PRICE DEATH CASE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20539, 14 April 1930, Page 13

PRICE DEATH CASE.

! FRESH DEVELOPMENT.

INFORMATION BY WIDOW.

depression of husband.

« SUICIDE MENTIONED."

DOCTOR DETAILS THEORY.

[bt TEr.Eon\rir. —own correspondent. 1 ] PALMERSTON NORTH Sunday.

'[ho inquest concerning tlio death of (Walter Edwin Price was continued yesterday before Mr. J. h. Stout, S.M., coroner, and was adjourned in order that reports might be submitted concerning an accident formerly sustained by deceased. A fresh development occurred yesterday when Mr. G. T. McGregor, counsel for the Price family, said Mrs. Frico had authorised him to mako a certain statement to tho Court. Mr. McGregor said:— "It appears, that since deceased's accident, about Christmas, 1928, on certain occasions he has suffered from periods of depression. On several occasions ho mentioned to Mrs. Price that he thought of shooting himself. It "is rather difficult to obtain details from Mrs. Price. Sho is in a state of collapse, but sho said her husband's only worry appeared to bo the state of his health and tho injuries ho received in an accident. Apparently the threats were mostly mado somo months

"Boy Must Not Know." ."She also said he always insisted that John Price, the younger boy, must not know anything about it, as ho apparently wanted to keep everything from him. She said, further, that until last week she had not realised this would have any connection with tho tragedy. It had always been her husband's custom to sleep on the floor, but a remark I made to her last Saturday about no pillow convinced her that he \>ould not by lying on tho floor." The Coroner: Have you discussed tho matter with John Price?

Mr. McGregor: Immediately afterwards I saw John Prico and told him what his mother had told me. I asked him, in view of that, if ho could tell mo anything further, but he still maintained that ho knew nothing from shortly after 9 p.m. that night until after 8 a.m. tho next morning. In view of tho fact that a certain suspicion attaches to John Price, I think it is due to him to state that, tho matter might havo been arranged by a third party. The Coroner: Then, in the interests of justice, that third party should como forward .to clear tho boy, in whoso evidence there are so many inconsistencies. Report on Accident. / Mr. McGregor said that Dr. Laurenson, of Matamata, had attended deceased on the occasion of his previous accident, when he received an injury to the spine The Coroner: I presume you want this matter cleared up. I think we should have a full report from Dr. Laurenson as to the effect of any physical depression which might havo been accentuated by the absence of deceased's wife. I must thank you for the explanation. Mr. McGregor: We can hear further evidence and adjourn the inquest sine die, pending Dr. Laurenson's report. Recalled for the third occasion, Dr. King stated that his remarks were a criticism of the theories of Dr. Boyd. "Dr. Miller and Dr. Boyd," he said, "havo attempted to explain death by homicide, as resulting from a wound tho nature and direction of which are notoriously that of selection by a suicide. Tho wound in the present instance is that produced by a suicido in an attempt to blow out his brains, by way of the mouth, in tho only conceivable way with such an unweildy weapon as a shotgun. "To quote Dr. F. J. Smith, formerly medical referee to the Homo Office, in Taylor's Principles and Practice of Medical Jurisprudence: 'There is one situation which it is almost impossible for a murderer to imitate, namely, insido the mouth.' Whereas, after careful consideration of my report, three of my colleagues are unanimously of opinion that the fatal wound was sclf-inllicted in the position in which the body was discovered, Dr. Miller and Dr. Boyd apparently realising the extreme improbability of homicide with the body in its known position, have had to assume a problematic position of tho body in order to secure tho known direction of tho missile. Demonstration in Court. "In Dr. Miller' 3 demonstration tho position repeats precisely the position described by me, even necessarily to tho flexion of the head, but he conveniently rolled the body on to its side to make the direction of tho missile accord with that of a shotgun held by an assailant." Dr. King left tho witness box to demonstrate under a bed, which had been placed in the Court, tho problematical positions assumed. The Coroner: Is it not likely that deceased would roll on his face ? Dr. King: Perhaps rrioro so, if there was a convulsive movement from behind. I maintain that, with the flexion of tho head accepted, tho direction of tho rnissilo demanded of necessity a virtual "parallelism between tho body and shotgun. This applies with equal forco to the position presumed by Dr. Miller, so that tho assailant would have had to be crouched in an awkwardly-low position, or, alternatively, to preserve this necessary parallelism, to have been so far from his victim's head as to have produced a liiige, irregular wound and little, if any, powder ingraining.

'".Hiking the average measurement from shoulder tip to shoulder tip, in a spare individual, as not less than 17in., and tho distanco from the floor to the unclersurfacK of the bed mil at the known measurement of 13in., (lien: (1) It would be impossiblo for (ho position described by Dr. Miller and Dr. Boyd to be assumed, unless the shoulders were quito clear of tho bed. (2) For the body to move from this position to that occupied at tho time of discovery, a rolling movement would bo necessary for tho shoulder to clear tho rail, and this would bo followed by a considerate bodily heavo to carry the. bead under the bed—with death occurring instantaneously a complicated movement rolling and thrust impossibly

"With the head partially under the bed and the shoulders clear of the rail, in the position demonstrated by Dr. Miller, it would manifestly be as difficult for the victim to see his assailant as it would bo for a murderer to shoot th<» victim at , point-blank range." Dr. King lay underneath tho bed in order to clarify his statements by a demonstration. Dr. Boyd was prosent and Dr. King asked him to point tho gun, but he expressed reluctance to take part.

Tho Coroner: You must. I ask you to do so as coroner.

Dr. King and Dr. Boyd carried on tho demonstration. Dr. Boyd asked if tho bed had been moved. . Senior-Detectivo Quirke: No. We have evidence of that.

Dr. King added that the localisation of tho blood was one of tho main points indicating that tho body did not move appreciably after tho wound was inflicted.

David S. Wylie, surgeon, said ho had heard tho referenco of Dr. Miller and Dr. Boyd to tho mode of death. "With Dr. King's remarks and opinions I fully associate myself," ho said. "I do not wish unnecessarily to duplicate his remarks, but wish to criticise the homicidal theory alono on three points only. First, wo are asked to bolieve that tho wound, which is typically that of a suicide, was homicidal. When an opportunity for a theoretical murderer to obtain a direct shot at a vital part, namely, tho heart, was easier, what was a murderer going to do ? Would ho aim at tho victim's chest, presented toward him, or at the head, which was in tho shadow and partly concealed ? If wo assume that he aimed at tho head, he would havo to crouch alongside his victim to produce a wound of the kind found.

"Secondly, assuming that Mr. Price was killed as describod by Dr. Miller and Dr. Boyd, when the body moved round from the position they described- into that in wnich it was found, blood would have inovitably flowed to a portion of the floor which Dr. King is positive was clear of blood."

Tho Coroner: Not only Dr. King, but Mr. Nagcl and others.

"It is conceivable that a convulsive movement could have been made which would have brought the body from lying on its side to lying'on its back," added Dr. Wylio. "But the naturo of tiie injuries to tho brain was such, in my opinion, as to-make any furtlior movement impossible." Mr. McGregor informed tho coroner that ho liad ascertained that Dr. Putnam had treated deceased for shoulder injuries. Tho coroner said no further evidence need be called, pending receipt of reports from Dr. Putnam and Dr. Laurenson, and the inquest was adjourned. Proceedings will be resumed when the medical reports mentioned havo been received.