FARM TRAGEDY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23617, 29 March 1940, Page 6

FARM TRAGEDY

YOUNG MAN'S DEATH ACCIDENTALLY SHOT MARRIED A FORTNIGHT DISCOVERY BY FATHER [from our own correspondent] HAMILTON, Thursday Married only a fortnight, a farmer, Mr. Harper Davison, aged 34, of Melville, Hamilton, was found dead in his ear shed this morning with a gunshot wound in his head. A single-barrelled shotgun was lying on his body. At an inquest hold before Mr. F. W. Plaits, district coroner, this afternoon, the father of deceased, Thomas Davison, of Matamata, said his son was married or<j March 14 and had only returned from his honeymoon on Monday. Witness was looking alter his son's farm while he was away. Deceased assisted witness with the milking this morning and after breakfast went into the car shed to prepare the truck for a trip to Matamata. Witness saw his son standing by the side of the truck and thought he must have been getting petrol to put in the vehicle. A little later, witness went into the shed and discovered the body by the side of the ear, together with a singleha rrelled shotgun with the muzzle turned toward deceased's head. Witness said li is son had no finjir.cial w/ries. It was possible that there had been an accident and that deceased had tripped on a log which was beside the car. A sister of deceased. Margaret Davison, said she saw her brother going into the wash-house with the gun, which belonged to another brother in Matamata. He told her he was going to put it in the car to take back to Matamata. "This is a very tragic case," said the coroner., in returning a verdict that deceased had died from injuries caused by the accidental discharge of a shotgun. "Here was a young man just returned from his honeymoon. He had contracted a happy marriage and had no financial worries. There was no reason at all why he should take his own life."