A YOUTH’S SUICIDE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5086, 9 February 1927, Page 4

A YOUTH’S SUICIDE.

THE PATETONGA FATALITY.

CORONIAL INQUIRY. An inquest into the circumstances surrounding the death of Henry Walter Furness, aged 18, who was found dead in dense scrub at Patetonga on Thursday, was conducted a'\ Pntctonga on Friday by the coroner, Mr W. 11. Lucas. The cvidenc of the father, Abraham Furness, Pio Pio, was to the effect that deceased had been working for a brother of witness at Patetonga since December last. In one of his letters home Hie boy said he was tired of cutting manuka and ,wanted a change. Witness tald him lie could come lieiine if he liked.

Herbert Illingworth FurnePs, a brother oT the previous witness, and the employer of the deceased, said he last saw him at 10.30 a.m. on Wednesday, 2nd inst., when he. left to do some fencing, carrying a borrowed shotgun to shoot stray pigs. Deceased had never complained of his work. He could not think of any reason for the lad ifeeling unhappy and discontented. Evidence o'f the accidental finding of the body in thick scrub was given by William Pullman. In company with others he went through an,„ unfrequented patch of scrub whilst engaged in farming work, and came upon the body of deceased. The muzzle o,f the shotgun was lying across the lower part of the body, whilst the stock was resting against a tree near a nail which had been driven into the tree about 12 inches above the ground. After noting the wound in deceased’s head and making a. careful examination of the surroundings witness concluded that deceased had driven the nail into the tree on which he hooked the trigger and placed the muzzle of the gun against his forehead.

The verdict was that death resulted from a shotgun wound, self-inflict-ed.