THE FOXTON SUICIDE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLII, Issue 1010, 13 November 1917, Page 7

THE FOXTON SUICIDE.

I THE INQUEST- • ; An enquiry'into tlic circumstances touching (lie dcatli of George Witliaihson, of Fox I ton, whose attempted suicide .on -Saturday evening ended fatally at the Palmerston Hospital on Sunday morning, was held ycsl terda.y 'by the District G’droner (Mr W. G. K. Kendrick), Sergeant “Henry conducted; the proceedings. Dr. Putnam gave evidence that about 2 run. on Sunday he was called to thp, hospi-; till, whore he found tho deceased. He had a. bullet wound at the back of the head, behind the left* ear, and. died about 8 a.m. v Witness made a post mortem examination,' and found deceased’s bruin had been very much • aoorate'd by the passage of £hc. Indict, which had.' travelled horizontally, through the head, and had lodged just under the scalp cm the opposite side. '1 ho cause of death was shook, brought about by gross injury to the brain, , the result, of a. bullet wound. Charles Williamson, -brother, of deceased, gave formal evidence of identification. Sophia Wheeler, a domestic, residing hr Avenue road, Foxton, stated 1 that she had known deceased for the past nine years, and had lived with him for the past two years. On Saturday last he returned home in the evening under the influence of liquor, and immediately • went out into the back yard,, saying a-s ho-went out that he would do for himself this 1 time; Me' trad . previously.' threatened to take Iris life, and witness took’ no notice of him.-' Shortly after this, witness .heard a shot fired in, the yard, and:, deceased camcn into the house again and, went to •hh* room. He called-, witness, and, she found him much ...quieter. She; then went, toe her own room. A few; minutes after she heard'.another shot, and; a noise as of someone falling, grid on rushing' to deceased’s room, found him. lying on his side on : the floor, with; a"revolver (produced); in his hand;' Witness .called’in a neigh bour,; who removed the■■ revolver, ■ She. know; of no' reason‘why -deceased ..should take his life.; A. doctor was : .called.. in and ordered deceased's removal to the hospital. Aftershooting himself,' deceased called witness by mime, and complained, that ho was suffering from pa-iris .in the head. Constable. O’Donohue,■. of- Foxton,, stated, lie was called to deceased's, house.on Saturday night, lie found the man lying on his loft side, oil, the floor, with a. revolver a few feet away; Deceased was quite .unconscious. On examining the revolver,'" witness found two empty shells, and three, live cartridges in the, chambers. 1 Witness saw the deceased about; Three o’clock' in the afternoon. He was quite sober thou. There was nothing in deceased's conduct generally to indicate that he would take his life. A verdict was'returned that death 'was due to a bullet wound, self inflicted, whilst deceased was ,under the-influence of .liquor.-