INQUEST ADJOURNED

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 110, 5 April 1930, Page 9

INQUEST ADJOURNED

> DEATH OF BUILDER. SOME FURTHER EVIDENCE. '■ A ' STATEMENTS OF WITNESSES. Four more witnesses gave evidence when the . inquest into the death of the Palmerston North builder, Walter Edwin Price, was resumed before the Coroner, Mr J. L. Stout, S.M., this morning. Proceedings were adjourned shortly after noon until 10 a.m. on Friday next. Eva Wilson, wife of Edward Wilson, , of 71 Featherston Street, was the first witness 1 called this morning. She stated that on the morning of March 6 last she arrived home with her husband at 12.35 a.m.. She saw no lights in Price’s house. Subsequently, she heard a loud report, at about 12.45 a.’m. It seemed to come from the back of Price’s house. She heard nothing else. Mr R. Meikle, who was present, remarked in jocular conversation : “There’s old Price shot himself.’’ Her husband said he had heard a squeal at 4 p.m. on the same day. She was resting inside the house when her little boy came in and said “Mummy, Mr Price is dead.” She immediately went ii:.. outside and looked for deceased’s son, , John Price. She asked him if his father wa9 ill and ho said “No, dead.” Witness asked him what the trouble was, and he replied “haemorrhage.” Her little boy was at some place opposite to Price’s froip-4 mm. until 5.45 p.m. From her knowledge her son did not see John Price between 5 p.m. and 5.45 p.m. Her little boy was in the house again from. 5.45 p.m. to 7 p.m., and after that remained with witness and her husband until, bed time. Her bov could not have had any connection with John Price from 5.45 p.m. on the day of the tragedy until the following dav. Tea took place at about 6 p.m. There was no conversation about deceased, but witness’s little boy said “Mr Prince is dead. He shot himself.” When asked how he knew, he said “Funny boy told me.” That was the name he usually applied to John Price. Witness telephoned, Mr Meikle at 4 p.m., but did not get in touch with him. She told him later at 4.45 p.m. over the telephone that. Mr . Price was dead, and asked him if he remembered his words and the shot he had heard. Witness thought Mr Meikle was a bit confused in saying that she had told him before tea time that Mr Price had shot himself.

Replying to Mr McGregor, witness stated that she had' not realised that the shot might be a serious matter and had not taken any notice of Mr Meikle’s remark about Price. She did not think it worth while making investigations. She thought no more about, it until she had the conversation with the boy Price. She discussed the matter shortly afterwards with Mr Meikle. Her little boy said nothing about the shot before tea. Mr Meikle came in at about 6.45 p.m. They had only just sat down to tea when her little boy made his remark about Price. Witness could Hot say whether they were discussing his death at that time. Her little boy was across the road from about 4 p.m. to 5 .46 p.m. Witness was in the house all the time and he was not under her personal observation during that time. If he was watching a fence which was being painted, it was about twenty yards from Price’s residence. After he came home the first -time at 4.60 p,m. her husband was talking to Mr Brogden and John Price. He was home about half an h0ur,.... Answering Senior-Detective Quirke, witness stated that her husband and Mr Meikle came in before her little boy! Between 4 p.m. _ and 5.45 p.m. witness saw her son across the road about three times with other children near where painting Ark was going on. There was no apj»arance of John Price during that time. During the discussion at 5 p.m pn Mr Price’s death her little boy was not home. SCREAM HEARD. Recalled, Edward Wilson, who gave evidence yesterday afternoon, stated that, in addition to the report of tho gun, he heard a scream. There was not more than an interval of two seconds between the sounds. Witness saw John Price on the road at 5 p.m. that day when talking to Mr Brogden. Witness told-John Price he was very sorry to hear that his father had died. There was no reference to the cause of death. Edmund Godfrey Webber, journalist, stated that he remembered seeing John Price on March 6 and' March 3 after his father died. On the latter occasion, » Saturday, when another pressman was present, Price was asked when he first knew his father was shot. He replied “About 4 o’clock on the day he was found.” He said that the detectives had told him. George Gilbert Hancox, director of the Palmerston North, Technical School, residing at 60 Featherston Street, stated that his house was nearly opposite that occupied by deceased. On the Tuesday night preceding the finding of the body of Mr Price, he retired between 11 p.m. and midnight and went to sleep at about midnight. He was disturbed some time later by a report similar to the discharge of a gun. It appeared to come from • the direction of a new street in the vicinity of Price’s house. The noise also awakened his wife. Shortly afterwards, witness rose and looked out of the window to see if there was any disturbance. He had no recollection of seeing a light in Price’s house, but there was one in Wilson’s. There was no sign of life in the street. Everything was calm and still. The gun report did not seem to be muffled, and it was quite distinct. . • Replying to Mr McGregor, witness said that when he first heard the report he tried to persuade himself that it was a motor-cycle back-firing, but he could not reconcile that noise with the sound which he heard, "a; i MISS NAGEL’S EVIDENCE.

