TUAKAU MYSTERY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22018, 26 January 1935, Page 13

TUAKAU MYSTERY

DEATH OF YOUNG MAN

'CONCLUSION OF INQUEST ■ PATHOLOGIST'S EVIDENCE VERDICT OF THE CORONER The mystery surrounding the death by shooting Jit Tuakau on December 16 of Mr. Charles Raymond Finch, single, aged 26, was further investigated yesterday, when the inquest was concluded in Auckland before Mr. F. H. Levien, S.M., coroner. Sub-Inspector J. Sweeney appeared far the police, Detective T. W. Allsopp, one of the investigating officers, als'o attending, the proceedings. Mr. R. Grierson, of Fukekohe, represented the relatives of deceased.

Dr. Walter Gilmour, pathologist at the Auckland Hospital, said he made a post-mortem examination on Decemb«r 17, y by the direction of the coroner. He described in detail the two wounds in deceased's abdomen and a wound on the right temple. Death was due to laceration of the brain. Rifle Fired Close to Deceased

Sub-Inspector Sweeney: Could you (express an opinion as to how far the weapon was away from deceased? "Witness: Yes, the weapon must have been close to the clothing, probably in actual contact with it.

Could any of those wounds, or all, have boon self-inflicted ? —They could nil have been self-inflicted. Answering Mr. Grierson, witness said he had not seen deceased in his clothing, and he could not ascertain with certainty what wound corresponded to a puncture in deceased's shirt. There was a bruise adjacent to the lower abdominal wound. Asked whether it could have been caused by falling on the muzzle of a rifle, witness thought that it could have been caused by theballet rather than by any part of the rifle.

Gregory Gerald Kelly, firearms expert, of Auckland, said he had fired two test shells from a .22 Winchester single-shot rifle, which was handed to him by Detective J. B. Finlay. The weapon was in perfect working order. Mr. Grierson commenced that, from t:be report of Professor-F. P. Worley, of Auckland University College, he understood that two bullets which, were recovered from the body were shown to have been fired from deceased's rifle. A third bullet recovered from the ground 'had not been fired from the jreapon. Young Man's Good Character The coroner read the report on the expert examination of the shells and bullets concerned in the case. Two empty cartridges which were found near the body were fired from the rifle. There was a discharged shell in the breach.

Mr. Grierson suggested that a statement by deceased's mother, contained in the police file, should be put in. Out of consideration, Mrs. Finch had not been called as a witness. The statement showed that deceased had made known where he was going to shoot, and it' also showed that he had no suicidal tendency. He had been leading an untroubled life, and the relatives, with whom counsel agreed, entirely discounted any suggestion of premeditated suicide. Extensive inquiries ffiad been made by the police regarding the young man's character, which was without blemish. Deceased was extremely popular, and took an active ]>art in the affairs of the Tuakau distaict. The head wound was obviously the : final injury, counsel continued. There were many features of the case which would probably never be explained, but there was no suggestion of intention to commit suicide. Suicide could be" qualified, however, were a person suffering from intense pain caused by a wound which might have been received by the accidental discharge of the rifle. In this case it was necessary to remember that night was approaching when the fatalj ity occurred,, and deceased was in the predicament of being in an isolated place. Deceased had enjoyed a smoothrunning life., and he had no worries. In suicidal intentions, motive had to be considered, and motive was entirely lacking in the present case. Mr. Grierson paid a tribute, to the work of the police in the inquiry. Finding ol Coroner The coroner said that should the evidence beforts him eliminate the supposition of pure accident, it might be necessary for him, within his sphere, to express an opinion on whether, the case were one of suicide. The evidence suggested tifiat deceased might have had some accident with his rifle. He was suffering very severely from a wound in the abdomen. The evidence would suggest' that deceased became exceedingly alarmed at the situation in which he found himself. There was no evidence of any other person being at the place of the tragedy, as the detectives had satisfactorily cleared up the activities of two other young men who had gone shooting in the district. The coroner then found that the cause of death was laceration of the brain.' Although he had some doubt as to how the first of the, abdominal wounds - was inflicted, the evidence being consistent with an accidental wounding, the evidence pointed to the final head wound having been inflicted by deceased while under great mental and physical stress.