MURDER OR SUICIDE ?

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 56, 7 March 1930, Page 11

MURDER OR SUICIDE ?

A MYSTERIOUS CASE

DEATH FROM GUNSHOT'

(By Telegraph.) (Special to "The Evening Post.") PALMEESTON N., This Day. Facts pointing either to murder or suicide surround the death of Walter Price, a Palmerston North builder, who was found dead in his bedroom at 8 o'clock on Wednesday morning. It was at ? first thought that death was due to hemorrhage, but the postmortem examination yesterday morning disclosed the fact that death was due to a gunshot wound, probably fired close to the head. The suicide theory is complicated by the fact that no weapon was found, except an old rifle, which had not recently been used. The police decline to make a deimite statement, but admit that either 'the murder or the suicide theory must be accepted. Inquiries confirm the fact that the deceased was covered by life insurance policies totalling £3000, said to have been taken out within the past few months. The deceased when discovered was in ■his pyjamas and was lying on his back partially under the end of his bed. He was lying on a sheet and a blanket which were blood-stained, but no traces of blood were found on the bed. The wound which caused death was in the side of tho chin, . and the shot had spread upwards towards the top of the skull. The police state that death must have been instantaneous. SON HEAKD NOTHING. The only other person in tho house was the youngest son of deceased, a High School boy. He was sleeping in an adjacent bedroom, but did not hear any shot, and had no intimation of the tragedy nntil he entered his father's bedroom at 8 o'clock next morning. The deceased's wife was absent at Te Kuiti on holiday, and the elder son, George Price, is at his studies at Christchurch. After the post-mortem examination yesterday morning, an inquest was opened before the Coroner, Mr. J. L. Stout, S.M., and after formal evidence of identification had been given by a brother of the deceased, Mr. Henry Woolles Price, of Thames, was adjourned sine die. Although the son did not hear tho shot which caused his father's death neighbours state that they heard a report about ten minutes before 1 a.m. It was accompanied by a shrill cry Which one likened to tho cry of' an animal. These neighbours were Mr. and Mrs. Ted Wilson and a guest, Mr. Ross Meikle, who reside in the next door house. The Price residence is on a corner and is flanked on the other side by a section upon which the lato Mr. Price was building a residence. Mr. Meiklo, after hearing the shot, but not being able to locate its direction, opened the door and listened, but as all was quiet he. went back to bed. The next morning, Mr. and Mrs. Wilson were informed by the lad, John Price, that his father had died in the night of hemorrhage.. Subsequently, howover, about 4 o'clock on Wedn'sday afternoon, Mr. Wilson's son informed his father that he had heard Mr. Price had been shot. John Price was sleeping in a room across the passage from that occupied by his father. The house had apparently been undisturbed by a possible intruder. The skin around the wound in deceased's face was blackened by powder, indicating that the shot had been fired from comparatively close quarters. A wad from the gun was found in the room. The police "state.that a very thorough search has been made for tho weapon, but late last evening it had not been found. CHEERFUL AND HAKDWORINa. .Deceased had resided in Palmerston North for some years and had earned a reputation as a hard worker and good business man. He was of quiet disposition, but his neighbours found him very cheerful. The day before the tragedy he was chatting to Mr.1 Wilson, and then appeared in nonpal spirits. The late-Mr. Price-did most of his own building, erecting houses and offering them for sale on completion. He was a member of a very wellknown New Zealand family, his brothers being members of the firm of locomotive builders 'at Thames. Pour brothers attended the funeral, which was held yesterday afternoon.