INQUEST AT KAIAPOI.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4245, 29 November 1881, Page 3

INQUEST AT KAIAPOI.

Yesterday afternoon an inquest w,..s held on the body of Charles E. Cookbure, v.-ho was found dead about a mile and a imlf from Kniapoi on Saturday evening. N? Caleb Whitefoord was Coroner, auri M- J. L. Wilson was chosen foreman of tho ju:y. The Coroner and jury having viewed the body, whioh was lying at the morgue, the following evidence was taken :•— T. Layton Smith deposed that he was a •hipping clerk in Lyttelton. Had seen the body of deceased, and r«cognieed it as that of O. H l . Cookbnrn, whom he had kuown for the last four months as a Becond mato. He hud been on a trip to New Zealand previously. Deceased was in good health and a very temperate man. He was living for six weeks without employment in the same house with witness, but had been since tht|n in MrO. W. Turner's service, on board the Kxaminer, from which ho had obtained his diaoharge übout a fortnight ago. Witness had not seen him Bince'ho obtained hit> discharge. Had heard in conversation with him that there had been a little trouble at home. Doooased was 23 years old. Witness could not. account in any way for his death. He was a man very easily offended, and was of rather sharp, hasty temper. To the Foreman : Deceased did not carry a revalver when he knew him. Mv Pattman, landlord of the Pier Hotel, said deceased came to his house about four months ago, but did not see him then; saw him on Monday, Nov. 21, when he stopped and had tea lind went to bed about 10 p.m., saying ho was rather tired. Deceased did not get up (ill about nine the next morning, though ho said the night previous that ho wanted to leuve by the first train. He then determined to stay till tho evening, and had breakfast, after which he walked out for a Bhort time, end came back at 11 a.m. and had a glass of boer. Ho then asked if thero was any bush about, as he liked rambling about in bueh, hut witness recommended him to walk in the direction of the Maori pah. He intimated Mb preference for bußhy walVs. He left, saying he would return and hm-e tea, and take the last train to Ohristohurch Witness did not see him again till he wub called upon to identify him at the morgue. Deceased was quite sober, both in the evening and the morning, and ho was quite chutty. All the drink he had in the house was a glass of rum before going to bed on Monday night and a glass of beer on Tuesday morning. He did not ?oem cheerful, rather desponding, but nothing to excite any suspicion. He seemed better on Tuesday morning, after a good sleep. Ho was talking in the evening about ships, and witness was acquainted with many of the people for whom he served. He had not more thuii or twelve shillings on him. Deceased only had a knife on him for cutting tobacco. Ho had no watoh or any jewellery on him, he only had a signet ring. He was alone when he went for a walk, as witness could not accompany him. Deceased came to see witness. Ho did not say he had any quarrel with anyone. To the jury : He did not give witness the impression that he was going to do away with himself. He had no parcel of clothing with him. Joseph Bl^xotn, a lad about 14 years old, Baid that he » with James Trumper on the sandhills m- - ihg Cemetery on Saturday, looking for I>--V nests, and they went to the long grass a\ fern, when he saw the body of. a man lying • •>. his left side, with his arm underneath, ana l\ia other hand was near where tbe wound was in his forehead. A hat wae lying at his feet. Witnoss called his companion, and told him the man was aßloep, and Trumper said he would go and sop. When witness and Trumper went back to the body, the latter touch od hit. hand and found that he was dead. They then made hnsto to go to Kaiapoi, and told tho sergeant of police. Deceased had nothing in his hand, nor was there anything lying about near the body. To a juror: Deceased's hand, that was near his forehead, was partly open, not elenobed. Witness' mother heard three shots about 12 o'olook in the day. She did not aoo anyone about there. People frequently wont rabbiting near there. The body was within a ohain of the river. James Trumpor, a lad of the same age as the last, said ho lived at Woocend, but on Saturday he and Bloiam were in company. His evidence •■i» corroborative of the other lads. A mv' imed Farrell had been work* ing in then nbourhood of whore the body was lying be r ehe and his companion had come up fcli ■■••}. He might havo seen the body if he h: ! looked that way, as theic was nothing growing that would hide it. Sergeant Gilbert said that on Saturday evening last, about seven o'clock, with the two boys, he proceeded to the sandhills, about a quarter ofamilo north of tho old Maori cemetery, and was shown tho body bf Trumper. There was no growth at all where deceased lay, but all around it thero was high English broom, with the exception of ono narrow track, which had been out for some time, and the broom on which was lying dead. The body was on its' left side, the right arm on his hip and the left, just undor him. The body was quito etif\ and was Binelling. The faoe was in the sand, and lu'b nose was full of it. After churching the pockets, witneßß found a box wi'h 35 revolver cartridges and a pipo and two poffcethandkerchief s were in the same pocket. A pocket kDif c and one handkerchief were in tho coat pocket. Ho bad 6s 2d cash in his trousers pocket. The body was removed to the morgue. There was a wound in the forehead. Have searched round the spotthoroughly, and cut the broon down, but could find no weapon. There WOB a great quantity of sand round the placo. It had not blown over the body. There were no traces of struggling near tho body. To the jury : The track was too narrow for Farrell to bo able to see tho body. Farroll was not working at the spot on the Tuesday, but the neighbours reported to witness that a man answering to description of rioccasod was seen there on the Tuesday. Ho had called at. ono of the homes for a drink, Dr Downes, of Hangiora, sworn, Baid thnl ho had mado a post-mortem examination of the body of deceased. Ho scorned a healthy and well-nourished man, on whom there were no marks of violence, except a small wound on tho right temple. On removing tho ecalp it was soon that, (ho wound had penetrated tho skull, and witnois then removed tho Bkull, and traced the wound in a downward and bn^kward direction to tho back of tho skull. Wit* ness found tho bullet produced in tho broin, and it had rebounded from the opposite side .of the ekull. Tho wound would necessarily produce death on tho instant. Ho might breathe a fow times, but ho would be inBtnnlly paralysed. Thn other organs of the body wore gonornlly hoalt.hy, Tho coursn of the bullet did not soem a natural ono for a self-inflicted wound, although it. might bo possible. Tho depended, if ho «!'ot himself, must have el- — o«ed his hand, and shot downwnrds, ns t • direction of tho wound was downward a>. beckwords. To the ju;_s : It is very poofiMo thut. the ballot found in tho hand is one of the uninc kind a 9 found in Die doccaacdV pocket. To Sorgeant Gilbert : If the deeonsed ehot himself ho would not bo able to throw tho ; i.tol away, but ho would move in convulsion for some time. W. H. 10 Pinching said ho had tested the weight of t) bullet found in the hcud of deceased and - .10 taken from tho box, and found that ti.o fonnor had lost t>o grains in weight. Mr Whitefoord then nuinmod uo tbo oridenco, and tho jury having roiinultod ro« turned a verdict, of " Died from a gunshot wound, but by whom inlla-iH there is «• evidence to show." Tho Coroner concurred in tho verdict, exproe-ing himself of opinion that though thero was no evidence, there wuh vory lillle doubl that tho wound wae Bolf-inllioted.