THE PRICE INQUEST.

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 18024, 20 May 1930, Page 8

THE PRICE INQUEST.

TO BE RESUMED THIS WEEK. PALMERSTON N„ Monday. It is possible that the inquest concerning the death of Mr W. E. Price, the Palmerston North builder who was found fatally shot, will be resumed this week. When the hearing was adjourned it was stated that Mrs Price, although anxious to give evidence, was not in a flit state of health to do so.

THE CARTRIDGE THEORY.

NOT SUPPORTED BY EVIDENCE. PALMERSTON N., Monday. Certain evidence brought forward by the police at the inquest on Walter Price does not support the theory advanced by a Wellington man that Price made an opening in a cartridge large enough to make contact with the powder and then, placing it in his mouth, applied a lighted match to the opening.

In the first place, there w'as a clearly defined hole the size of a sixpence below' the left corner of Price’s mouth. Secondly, there was localisation of the pow'der markings and the fact that there were irregular patches of black, presumably from that powder smoke, on the left side of the neck from the lower jaw almost to the left collarbone. Although there was a small patch of black above the upper lip, the lips themselves were perfectly clean, not blackened as one would expect them to be if a cartridge had exploded between them. Again, the course of the missile which caused Price’s death was clearly defined, passing, according to Dr. King, who conducted the post-mortem examination, upwards, backwards, and slightly to the right, through the hard palate toward the eye. A cartridge is made of cardboard, and if the cartridge explodes when not' confined by the barrel of a gun the shot blows outwards in all directions. It is the barrel of a gun which prevents it expanding. If a cartridge had exploded between Price’s lips it would be expected that his face would show signs of mutilation other than a neat hole, the slze of which correspondents exactly with that made by a 12 gauge shot-guff fired at a range of a few inches. The only part df the cartridge which could makd such a hole would be the brass cap, and that would blow backwards. Another point is that what happened to that brass cap has not been found. The police did not find it in their search of Price’s bedroom.

Although the ingenious cartridge theory does not accord with the facts of the case as presented by the police aD the inquest, disregarding the other objections altogether, there is the indisputable fact that there was a clearly defined hole in the left angle of Price’s jaw below the mouth.