EX-JOCKEY'S DEATH.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 926, 20 September 1910, Page 6

EX-JOCKEY'S DEATH.

VERDICT OF SUICIDE. An inquest was held at Porirua last evening on the body of' Adam M'Morran, an' ex-jockey,- who had latterly -been engaged as driver of thePorirua-Titahi Bay coach, 'M'Morran had.committed snicide at Porirua on Sunday -evening by shooting himself with a shot gun. M-r.,W. G. Riddel], S.M., conducted the inquiry; '' Dr. Harold E. ■ Jeffreys, Mental Hospital, Porirua, said that about 7 p.m. on Sunday he was called down to the village to see M'Morran, itho-was said to have shot himself. He found him lying on his back on a horse-cover by. a-shed at his house. At his feet was a double-barrelled shot gun, the muzzle pointing: towards his body. In the. trigger'guard was a piece of wood about. 12 inches long. In his left breast was a jagged wound about an inch in diameter right over the heart. Tho shot: must have penetrated the heart, and death must have been,instantaneous. He was dead when. witness-found-him, and witness judged him to have " been "dead' about three or four honrs. A, shot fired- from the gun produced would bo sufficient to cause Mio wound. His singlet and the skin . all over his . chest were scorched,. showing that ithe gun had been' discharged at very' close range., Cause of death was' a gunshot wound through the heart. There was one;discharged cartridge.in the right barrel .of the gun. The other barrel was not loaded. .. .V. John Law.rie, draughtsman, Porirua; who lived in the same house as deceased, gave evidence as ■to the finding' of the body at half-past six/o'clock in the even-, ing. He had last'seen deceased' alive.'at. 6.30 a.m. Deceased's general health had been good, but he had. been : drinking heavily. Witness could assign no reason for tho deed. - Deceased was generally cheerful unless he took drink.'" Robert Jillett, barman of ."the Porirna, Hotel, said deceased came into the -'hotel/; at twenty minutes. past twelve on' Sunday arid borrowed a ,gun and, two'.cartridges from AlickO'Halloran for the pur-, pose, of .shooting a dog, so he said.. Deceased' was.'tken. sober. : Witness could assign no. reason for, the deed, though on' one occasion deceased had said, that. when he :went* 'off,' he W6uld';"go off' with, a bang;" Witness never saw -deceased: after he went away .'with the gun.' : ; ' Henry Buick,, blacksmith, saw deceased at; a quarter to one." on "Sunday. Deceased was leading a horse, but had-no gun." Witness spoke to him, and deceased made the remark that he' was not. feeling ,too .w.ell. ■. •■'.'.'" '-".- ; .'-.''■■ ■ i '■:.■'"-;.;:'.-" Alison M'Morran, of Wellington, mother of the. deceased,, said that he 'was ,39 years of age.- He had not.been well lately. . He' .was a-jockey, and had been injured'pn a number; of occasions,: and . that • affected, ■his 'health;'. 'Seven' weeks' ago, deceased complained of ill-health.. - He was always, of.a cheerful disposition,■ though he,said on one .occasion . lie "would'.not like his wife -to die before'- him.: < , He.was'not temperate'.';Witness'last saw;; him. alive three"' weeks ago/when ,he was ,in Wellington to see'a.doctor. '..';''.,'''' "A .verdict, was returned that - deceased died at 'Porirua on (September 18 from:- a gunshot,-wound self-inflicted. There -was no evidence to indicate/the treason for the.act.; .'•; '■■■ '.-• '•;■„