Evidence was next given by Dorothy Nagel, who resides with her parents at 67 Eeatherston Street. On the Wednesday morning, March 5, John Price came to the door, at about 8 a.m. and asked if Mr Nagel was in, said witness. She told him her father was in theback of the section. John Price added : “My father is dead.” "Witness said “Surely not, John,” and he said “Yes, it is so.” John Price then went to see her father. He walked as, usual at an ordinary pace. His demeanour was calm and collected and he was not hurried or excited. She saw John Price again at 10 a.m. at the latter’s home. His manner had not altered/ and he showed no sign of- agitation on either occasion. Between 10 a.m. arid 10.30 a.m. witness went over to Price’s tiome to help deceased’s son to clean up the house. She was there about a quarter of an hour. Hie manner was just the same. John Price had a 1 cup of tea at witness’s place at 10.30 a.m. Nothing was said. He then went home and returned at 1:33 p.m. to dinner. John Price subsequently irientioned something of his father’s death, but witness could not remember whathe said. Witness told, him later that she would not like to be in his shoes. John Price said: “Not even .after-: wards,” and witness said: “No,, not even afterwards.”' John Price said he could not be hanged for that, -and she said:..“No, John, it is impossible.’ During that time the latter was per-

fectly normal and not showing any sign of distress. Witness rose at 6.60 a.m. on the day of the tragedy and saw no signs of movement about deceased’s house until John Price came over, ' , •: ■s': RETIRED FARMER'S EVIDENCE. William Nagel, retired farmer, of 67 Featherston Street, testified* that on the morning of March 5 last at 8 a.m. he was feeding his fowls when John Price arrived and called out for him. John Price said “My father is dead.” Witness replied; “Oh, John, that cannot be. Probably he is asleep.” John Price replied: “No—l felt him.” He seemed to be just normal and not excited. They both then went ovor to Mr Brogden, a carpenter working near Price’s house, to which the three proceeded. They discussed whether they should ring a doctor or the police, and Mr Brogden rang Dr. King. They waited until he arrived, and in the meanwhile John Price said' lie had rung four doctors, but could not get them. Dr. King arrived between 8 a.m. and 8.30 a.m., and went into the bedroom, saying he would like to see the face or deceased. Witness then went in with Mr Brogden, John Price stopping outside. Before the body was removed it was under the bed up to the upper part of the chest The left hand was extended out from the body, he was quite positivo. If the doctor said the opposite, witness would still maintain that he himself was right. They pulled the body out three or tour inches from under tho bed until they could see deceased’s mouth. There was so blood anywhere but in a circle round the head. The feet were at right, angles to the bed, pointing in the direction of the door. He could not feay whether the bed appeared to have been slept in. There was a sheet on it and two pillows. The latter were on the side of the bed and were not in the usual place for use in sleeping. Witness could not recollect whether appeared to have been used. The windows were closed and the fanlights open, with the blinds down. There were no signs of disorder about the room. From what witness saw ho would say that deceased died where he was found. Brogden and D'r. King left when the constable departed, leav--ing witness and John Price. Witness assisted with the lifting of the body. He noticed that the undertaker, who later arrived, had to bend tho left arm over the body, as it kept moving backwards. Just before dinner witness had a conversation with John Price. .Witness could not remember whether .he said something about removing anything from the room or not, or what it was, but John Price rdplied: “I could not be hanged for that.” Witness shut the door and hie daughter was not present. John Price had passed the same remark to both at different times. Replying to the Coroner, witness said he really lorgot what he said to John Price. He might have asked whether anything had been removed from the room. He did not think anything and did, not know why the conversation should come up. That war after Dr. King had told all of them that haemorrhage was the apparent cause of death. Witness added that at the time of the conversation, John Price seemed perfectly normal. The Coroner: Can you suggest anything that should make John Price pass the remark “I can’t be hanged for that?” —No, I have forgotten The Coroner: ArC we to infer that without any suggestion from you about anything being removed, John Price Sassed that remark? Something must ave led up ' to it.—-Yes, something must have led up to it. The Coroner; Did you suggest if anything was removed or might have been removed ?■ —No, but I must have said something. ' ' .■ The Corpner: Can you suggest any other statement whicn would make John Price say “I cannot be hanged, for that?”—l cannot say. The Coroner: Do you remember if you said anything to which that might be a natural reply?—No, but when my daughter told me what he had said to her, I remembered that he had made the same remark to me. The Coroner: I would like to get to the bottom of it. Witness stated that he was present at 5.30 p.m. when Dr. King informed John Price that. his father had been shot. The bed in deceased’s room was perfectly straight and there were no signs of a struggle. ■ -

DECEASED OF CHEERFUL DISPOSITION. Replying to Mr McGregor, witness stated that he had been in the habit of seeing deceased every day. The latter was of a cheerful disposition, and witness did not know if Mr P?ice was on bad terms with anybody. Witness saw deceased about 7 p.m. on the night before he died and helped him to handle scantlings. He was quite cheerful then and talking about the house which he was building. Witness remarked to Price that he was working overtime and the latter replied that he wanted to beat those building i close around. month-ago witness purchased "two sections in the same Cfreet, further along. He had made arrangements with Mr Price to build on the sections between them. _On the night preceding his death, Price was supposed to return later to discuss the building proposed. Mr McGregor: Did you find any blood elsewhere than round the bod” when you saw it?—There was a little on the rail of the bed. Witness added that he was certain the left arm of deceased was in a horizontal' position, and force had to be exerted to bring it oyer. He did not notice the right arm, but he fancied the constable was holding it. Subsequently John Price was over at witness’s house for the greater part of the day. John Price had not been home more than three minutes before Dr. King and the constable arrived. After being told that deceased had been shot, witness remained in the house at least half an hour. He could not say whether John Price was there all the time. Witness had had some business. transactions with deceased and had assUted him financially. Price might have said that he was a little short of cash. It was within the last six months, Mr Price had £4OO unpaid purchase money owing to him on Mr .Wilson’s house, and witness took over that. debt. Mr Wilson bought the house just before February; witness paid over the money to Mr Price and obtained a second mortgage in January. Witness told deceased that he would find the money for his buildings so long as the security was there. There was no limit to the amount of assistance. . The inquest proceedings were adjourned at 12.40*p-m. until 10 a.m. on Friday. - 1 > , K