RAMARAMA TRAGEDY

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2586, 7 October 1915, Page 6

RAMARAMA TRAGEDY

THE INQUEST

EVIDENCE OP THE ELDEST SON

By Teleera-ph.—Press Association,

Auckland, October 0. The adjourned inquest oil John Thomas Perry, iarmer, of Ramarama, found shot dead in bed on September 25, opened this morning. Amelia Perry, aged twenty-nino (wife of deceased), -under arrest", was present in custody. Her demeanour was perfectly calm.

Tho licensee of tho hotel at Drury gave evidenco that deceased had refreshments, including a mug of beer, at the hotel at 7.40 p.m., and left at .8.20 p.m. on September 24. He- left the hotel perfectly sober. , 1 Lillian Perry, residing at Ramarama, but not a relative of deceased,' gave evidenco of a conversation between her mother and accused prior, to the tragedy, in. which accused said she would not bo without her husband for anything, as she could not control the boys. Her eldest boy thereupon remarked that he did not care if his father died to-morrow, as be badly usc-d tho boys. Henry Jennings gave evidence that accused borrowed a -gun from him one week before the tragedy, stating that her husband wanted a loan of it. He identified the gun produced in Court. Thomas Perry, the eldest son of the decea'sed, referring to the conversation recounted by Miss Perry, said he did not remember saying anything. He was awakened about 2.40 o'clock on tho morning of September 25 by a noise like gun fire, and 1 noticed that a smell of powder came from his father's bed-: room. He looked through a crack in' tho boarding between the rooms and thought he saw his mother moving on the bed, leaning over towards his father. He heard his'father groaning, and asked his mother the cause. -She did not reply at first, but told him to light the lamp. She then said his father. looked like-as if-ho had been shot, and told him to get a neighbour, Bill' Ginnovan, to come over.'' . They went together, his mother, saying to, Ginnevan,; "Come on up; tomebody's shot Tom." His mother was crying, "fitness .said his mother offered no explanation of how tho shooting occurred. His parents had sometimes' quarrelled, but not recently. . . ' Cross-examined, witness' stated - that he remembered his father going to-hos-pital in May through being poisoned by eating tinned fruit. His mother threw; tho tin into the fire after taking "out the fruit., He did hot remember her doing'this before; Mr. i Mays, for the Crown, stated, that witnesses would be'called to show that deceased's illness was due to strychnine poisoning. Witness, resuming, said he had never heard it. said that 'anyone had a set on his father.- On' returning from tho neighbour's ,hi>9' mother said someone might havo been' quarrelling ' with, his father, but slio, did not say who. i : William Francis Guinevaii,'farmer, of Ramarama, told tlio'Coroner about tho visit of-Mrs. Perry and her'son early on the morning of September'2s- He was awakened by hearing a woman calling out, "Come, quick; come, quick. Tom's dead." As iie left the house it was eight minutes past three.' He had' ,told Mrs. Perry to ; send for Mr. Pilking■ton. ""Witness called for Mr. Cox,'the Presbyterian inissibner. Witness found deceased lying on' 1 his right side on tlie side of the bed nearest to tho window. His head was shot away above the tomple; Witness remarked, "He's shot." Mrs. Perry said, "Yes." Witness added, "But: I don't rsee any: firearms." Mrs. Perry replied, "He Was shot through the window." In reply l to his inquiry as. to-whetherr there were any firearms in ./.the. house,. Mrs. Perry ■said,. "There's only a-gun in the dairy, and'.that has not been used since Thurs ; •day." , . She either a:dded> thatthere' wero two cartridges left or. that tho ; last two had; been fired on the Thursday. ■ Witness' said .that the line of the window was.too low for. the shot to have entered deceased's, head where it did. Witness related circumstances of a will which lie and Mr. Pilkington witnessed when deceased, was poisoned in April last;. On arriving at the house in response to a call they foulid Perry lying on tlio floor suffering froin the effects of poisoning./ He said he wanted'the property left to the four eldest boys. Mrs. Perry asked him what . Leonard (tho youngest boy) had done to be left out, of the will, whereat Perry said, "All right-, put him in;'.' • On the suggestion of witness Mrs. Perry was given a life interest with the proviso that after her death the five sons should divide.the propertyequally. Witness/ . said Mrs.,. Perry seemed to be concerned about_ her husband., She aid/not complain before provision was made for her in tho will, but only when the boy Leonard was left out. .

George Cox, Presbyterian missioner, gave evidence as to accompanying tho previous witness to Perry's house. He said Mrs. Perry was greatly distressed.

Dr. Brookfield described deceased's injuries. He was of, opinion that the shot, was fired close to deceased's head.. He did not think-,--'it could have been fired through a window with the .sam<\ result. , Describing deceased's illness in April witness said it was possible that the cause of illness ' was ifttanus.

Dr. Milson was of opinion that the wound was. not caused by ' a.. gun being fired from outside, a window. It was probably fired close to the head. It was possible for the wound to be. selfinflicted; but this was very unusual. , The inquest was adjourned. .