CORONER'S INQUEST.

West Coast Times, Issue 129, 15 February 1866, Page 3

CORONER'S INQUEST.

On Tuosday last nn inquest was hold by Dr. Boswick, tho district coroner, at tho Old Bendigo Hotel, Boss Town, on tho body of a man mimed Androw Dolling, a Norwogian by birth between 40 and 60 years of ngo, who mot his death through tho discharge of a pistol ho was ostensibly cleaning at tho timo. Francis William, a mmdV, doposod ho was a niato of tho deceased and that they had beon working in a' claim ou Jones's Creok for the past four months. Thero wero four sharoholdors in tho claim together, but deceased had decided upon leaving it for tho purposo of going southwards. Witness Mas sitting in tho lonfc with him when ho decided upon so doiug on Monday morning last, between 9 nnd 10 o'clock, nnd at tho timo deceased held a revolver in his hand which ho was cleaning. On hoaring this determination on tho part of deceased witness objected to his leaving, stating ho would rather sco eithor of thoothors go, to which ho replied that ono of thorn, named Andrews, was a bad man and n devil, and had not proved n friend to him. Tho deceased was of a vory excitablo nature, no then packed up his clothing and blankots and took down a bag which was hanging up in tho tout, containing among other articles a Colb's rovolvor. This he pulled out and examined, and thon began to scrape away somo rust from ono of tho nipples. Witness looked at tho pistol and romarkod that it was loaded and deceused said , ho did not think it would go-off, and lo try it pointod it into tho flro-placo and pulled tho trigger. Tho rovolver nt onco exploded. Ho thon hold tho pistol in both his hands, and pointod tho muzzlo at his breast, and hnmodiately tho report was hoard and ho foil to tho ground dead. When the witness saw ho was shot, ho at onco ran off, for a. doctor. Tho decensed was a man of temperate habits, and was quite sober on tho morning in question. Peter Edwards doposod ho was a minor, living nt Koss, nnd had . known tho deceasod for about thrco months. They wore working mates in tlio sumo olnim. On Monday lnst deceased complained it was a poor. ono, and ho should Icavo it. Ho thon , went away, nnd in nn hour and a half returned and commoncod to take his tent down. Ho asked witness lo learo tho'claim and go down south with him, who refused, slating ho should remain where ho was a week or two longer. Dccoased then took a pistol out of a littlo bag, knelt down upon tho ground, and commenced to clean it. v IIe jthen put a cap on ono of tho nipplos nnd fired it into Iho ground a few yards from him. Ho then scraped the pistol and blow in, turning it round in nil directions. Witness did not sco him put another cap upon it, but saw him holding tho pistol willu both hands, tho niuzzlo boing turned towards his chest, nnd immediately heard it oxplodo, and saw tho deceasod fall back upon tho ground. Witness had no reason to beliove ho intended to shoot himself.

John Marr, a miner, deposed to hearing two pistol shots on the morning in question, then two miners passed by saying, ' ' lie's shot." Witness then rail down to the tent, and saw deceased lying on his back with his shirt on (ire. Ho was breathing at the time and kepb moaning for about ten minutes. There was a pistol lying by his side, also a outlet mould and tho little tools belonging to a rovolvdl"s Ho seemed toMiave been engaged in cleaning 1;. Joseph Worrell, doposcd ho was o qualified medical man practising at lloss Town. On Monday morning at about half-past ten ho was called upon to attend a mail who ho was informed had shot himself. Ho ' went as quickly as possible and found him lying on his back quito dead. The oyes were- closed, but tho pupils wore much dilated ; the countenanco was o.ilin and composed. Ho examined the body and found a circular wound on tho loft breast over the region of tho heart . It looked black and had a burnt appearance. On probing it ho found tho probo to readily pass through the loft ventricle of the heart and lobe of tho left lung. He imagined death must have been instantaneous. The jury after a lengthy delibeiation returned a verdict of suicide, adding there was not suflioient evidence to show his stato of mind at tho time he committed the deed. 1 —4