PALMERSTON N. MYSTERY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17227, 5 April 1930, Page 14

PALMERSTON N. MYSTERY

SON GIVES EVIDENCE UNEXPLAINABLE TRAGEDY "I COULDN'T BE HANGED." i fur L'rtna Assocmtiou.j PALMEROTON N., this day The circumstances surrounding the death of Walter Edwin Price, a builder, of l'almerston .North, were further investigated by the coroner, Mr. ,J. i>. Stout, S.M., this morning. Tho deceased was lound dead itt a bedroom of his home in Keatherston street with a gunshot wound near the mouth. Deceased's younger son, John Price, stated that, he was 16 years of age, and had passed the matriculation ex animation. On March 3, tlie day before his father's death he arrived borne at about 4.30 p.m. His lather had been out working at the house next door, and had not come inside until 7 o'clock. Deceased then appeared to be in very good spirits. Witness spent the, evening alone with- his father, his mother and brother being absent. They had dined at about 7.15 p.m. and had concluded about 8 p.m. After dinner, witness had settled down to do home-work while his lather had been reading a humorous book, in the same room.

Witness did.not remember having any conversation.; with liis .father before ha retired to bod beyond asking him the moaning :ot a word and whether tho clock was correct Ho left the diningroom about 9.5 p.m., leaving his father alone, and had gone to bed. His father had switched on the eletric water beater outside the"' kitchen door.' Witness had called out "Dad, switch off my light," and his father had complied. He did not remember thanking his father or saying "Good-night" to him. Witness thought his father had then gone to the bathroom, where it was his habit to undress. He had later heard deceased walking in the passage and switching of! the light in his room. Witness had gone to sleep immediately and had not awakened -until 8 o'clock next morning. Detective Quirk: Did you hear any noise during the night? —No. FINDING OF THE BODY. Witness said the room was about 12i't. away from that occupied by his fatner and the bedroom door was open in the morning. He had dressed in the bedroom and then gone to the kitchen to look at the time. It was then about 8 o'clock. Witness then had gone along tho passage to the bathroom and, glancing into his father's room, had seen hint, lying -on the floor. He had gone to tho bathroom and on.the way back he had touched his father's foot to wake him up. The foot was cold and stiff and ho guessed that he was dead. His father was in the habit of sleeping on tho floor, but, on other occasums, lie had had pillows. After touching his father's foot witness had gone immediately to the telephone and tried to get connection with four doctors. He could not remember their names, but in each instance (V woman had answered the phone. Ho remembered that two or three of the doctors had been engaged and one wan on holiday. He spent about three minutes phoning and being unable to get any doctor he had gone across tho road to Mr. Nagel's place. Miss Nagel had answered the door and she had told him that her father was in the backyard. His only words to Miss Nagel had been "Father is dead." He had then gone round to the backyard and said to Mr. Nagel "My father is dead." Witness did not remember anything else being said with Mr. Nagel and a Mr. Brogden. He returned home. Mr.. Nagel had succeeded in reaching a doc tor, and when the doctor had arrived he had gone into the bedroom with Mr. Brogden and Mr. Nagel, and afterwards the doctor had told witness that his father's death was probably due to haemorrhage following upon an ulcerated stomach.

