WAIHI INQUEST.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1624, 16 December 1912, Page 7

WAIHI INQUEST.

9 ' CORONER REVIEWS THE EVIDENCE. THE VERDICT. CONSTABLE'S ACTION JUSTIFIED. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) ' .-..-' Waihi, December U. The. first witness-to-day at the resumed inquest concerning the death of F. G. Evans was Mrs. Evans, widow of deceased, who said she 6aw her husband in the hospital on tho morning ho was struck, . She said the forehead was , ■ swollen to twice its ordinary size, and ■ • there were wounds on the back of his head. She knew her husband had a revolver. The weapon alleged to have been used by her husband and. taken,from ~/■'• hini was not his, but tho revolver cover taken from her husband was his. Thomas Franklin, secretary •of the ' Miners' Union, was the next witness. Ho was being examined by Mr. Lundon, (for decoasod's relatives) as to- the events preceding the- day of tho shooting, when ' " ' the coroner said he could not see what Saturday and Monday's events had.to do ; ~ , with tho happenings of Tuesday. Mr. Lundon contended that if continuity of action to take tho hall by ' force could be proved and that the men had grounds to fear attack they were justified in carrying ' . '' Tho coroner said they could keep: on ■-.". for a month with such evidence. Mr. Lundon said it wouldn't matter if thoy went on for' a year if they could J ' get facts concerning Evans's death. The coroner replied that he must have direct evidence. , .He would refuse to v... '■: hear anything concerning events prior to ■■'' the Tuesday. . Mr. Lundon then, related certain inci- " ' dents at Waikino, and these were taken down by the Clerk of the Court. ::.■■ i, Tho foreman of the jury also protested against them as being irrelevant.. The coroner explained that lie wished '" ! "' to have the statements recorded, as it would show the irrelevancy of the evi- , dence which Mi-. Lundon proposed calling ■• as regards the scope of the present inquiry. m . , . Waihi, December IS. The inquiry touching the,death of F. G. Jwans concluded yesterday, before Mr. W. M. Wallnutt, coroner,. several further . '■ witnesses being examined. The coroner, in reviewing the evidence °l tho exhaustive inquiry, pointed out that the scope of the Coroner's Court applied only; to the hianner and cause" of death, and, unlike judicial proceedings, had no concern with circumstances anart from these material facts. He then traversed at length the voluminous evid- • ence adduced, which, he s-aid, went to show 'that there had not .been a preconcerted; plan on the part of !the workers to raid the Waihi Miners' Union's -Hali on Nov. ember 12. but that their action -, in bo '•/.' ' doing had followed.ion.the discharge of. lethal weapons from within. Although the statements were naturally conflicting/ tho weight of evidence ,'went to show that Constable Wade had, in the execution of his duty, pursued and strnck down deceased, who had previously fired upon him, and the constable was justified in so ' doing, because he,had reason to'believe.'' that his own life and that of'others was ' ' in The coroner then stated- the"""' legal position as to justifiable homicide. After a retirement'of.''4o'minutes, tho verdict was returned as follows:— That the jury were of the unani. mous opinion that ..deceased, Frederick George Evans, met with death as the Tesult of a blow from a baton, deliver, ed by Constable Gerald Wade on the morning of November 12, at the back of the Waihi Miners' Union Hall, Waihi, whilst in ,the execution of his duty, and that he (Coristablo Wade) ■was fully justified in striking deceased down. ~ '/ ■ ,' ; .' ; ..'