SHOOTING AFFRAY

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2527, 30 July 1915, Page 7

SHOOTING AFFRAY

THE INQUEST •BEST THING IS TO FINISH IT!' An inquiry was held at the Hospital yesterday afternoon before Mr. D. G. A. Cooper 5.M.,-into the death of Harry who, after shooting at another, shot himself through the head at his witeV residence, 28a Martin Street, on Tuesday last. Tho case for the police was conducted by Senior-Ser-geant Dow. . Mrs. Louisa Adelaide Parslow stated that up till recently she had resided at Ten ■°n; !i ii■ llear Napier. She had resided in Wellington, since December last, her late husband remaining at To Pohui. Rle-had come to torni last Saturday week, and stayed at the house in Martin Street. .Ho had been drinking a good deal since he had been in town, and drank heavily on Monday last. \\itness had a revolver in her possession (revolver produced and identified), hhe had had no cartridges for it. On Saturday she= visited Sims Hardwa.ro Co. with her husband, and the latter purchased'a box of cartridges, of which lie kept possession. On Sunday morning she saw the. cartridges on the mantclpiGco in Jier bedroom. Th© rovolvor was then under her pillow. When she mado the bed she threw the revolver into, a box. Oh shiftlug tihe. box of cartridges sho round it rattled, and, looking in, found that some of the cartridges were missing, and then on examiniug the.revolver found-it .was loaded. She shifted the revolver to a smaller box, more secure from the children. ■ The next time she saw _ the revolver it was after her husband was shot. _ She had had a slight disagreement with her husband on account of tho latter's drinking habits. She last saw her husband before the trouble about 3 o'clock on Tuesday afternoon, when ho wa>s sitting in the kitchen talking with Mr. Collingwood. She went upstairs, and about half an hour afterwards heard a.report and her daughter scream out. Then she heard a louder report, and as she was rushiugdownstairs she fainted on the landing. Her husband had never threatened to take his own life. On the Monday night ho was going to' the pictures with her, but ho had somo idea that sho wanted to take the children. When the time came to start he would not go, but went out'and into a house opposite.' His daughter went over, and asked him to come back, and'when ho clid he said: "I suppose you're: dead against'me?" To which she replied that it would be just the same if he "would give up tho drink. "Oh, well," ho said, "if there's going to be any difference tho best thing 1 can do is to finish it I" -. With that ho'put his hand into his left breast inside pocket. ~ Mr. Collingwood had been boarding with her since the end of April or the beginning of May. . He had arrived on Tuesday afternoon. Her husband was aware that Mr. Collingwood was boarding with lior, but the tivjo had not mef until the Tuesday morning. :As far as she knew, there was no disturbance botween her husband and Mr. Collingwood. Dr. Henry B. Ewen, resident medical officer of the Wellington Hospital, testified that the deceased had two'.bullet wounds in the skull when, he was brought unconscious, to the Hospital at 5.30 p.m. on Tuesday.. The first wound was above and behind tho right ear, and the.other was oiv the-other side of tho skull (where the bullot had made. its exit). ' ■ .

: Ernest Wm. Collingwood, ! one of the permanent; guard' at Somes' Island, said he had kniown Mrs. Parslow for'three and a; half months.' and had .boarded at h'er "'residence arid,' 1 off', tip/ till 1 last Tuesday. Ho had met' tho deceased at about a quarter to three on Tuesday afternono. He was ; sitting on the sofa when Mr. Parsldw' ".(whom lie did' hot know, as such) entered the room from, the.scullery. .He saw'the deceased was under the influence of drink, and disked him to'.sit dowii.: .While talking, Mrs. Parslow and , her daughter passed upstairs, and immediately afterwards the deceased went out and returned about twenty minutes later. He (Collingwood) tried to induce liiin to lie down, but his efforts only 'seemed to make Parslow angry. • Witness sat on the table, and Parslow drew a revolver from his in-side-pocket, pointed it at witness, but it misfired. A few seconds later' he fired again, and struck the hook of tho belt, .and the bullet went through his clothing. beneath it on the left side. Witness then .dropped down behind the table to.get.out of the road. On jumping up later he saw Parslow fallings off the sofa, dropping the revolver as lie fell., which witness picked up. sHe then sent Lena Parslow, who had been in tho room, for the police. There was absolutely no reason for the disturbance. Parslow was.quite drunk at the time. Dr. Marshall, of the Hospital staff, said that deceased died at a quarter to 2 a.m. on Wednesday. The cause of death was shock and.injuries^duo to bullet .wounds.. Miss Edith Miller, a lodger, with Mrs. PaTslow, testified to _ seeing Parslow raise the revolver to his head,, fire, and then fall head first to tho floor. , Sergeant J. A. Cruickshank gave formal evidence. The Coroner brought in the. verdict that death had by shock due to bullet wounds in the head, selfinflicted whilst in a state of temporary iiisanity. : Tho Coroner added that it was; evident that the man's mind must havo been, affected by. excessive drinking.;