.) OAMARU, May 30. An inquest into the Maerewhenua tragedy on February 26, when Arthur Douglas Nolan, Thelma Mabel Nolan, and two children, Lindon Patrick Nolan and Anthony Francis Nolan, were found incinerated in the remains of a house, was held yesterday at Oamaru. Dr. Fitzgerald described the positions of the bodies when found in a front bedroom. There were the charred remains of a man’s body on a wire mattress, the remains of a female adult on the ground. In another room were the remains of two children. In witness’s opinion the man’s death was caused by an injury to the heart consistent with a bullet wound. The children had wounds consistent with bullet wounds. The woman’s body was too badly incinerated to indicate the cause of death. Charles Douglas Adams, a farmer, said he saw the fire, but 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 his daughter had not been very well. If she had been responsible for the tragedy her brain must have failed during the night. He was sure that it was not premeditated. William Brash Hutchison said that Nolan was a very decent type of man and a cheery worker. George Roland Hore said his sister appeared to be worrying about the 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. “Suffered from Nerves”

William Arthur James Hore said that his sister suffered from nerves, and he thought this had got the better of her and that she had killed her husband, her children, and herself. If this was so, witness was sure her action was unpremeditated. Other witnesses said that Mrs Nolan had not been well and had worried about the children’s health. Detective Ernest Thomas said that Investigations failed to reveal the cause of the deaths. The Nolans were very popular and had not a single enemy. Sergeant McGregor 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 any strangers in the district at the time of the tragedy. In returning a verdict that the deaths of Nolan and the children wore due to bullet wounds, the coroner (Mr W. Frith) said that a thorough and conscientious investigation had been made by the police. He was convinced that no outside person was connected with the affair. The bodies were so badly incinerated that identification was very uncertain, but ne had no doubt that 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 her death. There was no doubt that the rifle found in the ruins was the one used. The father of Mrs Nolan, Mr J. J. Hore, expressed the relatives’ appreciation of the thoroughness of the police investigation.