THE NELSON TRAGEDY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 1008, 30 July 1883, Page 2

THE NELSON TRAGEDY.

The Inquest. An inquest was held on Saturday afternoon. Mr Shallcrass, the gaoler, deposed that at ten minutes to six in the morning he heard a scream, but thought it was from the outside of the gaol. Got up, went downstairs and into the gaol, but on entering the corridor was met by Davidson, who stood eight paces off with a revolver in his right hand, and said, “If you come another step I will shoot you !” Davidson also told him to open the front door, but he refused, whereupon Davidson again threatened to fire unless he did it. Shallcrass then commenced reasoning with and threatening Davidson, and managed to start him off talking about his grievances. Mrs Shallcrass entered the corridor and asked Davidson where Adams was, to which the convict replied, “ Oh, ha’s all right.” Thsy went on parleying for about five minutes, when Shallcrass told Davidson he could shoot him, and Davidson replied, “I’ll be if lam shot,” Shallcrass said, “ I would rather you take your own life than I should do so.” Davidson repeatedly put his revolver to his own head. After about 35 minutes Chief Warder White came on the scene, and commenced to expostulate with Davidson, until at length the latter drew back to the wall, p'aced the revolver to his mouth, and pulled the trigger, but the cap snapped. He then examined the rev-lver again, put it to his head, fired, and fell dead. Witness rushed up to see where Adams was, and found him lying dead in the yard. Ho had a wound in the back of hia head, another in the neck and the back, and a frightful wound in the abdomen, from which hia intestines wore protruding, i hree white prisoners were confined in cells in the corridor in which Davidson stood, and the latter before shooting himself, shook hands with the inmates of two of the cells, patting hisjiand between the gratings. Beiore this, however, Shallcrass left the corridor and went to his office to get his revolver, leaving Mrs Shallcrass in the corridor. Davidson had then given up the idea of shooting. From the place where Davidson stood he could see Adams lying in the yard, and must have known ho was dead. Davidson had been employed as cook since May 18, and was always very orderly and obliging, agreed with everyone, and never showed any sign of mental aberration. It was the duty of Adams to call Davidson to light the fires, etc. Davidson had access to knives, and a long butcher’s knife was picked up beside Davidson’s body. Adams’s coat was in the yard, and Davidson appeared to have searched it for keys, as a key was found in the gate between the jard and garden, but it was the key of an inner door, and would not open the gate. During his conversation with Davidson, I avidson drew back for a minute after threatening him if he moved, and then returned with two revolvers. The revolvers were kept in the armoury, which was a cupboard within the officers’ room, to which Davidson had access. The panel of this cupboard was broken. Two chambers of one revolver had been discharged, and one in the other. Davidson was to have been removed to Wellington, and had not the Wallace been detained by bad weather, would have sailed; He did not appear to like the idea of going to Wellington, and said that if he had gone he would have jumped overboard. Shallcrass told him to lay down the revolvers, and then he could jump overboard. Chief warder White corroborated Shallcrass’ statements in all important p unts. The medical evidence was that Adams’ death resulted from hemorrhage, but that had immediate assistance been available, his life could not have been saved.

The jury returned a verdict regarding Adams of “ Wilful murder by Davidson, 1 ' and on the body of the latter, a verdict fdo de ae. They then adjourned till Monday to consider a rider. Opinions were expressed that firearms should not have been left where they were accessible to prisoners, and comment was made on a life prisoner of such character being employed as cook.