IN BURNING HOUSE

Taranaki Daily News, 5 August 1931, Page 7

IN BURNING HOUSE

MAN’S BODY ON REVOLVER.

BULLET WOUND IN THE HEAD.

Masterton, Aug. 3. Unusual circumstances surround the death of Alfred Thomas, aged 72 years, a single man residing alone in a cottage in Princess Street, Martinborough, who was found dead this morning with a bullet wound in his head. A verdict that the wound was self-inflicted was returned at an inquest this afternoon. Shortly before nine o’clock this morninn- two men passing by noticed smoke issuing from Thomas’ cottage, and on investTgati they found all the doors of the building locked. They broke in, and on entering found one of the rooms on fire and Thomas lying dead on the floor. They succeeded in extinguishing the fiameis with buckets of .water, and summoned the police and Dr. H, E. Webb. On moving the body a .32 calibre revolver of an old pattern was found unde. it. After examination Dr. Webb came to tha conclusion that death had occurred six or seven hours previously. This made the cause of the fire mysterious. The police are of the opinion that before shootino- himself Thomas .must have set a lighted candle on the floor. A hole about 2ft. 6in. had been burnt in the floorboards, and the fact that all, the doors were locked precludes the suspicion that a second; person was present. It is stated that last Wednesday. Thomas, who had been drinking and ■who always became depressed after taking liquor, had • threatened to take his life and to burn his house down. Last night he drew up his will. No suspicion of foul play is held by the police. The explanation of the fact that the revolver was found under deceased’s body is that he shot himself standing up, dropped the gun and fell forward on to it. This theory is supported by the upward path of the bullet in his skull and the singeing of his moustache indicating that the shot was fired at close quarters. The inquest was held this afternoon before the coroner, Mr. E. T. Lang, of Featherston, who returned a verdict that death was due to a gunshot wound self-inflicted.