TUAKAU TRAGEDY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 49, 25 January 1935, Page 12

TUAKAU TRAGEDY

INQUEST OPENED. THEORIES AS TO DEATH. PUKEKOHE, Jan.' 23. The adjourned inquest regarding the death of Charles Raymond Finch, aged 26, single, at Tuakau, on December 16, was resumed at Pukekohe to-day before Mr F. H. Levien, S.M., Coroner. Mr Finch, a well-known Tuakau business man, left home early in the evening to shoot rabbits, and about two hours later was found dead near the foot of a gully alongside the railway line, there being a rifle bullet wound in the head and two in the stomach. Detective-Sergeant A. G. McHugh, who was in charge of the inquiry following Finch’s death, represented the Auckland police. The first witness called was Hubert Vivian Bevington, one of the young men who first found the body. He said that about 4.45 on the afternoon of December 16 he arranged with his workmate, Hillary Barnaby, to go shooting, and met him at the Tuakau Post Office about 5.10. They walked along the road leading from Tuakau to Mercer, and then cut through paddocks to the railway line. When crossing a paddock to the railway line witness noticed a man walking along the railway in the direction of Mercer, be being about 500 to 600 yards ahead of witness and his companion. The man was wearing a white shirt. DECIDED TO GO ON SHOOTING. Later, after they had walked along the railway from half to three-quarters of a mile, they noticed a man lying on his right side in the gully beside the railway line. His feet were nearest the railway and be was breathing heavily. He was about 15 to 20 yards from witness. They discussed the man and came to the conclusion tiiat he was in a drunken condition. They decided to go on shooting. It was then about 6.30. About 30 minutes later thev returned, and as the body was still on the ground and did not appear to be breathing, they decided to investigate. On approaching the body, which was lying on the right side, witness noticed a bloodstain. He felt the pulse, and as the man’s arm was cold be formed the conclusion that he was dead. They returned to Tuakau and informed the police. Witness had not heard any shots from deceased’s rifle. Hillary Barnaby, who accompanied Bevington, described how each used his own ammunition while shooting along the railway. Witness stated that when they first discovered the man he was about 15 yards away and separated from witness bv thick scrub, they being on a higher level when they were shooting. Witness stated that he fired nine cartridges that afternoon, but none close to where the body was found. BULLET FROM A DISTANCE? Dr. Barnard Storey, of Tuakau, who examined the body on the ground, stated that the body was lying on top of deceased’s rifle. On examination he discovered two wounds in the abdomen. It appeared to him that death had been the result of an accident, so he removed the body to Tuakau. Further examination then revealed a wound in the right temple, which penetrated to the brain. He formed the opinion at the time that the bullet which caused the wound in the temple had come from a distance, and that as deceased stumbled forward his own rifle discharged and caused the wound in the stomach. In his opinion, death was caused by shock following a wound in the head. Mr E. Grierson, who represented the relatives, asked: “Your view was when you first is aw the body that deceased met with an accident while getting through a fence. Just through the fence there was a. partly obscured rabbit burrow which deceased might have stumbled into?’’ Witness: Yes, that is correct. The wound in the body could cause agonising pain? —Yes. CONSTABLE’S MEASUREMENTS. Constable Robb, of Tuakau, stated when he took measurements he found that the head was 7 feet 10 inches from the fence. Behind the body, near the shoulders, was a box of cartridges lyr open. The man’s shirt was pulled up. In company with Dr. Storey he examined the body at Tuakau, and they discovered one bullet puncture in the shirt, but when washing the body they discovered two bullet punctures in the stomach. As the circumstances looked suspicious, he rang the 1 ukekohe police, with the result that later l -' ei ' geant Cowan and Constable Sutherland arrived to make inquiries. James Adams Jones, stationmaster at Tuakau, gave evidence to the cttect that lie saw deceased walking southwards along the railway line in the direction ot Mercer, and he was then alone He knew deceased well. Lhe latter was of a cheerful disposition and very popular. ... Joseph James Fulton, who was milking in a shed about half a mile from the railway, said he noticed a ma.n walking along the line about 10 chains from where deceased was found- 1 man’s attire corresponded with that of deceased. Witness did not notice any other man on the railway at that tun.. DETECTIVE’S EVIDENCE. Detective-Sergeant McHugh produced four photographs. One demonstrated the position in which the body was lving while the . other three were of the locality. Witness stated that when the body was found a 1904 model 22 calibre rifle was found under it, the rifle being the property of deceased There was a discharged shell m the breach and two empty shells were found near the body. T hey were 15 inches apart, which would show that deceased did not alter his position much during the firing of these two shells. These and the two bullets recovered from the body were handed to Professor Worley for examination. A box of cartridges, also found alongside the body, was handed to Gregory Kelly, a gun expert. [lie latter fired two of them into soap and then handed the bullets to Professor Worley, who gave it as his opinion that the two shells found behind the body,, the one found in the breach of the rifle and the two fired by Air Kelly ueie all fired from deceased’s rifle. NO SIGNS OF STRUGGLE. Witness stated that there were no marks of any sort on the grass which would suggest that, deceased moved, struggled or crawled about after being shot. Witness said that after sieving the soil of the locality a discharged bullet and a shell were found, but Professor Worley reported that in his opinion they were not fired from deceased’s rifle.' the bullet not being compatible with the characteristics of the two bullets recovered from the body. Witness stated that from enquiries he had ascertained that deceased had no love affairs, trouble or financial difficulties and was clean living, sober and a very keen athlete. ADJOURNMENT TO AUCKLAND. The inquest will be completed at Auckland on Friday, when the expert evidence of Auckland witnesses will he taken.