INQUEST.

Globe, Volume VI, Issue 637, 4 July 1876, Page 3

INQUEST.

ANN L. HENDERSON.

An inquest was held yesterday at the Hospital, before J. W. S. Coward, Esq, coroner, on the body of Ann L. Henderson, who died from the effects of a gunshot wound received at Leeston on the 9th of May last, at the hands of Matthew Henrv Rowland,

After the jury had viewed the body the following evidence was taken : Elizabeth McKenzie examined, stated that she lived at Leeston, and was staying at the house of Arthur Rowland, at Leeston. On the 9th of May last the deceased, who was her Bister, was at the same house that that day. Between four and five o'clock that afternoon she was sitting by the fire taking off her boots when she heard a gun go off outßide the house. She went out, and saw Matthew Henry Rowland in a paddock close to the house, with a gun in his hand. He was calling for Arthur Rowland to come. Her sister Ann was not quite a chain from Matthew Rowland, and she (witness) saw blood flowing from her forehead and down her eyes. Deceased called out—"Oh! Arthur, Matthew hap shot me." Arthur went up and took her sister into the house, and sent Matthews for Dr Chapman, who came in about an hour and a half. The doctor attended her sister for two days at Arthur Rowland's house, and after that she was brought to the Christchurch Hospital. Her sister told her that she was going towards Matthew with a spy glass in her hand, and he said—" Look out; lam going to shoot you. lam going to blow your bra'- s out," and she said—" No, Matt, don't do that," and with tbat the gun went off, There had been no quarrel, nor was there any ill feeling between her sister and Matthew Rowland, Arthur John Rowland stated that on the 9th May last the deceased came to his house, He had been bad friends with her previous to that, and when she came in that day she said something to him that he did not like, and he told her to go out. She said she would not go, and he told her he would give her ten minutes to do so, and if she was not out by that time he would go to Leeston and get some one to put her out. She said she would go out when she was ready, and he went away to his w«*k at a fence close to the house, about five chains from where the accident occurred, He went into the house two or three times after that, but never spoke to her. He saw his brother Matthew and her skylarking in the house, and one time she got him on to floor, and was holding him down in play. She was doing some ironing for herself that afternoon, and his brother was gathering wood and putting it under the irons to keep them hot. About four o'clock he (witness) went into the house to light his pipe, and his brother Arthur went out with a double barrel gun, saying he was going to shoot swamp hens, leaving deceased in the house. A little before five o'clock saw his brother coming down the fence, about ten chains off with a gun in his hand, and heard deceased, who was outside the house say, "Here's Matt coming, I will go and meet him before Igo home." He looked round a little time afterwards and saw them about a chain apart, and he observed that his brother had the gun in his left hand, and was swinging it carelessly as he walked. In a few seconds heard the report of a gun, and looking round saw his brother standing about a yard past her and calling for him (witness) to come quickly. Deceased was lying on the ground, and his brother stood like that until she rose on to her feet. She called out to him to come, that Matthew had shot her. When he got to her found her face covered with blood, and he took her inside and sent for a doctor; Deceased remained at his house for a day or two until she was brought into the Christchurch Hospital. There had been no quarrel between his brother and her.

Matthew Henry Rowland, being duly cautioned, stated that he is seventeen years of age. On the 9th May he was at- his brother's house at,Leeston. Deceased was there at the same time. They were quite friendly, and he had never known her to speak to until that day. He went out of his brother's house that morning to shoot, and left deceased in the house, and in the afternoon as he was returning she came to meet him. He had the gun in his right hand, one barrel being loaded with powder and shot. Deceased had a spyglass in her hand, acid was looking at him with it. He called out to her to " look out, you will get Bhot," and when he got within ten or eleven yards off her the gun went off. He was swinging the gun in his hand at the time. The charge struck deceased in the face. He could not say whether the gun was at full cock or not. He never pointed the gun a,t deceased, and was walking by the side of the fence, the fence being on his right hand. He had been living at Mr Delamain's recently at Ifaldhurst, and whilst there he had snapped caps several times at the boys, and they had snapped them at him, Dr Robinson, house surgeon, stated that the deceased was brought to the Hospital on 12th May last. She was in a very weak state, both eyeballs being injured. She said that she had been shot in the face.. The injury to the eyes went on well for a week. There was complete loss of sight at the end of a week- She was taken with inflammation of the lungs of a low type, and gradually sank, and died on the 30th June. He was of opinion that the inflammation of the lungs resulted from the effects of the gunshot wounds. There were two or three shot embedded in the skin of the head when she was brought to the Hospital. These were all the witnesses examined, and the coroner having reviewed the evidence, and explained the law between murder and manslaughter, the jury returned a vcudict, " That Matthew Henry Rowland did, on the 9th May, feloniously and unlawfully kill Ann Lawrence Henderson,^ The coroner then committed Rowland to take his trial at the present Criminal Sessions on the charge of manslaughter. Accused was removed in custody, and will be brought before the Grand Jury this morning.