SUICIDE VERDICT

Hokitika Guardian, 24 August 1933, Page 5

SUICIDE VERDICT

GUN REPAIRED FOR PURPOSE

MANAGING DIRECTOR’S DEATH

(Per Press A ssociatior — Copyright.,

AUCKLAND, August’23

An inquest wa. s held before 'Mr W. R. McKean, S.M., touching on the death >of 'Claude Meredith Fanwiok. aged •54, managing director of T. and SMorrin and Fenwick. Ltd., who was •found dead in his office late on Monday afternoon. Cecil Tilley, warehouse manager, said he heard the report of a gun, and dashed into the deceased’s office and found him sitting in a chair, apparently dead. No person left the deceased’s office on Monday morning. Deceased gave witness a single-bairol-led shotgun, with a request that he should have .the striking pin fixedWitness took the gun to a gunsmith. It was brought back that afternoon. ’Evidence wa,s given by John Murracy, secretary of the firm, that, owing to the financial state of the firm, the hank had put in a receiver about a month ago. During the past for*.night, Fenwick had appeared more fheert'u.l than usual.

Detect i ve-Se : rge' i nt' McHugh pio dimed eleven letters written by the deceased to mem,hors of his family, business associates,’ and friends. A note left on his desk read as follows ; ‘T finished my letters at 1-15 a-m. this morning, pulled the trigger, and nothing 'happened. The gun had a defective pin, and would' not istrike. Then I had to g 0 home, and go t-o bed. Ironical, wasn’t it? There was a sort of tragedy to comedy touch about it. That i.s why I am still here waiting for the gun to bo repaired.’’ The Coroner returned a verdict that the deceased died as the result of haemorrhage following a gunshot wound in the left chest, the wound being r elf inflicted. “The letters indicate what he was passing through, said' the Coroner.