FARMER'S DEATH

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 15, 16 October 1942, Page 7

FARMER'S DEATH

EVIDENCE AT INQUEST

VERDICT OF SUICIDE

An inquest concerning the circuinstances surrounding tlie deal!) of Leslie Donald Appleton, a farm--er, aged 2!), residing at Warrington's road, Waioekn, was beard before Mr F. J. Short, district coroner, at the Opotiki Courthouse. Deceased was a married man with three children.

Evidence of identification was given by Mr Charles Pipe.

Dr. H. J. Mail gave evidence concerning his call to the scene ol the tragedy on October 1. lie saw deceased, lying obliquely across the bed with a gunshot wound below the chin. Deceased had previously been under treatment by witness and had been confined to an institution on two occasions.

Mrs li. R. Appleton, wife of the deceased, stated in evidence that she had been married for seven years. At 10.30 a.m. on the 4,th of October she went to her husband's room whore he was still in bed. Sincc returning from a holiday in the previous Thursday he had spent most of the time in bed. The window of the room was locked and the blind was down. Witness pulled the blind up and opened the window, and then went to the telephone. When she lTtumed, the blind was down and the window closed again. Deceased was sitting on the bed then and said to her that it would, be cither him or her. He walked over to the wardrobe and got, a double-barrel gun out which must have been already loaded as he did not load it. Witness rushed at him and tried to pull the gun down. During the struggle, one of them must have pulled the trigger as the' gun went oil'. Neither of them was hurt, and witness ran out. of the house and went to the hut occupied by the boy working for them. They stood, at the door and shortly after they heard another shot. The gun was usually kept at the cowshed. Witness was surprised when she saw deceased Lake the gun I rom the "wardrobe. He had never threatened to shoot himself or her before.

Pat Hayes .stated in evidence that lie had worked for deceased since before Christmas. The double-ibarrel gun .was kept by the cowshed in the heater-room. Witness noticed that it was not there on 41 h October, but attached no importance to the fact. Deceased had used it to shoot witli on occasions. Mrs Appleton and lie milked (Hi cows. Deceased had helped only once since he returned from his holiday. Witness was reading in the bedroom when he heard a gunshot in the "house. He did not go to the house but kept on reading. A short time afterwards. Airs Appleton ran to his whare. She said, '-Ilurrv up, he tried to shoot, me."' They started off for Mr Pat Fisher's house and when they £ot to the gate they heard a second shot from the house.

Constable McCurragh stated that on 4th October lie received a telephone message and went, to the house with Constable Rathic. Deceased was lying on tlie bed. A doublebarrel gun was lying between li.is legs. Attached to deceased's left big too was a piece of string connected to both triggers of. the gun. The shot gun wound, was directly beneath- the chin which was blackened with powder. Death was probably instantaneous. The room showed that a struggle luul taken place. One of the'sheets was lying in a crumpled condition on the floor and the eiderdown was ripped and feathers strewn about the room. An empty cartridge shell was lying on the iloor and witness took another full cartridge and an empty shell from the gun. Both cartridges were fired recently and smelt strongly of po-wder. The coroncr stated that from the evidence it was clear that deceased came to his death by a sliotl gun wound seli'-inllicted, while of unsound mind,. The coroner extended to the relatives sincere sympathy.