The police had been communicated with, and, later, a constable had arrived. Witness remained around the house while the constable was inside. In tho evening Dr. King had returned with a constable and had asked witness whether there was a gun in the house. He had told the doctor that there was a pea rifle in the garage and this weapon had been procured. About five minutes later he was told that his father was shot, but he could not remember who laid told him. He remembered conversations with the constable. About 8.30 in tho morning he remembered remarking that he would have to leave the high school in the meantime, but bad said that his mother would be all right, because his father was insured. He had spoken, to a little boy, Kay W'ilson, between 4.30 and 5 p.m., and had told him that his father was dead. Tho little boy had at first laughed and had then gone inside and "told his mother. Later, when witness was feeding the fowls, he saw the boy W T ilson again. H* could not remember whether or not he fed the fowls before the doctor and police bad come. DECEASED WAS INSURED Detective Quirk: What did you say? Witness: I think I said "You will not see my father again." ' Detective Quirk: Did you mention anything to the boy about your father being shot* —No. Did you even- tell the boy your father was shot? —I don't remember that. Do you remember a conversation with Mr. Nagel when you mentioned the word "hanged?"—No. Do you remember telling Miss Nagel that you couldn't be hanged?— Yes. She said: "I would not like to be in your shoes,' John, and J said:, "I couldn't be hanged for that." In replying to Mr. In lies, wit* ness stated that 1 e had always been on affectionate terms with his parents. Ilis father was on affectionate terms with his mother. Witness knew his father's life was insured, as an in-, auranee agent had come to the house,' on several occasionr,s. He remember-1 ed his father saying to his mother: "I am insured; now we have no need to worry about the future." He had known that an insurance policy be-1 came void if the person covered com-1 mittod suicide, although he .did not: know that the term specified was within 12 months. He did not know where he had obtained this information. It was just general knowledge.

Mr. Lines: Were you on your bicycle the night your father diod? Witness (after a porceptible pause): No.

Mr. Lines: Why do you hesitate?— I am just, recalling.

Do you know any reason why your father should destroy himself?—No. He had no enemies as far as you know?—No.

The night your father died yon sny you heard, nothing, although the doors of both your father's and your own room were open?—Yes, sir. On the Sunday before I hurt my wrist and cou'd not sleep the next two nights. I slept very soundly that night.

Mr. Innes: Do I understand you saw your father'? bare foot, touched it, and without furtheir inquiry know ho was dead?—Yes. J The coroner: What was your reason? Had you seen him before?—-1

touched his foot; it was stiff and cold and X knew he was dead immediately. Mr. Lines: You *have nothing more to say about that?—No.

Have you formed any conclusion how your father died?—My father would not kill himself. NEIGHBORS' EVIDENCE

How do you know that? —Because he was in such good spirits. He was reading a very humorous book, "Tho Card," by Arnold Bennett.

Mr. Lines: You say you were never out of the house that night. Can you explain why you did iiot hear the shot fired a few feet away? Witness: No; I slept heavily on occasions, and 1 sleep sometimes with the blankets over my head.

To Mr, Cooper witness stated that he had gone only one step into the bedroom and no further. From that position he could see the whole of his father's ,body.

Mir. Cooper: Did you say anything to him? —I couldn't say. I'don't remem'ber. -

The coroner: Did your father sleep on the floor without taking 'the mattvess off the bod? —Yes, when my mother was awav.

Mr. Cooper: On the few occasions when you have seen him sleeping on the floor, have you ever seen him sleeping-with Ms head under the bed? —No. ' • '

Did you tell tt'he boy Kay W'ilson that your father was shot? —I am certain that I did not. I do not re< member.

If the .boy Wilson iconics here and says you told him your father was shot, would you deny it? —I would deny it.

One of the deceased's neighbors, Edward Wilson, stated that with his wife and Ross Meikle, he returned home after midnight on the night of the tragedy. "While we wea-e talking in the bedroom we heard a sharp report of a gun, followed by a squeal like that of a cat mortally wounded. This would bo at about 12.50 a.m." said the witness. Meikle went out on to the verandah, but returned and told witness that he did not hear anything, «o they had retired for the night. Coming home that night he had not seen any lights in Price's house. At (3 o'clock on the day that the body was fouud, witness' son, Kay, said: "That' fnnny boy (John Price) said his father shot himself." Ross Nathaniel Meikle told the court that he' boarded with Wilson next door 'to the deceased's house. On the night of March 5 he retunned home with the Wilsons about 12.30 a.m. They had had a view of one side of Price's house. At about 10 minutes to one, soon after they had returned home, they had been disturbed by the sound of a shot. Witness listened. The night was still and, hearing nothing further, he had gone inside again'. At this 'stage the coroner adjourned the hearing until 10 o'clock tomorrow.