SAD AFFAIR AT PAEMAKO.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 432, 20 January 1912, Page 5

SAD AFFAIR AT PAEMAKO.

YOUNG MAN FOUND SHOT. A very sad occurrence took place at Paemako on Wednesday afternoon. A young man named W. H. Livens was found shot about a quarter to four o'clock in the house of Mr P. T. Dayis. A revolver was found in his hand. The circumstances appear to be most distressing. The deceased, who was a surveyor's draughtsman employed in Auckland, was spending a holiday in the district. When he was found life was not extinct and Dr Fullerton was summoned, but on his arrival found that Livens was dead. The body was removed to Te Kuiti, where an inquest was held on Thursday before Mr P. Floyd, actingcoroner, and a jury consisting of Messrs Dines (foreman), A. S. Gresham, R. Cashel and J. Cooke. R. N. Carpenter, stock agent, deposed that he was returning from Puketiti on Wednesday, and, on approaching Mr Davis' house met him coming through the fence on the road. He accosted Mr Davis on a matter of business to which he replied that he did not wish to talk business at that juncture, and said that there was a man in the house with a revolver in his hand and asked witness to come back with him. On entering the house they found deceased sitting on a chair with his head thrown back, and no movement in the body, although the heart was beating. Witness and Mr Davis removed him to a bed. Dr Fullerton gave evidence as to having gone to Paemako to the scene of the occurrence. On his arrival he ascertained that Livens had been dead for some time, and that death was due to a bullet wound over the right eye, which had penetrated the skull. The bullet had lacerated the brain. He noticed a bruise on the right forefinger, which could have been done any time. There was nothing to show from witness' observation whether the wound was self inflicted or not, but deceased was in such a position as death might be caused by a discharge of the. revolver whilst looking into the chamber.

P. T. Davis stated that deceased had been staying with him for about a week. He appeared perfectly right, and witness had last seen him alive at noon on that day. Witness explained that about a quarter to four that afternoon he was milking, and heard a dull report, and attributed it to the explosion of a pea rifle cartridge that might have been in some old clothes he was burning. Witness did not know any reason why the young man should take his life, and was inclined to believe that it was an accident.

T. W. Evans deposed that he knew the deceased who had been on a holiday at his place for the past eight weeks. He first met him coming out from England two years ago. De ceased was about 22 years of age, and was a surveyor's draughtsman. Witness knew that deceased had a revolver. He practised at a target with it, and also shot rabbits. He had never known deceased to be despondent, as he was always cheerful and in good spirits. Previously when he was staying with witness, he saw him cleaning the revolver, when witness pointed out that there was an empty shell in the chamber. Deceased replied that that particular one always jammed. His impression was that the aaa affair was 'due to an accident.

The jury brought in a verdict that deceased had met his death as the result of a bullet wound received while handling a loaded revolver.