DEATH OF WILLIAM JEFFREY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16545, 19 November 1915, Page 8

DEATH OF WILLIAM JEFFREY

INQUEST CONCLUDED.

The adjourned inquest into the circumstances touching tho death ot William Jelfroy, a married man" with two young children, who was found clcu<i in Jubilee l J ark on the afternoon of -Thursday, list inst., with a bullet wound in ins liead, was continued yesterday utternoon. iVlr J. R. Bartholomew, JslM. (coroner) presided, and Senior-sergeant Dart conducted tile proceedings on beliali ol tlio police. 'lho inquest hud been adjourned previously in order to secure the evidence ot tho wife and also to ascertain, it possible, where the deceased had obtained the revolver which was found in his right hand. Ho .left his home/ on November 2, and after the following day nothing, was heard of him until ho was lound dead.

Ethel Mary Jeffrey, widow of the deceased, stated that sue had been married for two years, and during the past 12 months her husband had surfcrect from quinsy of tho throat and pleurisy, but no medical man had attended him. Ho had shown no trace of depression in his manner, and had said nothing that would load to the supposition that he meditated anything rash. He did not possess a revolver so far as ehe_ knew, and was not worried about anything. Constable West, stationed at Eoslyn, said ho knew the deceased well, and had always found him steady and sober in his habits. Since the adjournment he had interviewed deceased's former employer, Air Hindell, of Maori Hill, who stated that on the morning of the 2nd inst. he had paid over to him. tho sum of £7 lis as wages. Witness also interviewed several other people who had seen tho deceased on November 2 and 3, and all concurred in the opinion that he was in his usual state of health and spirits. Witness had not been able to ascertain anything regarding deceased's movements subsequent to November 3.

John Gray Gibson, a lad 14 years of age, residing at Mornington, stated that at 1 p.m. on Thursday, the 11th inst., he was playing with some other boys in Jubilee Park when they noticed a man lying under some trees. They called out, but the man took no notice. Later in the afternoon they returned to the place, and this time noticed'' blood on tho-side of the man's head. They ran away and informed the police, Sergeant Thomson detailed the circumstances relating to the finding of deceased •under - a tree in Jubilee Park. He had a six-chambered revolver in his right hand, and tho weapon contained three discharged and two loaded cartridges, and one blank chamber. Some money was found in deceased's clothes, and also a box of cartridges. From subsequent inquiries he had ascertained that on the 3rd inst. a man answering tho description of deceased had purchased a revolver at the • Union Pawn Office. The pawnbroker also gave the man a slip of paper indicating the correct kind of cartridges for the weapon, and told him where he could procure these. He returned later and told tho pawnbroker that he had procured the proper cartridges, adding that he wanted the revolver for shooting pigs. Witness stated that he had no doubt that the man,, who had made the purchases was the deceased. He had been unable to find any further trace of him until his body was discovered in Jubilee Park.

The Coroner stated that there was not sufficient evidence before him to show the mental condition of the deceased at - or about the time of his death. His verdict would be that he died on November 3 from injuries to his head caused by. a bullet discharged from, a revolver.