ROYAL OAK TRAGEDY

Taranaki Daily News, 13 April 1935, Page 7

ROYAL OAK TRAGEDY

DUNCAN FIRED BOTH SHOTS. CORONER DELIVERS VERDICT. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, April 12. The coroner, Mr. E. Gilbertson, delivered his finding in the inquest on the victims of the Royal Oak Hotel tragedy as follows: “Violet Duncan’was killed by James Alfred Duncan by a revolver shot in the head while she was asleep in the Royal Oak Hotel, Wellington, on March 24. James Alfred Duncan took his life by shooting himself in the head with a revolver on March 24 at the Royal Oak Hotel.” “Inquiry discloses that the marital relations of the deceased had recently become strained,” said the coroner. “Arrangements for separation had been discussed and proceedings were to have been commenced on Monday, March 25. Witnesses state that the Duncans retired to their bedroom, apparently in a normal state of mind, about midnight on March 23. Nothing further is known of their movements until about 3.45 a.m. on Sunday, March 24, when two. shots at short intervals were heard by persons .in the street, but not by anyone in the hotel building itself. “At 6.30 the same morning the hotel porter failed to arouse Duncan by knocking on his bedroom door, and then sent for the police. Access to the bedroom was then gained through a window by the house porter and the bodies of the deceased were discovered lying peacefully in their separate twin beds. The bedclothes were undisturbed and there were no signs of any struggle.” After mentioning that Duncan had a revolver in his right hand, the coroner said that the conclusion he came to was that Duncan, had risen, shot his wife in her sleep, then returned to his' own bed and shot himself.