FAMILY WIPED OUT

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 127, 30 May 1936, Page 11

FAMILY WIPED OUT

TRAGEDY NEAR OA2IAKTJ

BODIES IN BURNED HOUSE

THEORIES AT INQUEST

(By Telegraph—PreSs Association.)

OAMARU, This Day.

An inquest into the Meerewhenua tragedy of February 26 when Arthur Douglas Nolan, his wife,' Th'elm'a Mabel Nolan, Lindon Patrick Nolan, aged 7, and Anthony Francis Nolan; "an infant, were found" incinerated iri a burned house was held yesterday at Oamaru.

"Dr. Fitzgerald described the positions of the bodies when found. In the front bedroom were the charred remains of-a man's body on ,a" wire mattress. The remains of a female adul'. were on the ground. In the other 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. A postmortem examination of the bodies of the children indicated wounds consistent with bullet wounds. The woman's body, was too badly charred to indicate the cause of death.

Charles Douglas Adams, a farmer, gave evidence, that he noticed the fire, but 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 , between the couple.

James Joseph Hore, father of Mrs. Nolan,, said his daughter had not been too well. If ahe had been responsible for the tragedy her brain must have snapped during the night He was sure it was not premeditated.

William Brash Hutchison said that Nolan was a very decent type of man, ancKa cheery .worker.

George Roland Hore said that his sister appeared to be worrying about the baby's health when he saw her six weeks before the tragedy. Elizabeth Alison Hore said that Mrs. Nolan had been run.down in health. ,

William Arthur James Hore said that his sister suffered from nerves, and he'thought 'they had got the better of her and that she had destroyed her husband, the children, and herself. If that were 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.

■pete'ctive Ernest Thomas gave evidence that investigations failed to reveal the cause of death. The Nolans were very popular, and did not have a single enemy.

Sergeant McGregor said that when the bodies were found the barrel of a repeating rifle was lying near the woman's body. There was no trace of strangers in the district' at the time of the tragedy.

In returning-a verdict that the deaths of, Nolan and the children were-due to rifle 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 charred that identification had been very uncertain, but he had no doubt that they were the remains, of the Nolan family. Owing to the body of Mrs. Nolan being so badly charred it was impossible to state the cause of. death. There was no doubt that .the. rifle found, in. the ruins was the.one,used. ~ ~.;... ..... '. .

...The father, of .Mrs!' Nolan, J. J. Hore, (expressed the relatives' appreciation of the thoroughness of the police investigation... , ... . . .