THE ST. CLAIR SHOOTING INCIDENT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12606, 9 March 1903, Page 6

THE ST. CLAIR SHOOTING INCIDENT.

* i. ■ AN OPEN VERDICT. Mr J. R, Thornton, who was found on the beach shot through the head on Friday morning, died 111 the Hospital at 5 a.m. on Saturday, and an inquest con:erning the circumstances surrounding his death was held at 11 o'clock. Mr C. C. Graham, coroner, presided over the proceodings, and Mr John Dutbic was chosen fcrcmc-n of tho jury.of six gentlemen callcd together to hoar tho evidence. Stuart Edgar Thornton, son of deceased, identified the body ao that of James Ronaldson Thornton, barrister and solicitor. Witness said deceased left tho house en Friday morning between a quarter to 7 and 7 o'clock. Witness was half asleep when deceased camo into the bedroom and took away the small pea rifle. It was a common thing to go out practising shooting on tho beach of a. morning, and sometimes deceased went by himself. He did not ask witness Co accompany him on the Friday morning. Ho (deceased) was in better health and spirits than he had been for some time back, and wr.3 a great deal brighter. He had not been very well for the past year. Ho was wearing a cap on the Friday morning.

Kershaw Garratt, dramatic artist, residing at Dunedin, said ho was at St. Clair, accompanied by two ladies, on Friday morning about 7 o'clock. lli3 attention was attracted to something lying on the sands, and going up to it found it was tho body of deceased. He was lying on his back on the rands, with the small pea riflo (produced) lying beside him. He was bleeding from a wound ill the forehead, and the face was covered with blood. He was not conscious. He was gasping. Witness went to the hotel and n3ked where a- doctor could be found, and then went on to the police station and informed tho constable there of what Iml occurred. They went back together to tho body and raised deceased's head a little, and witness remained there while Constable Mulholland wont for assistance. Dr Coughtroy came shortly afterwards, and witness, after assisting to remove the body to the hotel, left. Witness did not notice whether there were marks of any other feet about where lie found deceased. There was a bottle on tho sands. It was on tho rise of tho sandhill, about 20 yards away, and was broken, as if it had boon fired at. The constable took this away. The tide was nearly up to tho body, which was fully dressed with tho'exception of tho hat. To tho Foreman: Debased never spoke. He was unconscious. Dr Coughtrcy deposed that ho was callcd on, and proceeded to tho sands, whore he found tho body of deceased lying. Deceased was unconscious, and had a wound in tho front part of the forehead, just above the nose—such a wound as would be made by a bullet from the rifle produced. There was no wound of exit. Tho body was convulsed from iimc to time, and tho groups of muscles showed iwilness exactly the parts of tho brain that had beon up. Tho character of the skin in the vicinity of tho bullet wound gave no indication of tho muzzlo of tho riflo having boon in close apposition to the skin when the bullet penetrated the skull. It was quite within the bounds of possibility that tho wound might have "iiren caused accidentally. There was a possibility that deceased was looking downwards with the butt of the weapon on the sand when it wont off. The direction of the bullet was horizontal. Had tho wound been self inflicted, witness would havo expcctcd to find signs of closer proximity of the muzzlo of tho rifle to the head, which were entirely absent. At a. snot 33 paces from where the body was lying there was found the bottle (produced). It was not in the same broken condition then as it was now, as it had come to pieces in moving it. It was broken when found, and thero wore bullet marks upon it. Witness. knew deceaicd was always an early riser and in the habit of going out early in'tlie morning. Had been his medical attendant for a number of years, but had not had his services required for a long time. Indirectly, ho said once or twice that if he did not improve ho would have to come to see witness. Did not think deceased enjoyed perfect health, but had no idea that his mind was affected. Such a wound as wa3 found on deceased would certainly causo death, Had said the case was hopeless from tho first. Witness proceeded to show that in order that the bullet might enter the forehead as it had—horizontally—it would bs necessary that the rifle should be held horizontally, and that could not be done by deceased himself. Holding it as nearly horizontal as possible, the Jiullct would tako an upward direction, and, as held by one of the witnesses, it would also go sideways. Constable Mulholland stated that from what he was told he proceeded on to tho bench a little before 8 o'clock on tho Friday morning. He found the body of decea-sed lying on the beach on its back, tho rifle being grasped by the small of tho stock in the right band of deceased. Witness left Mi Garratt with deceased and went for the doctor. Tho Foreman here asked if Dr Coughtrcy could account for the rifle being grasped by the small of the stock; if, as suggested, deceased had been looking down on it while it had its butt resting on tho sand when it went off.— Dr Coughtrey pointed out that people had been known to do tilings after they lost consciousness, and tlier* > was no proof that deceased was not conscious for a time after he was shot. Constable Mulholland, continuing his evidence, said he sa.w no footsteps about the place where the body, was found.

To Sergeant Dew: Did not notice any marks of the butt of a rifle on the sand.

Dr. 6. P. Brown, resident surgeon p.t the Hospital, slated that deceased was brought fo tho Hospital in an .unconsoious state at 9.30 a.m. on Friday. Witness found a bullet wound in the centre of the forehead, with no wound of exit, From the appearance of deceased thero was nothing to indicate (hat the shot was fired point blank. He meant that there were no signs that the muzzle of the rifle was close against the head when the shot was fired. 1 Deceased nevei recovered consciousness, and died at 5 o'clock on the Saturday morning, tho cause of death being the bullet wound. Had probed the wound to some extent, and found it went back almost horizontally. Thought the bullet went straight back. It was more consistent with the nature of tho wound to think that the butt of (ho rifle was dropped, and went off while deceased was bending over tho muzile, than Hint the rifle was raised by deceased to his forehead. If it was raised (ho bullet would go obliquely. Nothing was found upon deceased to throw any light on the matter. The Cot-oner, addressing the jury, said, ns far as (he evidence went, there was as much one way as the other, and the wound might have boon accidentally niado or it might have been purposely self-inflicted. He thought it was a case where they might very safely give an open verdict. Of course, there was no doubt the cause of death was a self-inflicted wonnd, but ho did not see how (hey could say as to whether it was intentionally self-inflicted.- It was a mutter of pure conjecture. The jury were left to confer together, and at tho end of a few minutes returned a verdict that deceased came to his death by a shot from a rifle, but there was not sufficient evidence to show in what way. The Coroner:. You mean it was self-inflicted, of course? . A Juryman: We don't. We don't know. The Coroner: But you leave it open to ho said that it might have been caused by someone else. A Juryman: So it mitjhl have been. There might have been boys about. The Coroner: I take it that you mean that thero is nothing to show whether the shot was fired accidentally or by design. The Jury intimated that (hey were of opinion (hat there was nothing to show who fired the shot, and the verdict as handed in by the foreman was then recorded,