BLAZING FARM TRAGEDY

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 122, 16 February 1935, Page 18

BLAZING FARM TRAGEDY

Dead Man in the Ruins

After relating a dramatic story of how she entered a blazing farmhouse, extinguished the flames, and found a man sitting dead with a gun across his legs, a woman was commended at an inquest at Honiley, near Warwick, for her presence of mind and pluck. The inquest was on Richard Gascoyne Chapman, 22, of Holly Farm. Honiley. It was stated that Chapman’s partner was married on December 12 and went away for his honeymoon, leaving Chapman alone at the farm. The dead man’s mother, Mrs. F. E. Chapman, told the coroner that since June her son had been in partnership with a man named Walker. They had a poultry farm and riding-school at Holly Farm. He had nothing to worry him beyond the fact that he had complained of the treatment of his partner, whose nose he said he would punch. There was nothing to suggest, however, that he would take his own life. Mrs. Fanny Wheeler, of Honiley, related that at noon on the day of the tragedy she was at a neighbouring bungalow when she saw Chapman get off a ’bus.

He went to the farmhouse, and half an hour later she saw him moving furniture out on to the lawn. Thinking it was rather unusual, she kept observation, and shortly after one o’clock noticed smoke issuing from the house. She went down and, looking through the french window, saw the place was on fire.

She entered the kitchen, which was blazing, and extinguished the flames with buckets of water obtained from a tub outside. She then found Chap-

man in a sitting position against the front door, which was also on fire. He had a gun across his legs. Harry Norman Walker Chapman’s partner, stated that they had had some financial difficulties, as the business was not paying. On December 12 he was married. Coroner: I should have thought you would have waited until you got the financial position cleared up.

Walker stated that he could not explain why Chapman moved the furniture out of the house. Some belonged to him and some to Chapman.

Coroner; There was no animosity between you?—He attended my wedding reception and was perfectly friendly. He was quite jolly. We left each other in the best of friendship. Mr. Bedworth (for the relatives): Would you agree that for the last fortnight or three weeks Chapman has been worried about the state of the business I 1 would not say that, for the simple reason he was never one to show it. Do you know he consulted my firm with a view to winding up the partnership?—Yes. And you refused to have anything to do with it?—Yes.

You said whatever arrangements were made must be between your two selves? —Yes. Is It true you owed a considerable number of bills?

Coroner: I don’t think I can allow that question. P. C. Lawley told the coroner he was satisfied Chapman shot himself. He thought it was likely that paraffin had been strewn about the place. The verdict was “Suicide while of unsound mind.”