PALMERSTON MYSTERY

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 17994, 12 April 1930, Page 7

PALMERSTON MYSTERY

THE INQUEST RESUMED. DEATH OF WALTER E. PRICE. SENSATIONAL EVIDENCE. (By Telegraph.—Press Assn.) PALMERSTON N., Friday. Tho inquest into the death of Walter Edwin Price, builder, of Palmorston North, who was found shot, was resumed before Mr J. L. Stout, S.M., coroner, to-day. Mr McGregor appeared for deceased’s famiiy, Mr Innes for George Price, of Thames, brother of deceased, and Mr Cooper for an insurance company concerned.

George Gilbert Hancox, director of the Technical School, recalled, said that before lie heard a shot fired on the night of Price’s deatli he heard a shriek. The Coroner : Why did you not tell the police ? Witness : I w : as not certain and was reluctant,to say I heard it under the circumstances. The Coroner : Will you deny that the cry was after the shot No.. Further evidence regarding the position of Price’s arms at the morgue was given by R. S. Robinson. C. W. Ennis, district manager of the A.M.P. Society, said deceased .effected two £IOOO policies on December 18, .1929, and another‘Oil February 12. The premiums on the £2OOO were not paid by deceased. “ Mum Will Get the Insurance.” Constable Compton said: that when he arrived at the residence of deceased, John Price, Nagel and Brogden were there. Witness had a talk with the boy concerning bis father’s health in previous weeks. John Price said ho did not think he would he going back to school. Witness asked why, and John Price replied : “You see, dad is dead.” Witness told John Price that he would need his education later on. John Price said : “ But you sec, he is insured for a good amount. Mum will get the insurance. I won’t need to go back to school John Price was quite calm during the conversation, with no signs of distress. , , “ Tile wound described could quite well have been homicidal," said Dr. John Miller, in evidence. “It could have been inflicted at. close . range while deceased was lying on his right side on the floor, with his head unsupported by a pillow. _ He might ha\e been asleep or just’awakened immediately prior to the shot, after which he could have fallen on his back. It would have been difficult for him to have shot himself while lying on his back.

I consider tho surrounding circumstances point to homicide. There would bo no struggle when he was shot,”

The Coroner : That suggests It was dono in cold blood. 1 should ho exceedingly sorry to think this was homicide, There was only one other person In the house, Dr. Miller considered deceased was shot slightly from behind while lying on his right side. TO-DAY’S PROCEEDINGS, STATEMENT BY WIDOW. ALLEGED THREATS OF SUICIDE.

iry TeleßTapli.—Press Association.) ( 5 PALMERSTON N„ Saturday. When the inquest on Walter Price was resumed Mr G. I. McGregor, counsel appearing for the Price family, entered the box, stating that Mrs Price had authorised him to make a statement as follows to the Court.

It appears that since deceased’s accident about Christmas, 1928, on certain occasions he has suffered from periods of depression,. and on several occasions he mentioned tc Mrs Price that he thought of shooting himself. It is rather difficult to obtain details from Mrs Price, as she is in a state of collapse, but she said her husband’s only worry appeared to be the state of his health and the injuries received in (he accident. Apparently the threats were mostly made some months ago. She also said that he always insisted that John Price, the younger boy, must not know anything about it, as tie apparently wanted to keep everything from him. She said further that until la-st week she had not realised that this would have any connection with the tragedy. It had always been her husband's custom to sleep on the floor, but a remark I made to her last Saturday about no pillow convinced her that he would not he lying on the floor.”

The Coroner: Have you discussed the matter with John Price? Son Knows Nothing. Mr McGregor : Immediately afterwards I saw John Price and told him what his -mother had said and asked him if he could tell me anything further, but he still maintained that he knew nothing from shortly after 9 p.m. that, night until after 8 a.m. nexl day. In view of the fact that certain suspicion attached to John Price, 1 think it due to him to state that the matter might have been arranged by a third party. Tho Coroner: Then in the interests of justice the third party should come forward to clear the boy, in whose evidence there are so many inconsistencies. Mr McGregor said Dr. Laurenson, of Matarnata, attended deceased on the occasion of the previous accident, when he received injuries to his spine. The Coroner:: I think I should have a full report from Dr. Laurenson. The effect of any physical depression might have been accentuated by the absence of deceased’s wife. Doctor Adheres to Statement. Recalled for the third occasion, Dr. King adhered to his previous statement that the nature of the wound and its direction was notoriously that of selection by a suicide. I)r. King quoted F. .1. Smith in Taylor’s “Principle and Practice of Medical Jurisprudence.” “There is one situation which is almost impossible for a murderer to imitate —i. 0., inside the mouth. In Miller’s demonstration his position repeals precisely the position described by me, hut lie conveniently rolled the body on to its side (Continued in next column.)

to make the direction of the missile accord with that of a shotgun belt by an assailant.” At this stage Dr. King demonstrated under a bed placed in Court the problematical positions assumed from the measurements taken, and from the position of the body when found. Dr. King elaborated on the theory that it was'manifestly not as difficult for the victim to see his assailant as it would be for the rgurderer to shoot his victim at point blank range. Dr. King lay underneath the bed to demonstrate the statement. Dr. Boyd, who was present, when asked to point the gun, expressed reluctance to take part. The Coroner; I ask you to do so as Coroner. The demonstration was then carried out. Replying to Dr, Boyd Senior Detective Quirke said there was no evidence of the bed being moved. Continuing, Dr. King said the localisation of the blood to a continuous sheet round the left side of the head and face is one of the main points, and an indication of the fact that the body did not move appreciably after the wound was inflicted. Recalled, David S. Wylie, surgeon, associated himself fully with Dr. King’s remarks and opinions. Homicidal Theories Criticised. Criticising the homicidal theories, Dr. Wylie said; What would a murderer do —aim at the victim's chest presented to him or at the head in shadow and partly concealed? If it was assumed that he aimed at the head he had to crouch alongside his victim to produce a wound of the kind found. If Price was killed as described by Drs. Miller and Boyd, when the body was moved round from the position they described into that in which it was found blood would inevitably have flowed from the wound on to "the victim’s body and portion of the floor, which Dr. King is positive was clear of blood. It was conceivable that a convulsive movement could have been made which would have brought the body from lying on its side to lying on its back, but the nature of the injuries to the brain would in my opinion make any further movement impossible. Mr McGregor informed the Coroner that Dr. Putnam had treated deceased for shoulder injuries. The Inquest Adjourned. The Coroner said no further evidence need be called. Pending Ihe receipt of reports from Drs. Putnam and Laurenson, the inquest was therefore adjourned sine lie.