PALMERSTON MYSTERY

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 940, 5 April 1930, Page 1

PALMERSTON MYSTERY

When Was Shooting Known Of ? evidence of newspaper man Statement by Dead Man’s Son Special to THE SUE' PALMERSTON NORTH, Today. THE Price inquest was continued this morning before the coroner, Mr. J. L. Stout, S.M., in the Palmerston North Courthouse. Important evidence regarding an alleged statement by John Price was given by a Pressman.

Mrs. Eva Wilson, a neighbour of Price's, stated that she came home about 12.35 a.m. on the morning Price's body was found, and had seen no lights in Price’s house. At about 12.45 a.m. she heard a noise from the back of Price’s residence which she took to be the explosion of a gun. Ross Meikle, who was in the room, had remarked, "There’s old Price shot liimself.” "At about 4 D.m. on the day the body was found my little boy came in and said, ‘Mummy, Mr. Price is dead.’ I went out and saw John Price and asked him if his father was ill, and he said, ‘No, dead.’ ” Her little boy had been to the house over the road, opposite Price’s, between 4 p.m. and 5.45 p.m. She did not know whether he could have apoken. She could safely say that trom 5 45 p.m. on March 5 until the following morning there was no possibility of her child communicating with John Price, deceased’s son. At teatime, about 6 p.m., on the day the body was found, her boy had said “Mr. Price Is dead. He shot Hmself.” Witness had asked him how he had come by t’-.at knowledge, and he had replied, “ ‘Funny boy’ told me ” “Funny boy” was the name he usually applied to John Price. POLICE NOT THOUGHT OF

To Mr. G. I. McGregor, appearing for deceased’s family, witness stated that when she heard the shot in the night she had not thought of communicating with the police. Discussing Mr. Price’s death with her husband at 5 p.m. the next day, she had asked him whether he thought the shot had anything to do with it. During the time her small son had been across the road she had been in the house, so he had not been under her observation. Senior-Detective Quirke: On the occasions you discussed Price’s death with your husband and Meikle was the child able to hear? —No, not when X discussed it with Mr. Wilson at 5 p.m.. and I don't think he was when I discussed it with Meikle.” Edmond Godfrey Webber, a newspaper reporter, stated that he had seen John Price on Thursday, March S. and again on March S. "On the morning of March S I interviewed him in company with another pressman,” said witness. "He was then asked when he first knew that his father was shot. He replied that it was about 4 o’clock on the day his father's body had been found. He said that the detectives had told him.”

George Hancox, director of the Palmerston North Technical School, who lives across the road from the Prices, also reported having heard a sun shot early on Wednesday morning. "Shortly afterward,” he said, “I got tip and had a look out of the window to see if anything was disturbed. I have the impression that there was a light in Wilson’s; but there was no sign of a light about the street, and everything was calm and still. The sound of the shot did not seem to be muffled. It was quite distinct.”

T suppose you thought it was the sound of a motor-cycle back-firing,” suggested Mr. McGregor. “Well, I tried to think it vyas that, but I could not reconcile myself to it. sc got out to investigate,” replied the witness. GIRL’S EVIDENCE Dorothy Nagel, 18-year-old daughter of another neighbour, stated that John Price had come over and asked where Mr. Nagel was. She had told him he was down in the back section. He had said, “My father is dead,” She said, "Surely not John,” and he said, “Yes, it is so.” Detective Quirke: What was his manner? Witness: He was calm and collected, just as usual. Did he run toward your father? — He walked at his usual pace. When you saw him later, was his manner altered from the previous occasion?—No. He showed no signs of agitation on either occasion. Witness stated that she had gone over to deceased’s house for about a Quarter of an hour at about 10 p.m. John Price’s manner had been unchanged. Then he had come over to "itness’s house for dinner at about 1.30.

Detective Quirke: Did he mention anything about his father’s death during dinner?—He did afterward. Do you remember what he said? — Ao.

bid he speak about his father later ? JJot that I can remember, bid you make any remark to him about Bis part in the business? —Yes. * said I wouldn’t like to be in bis shoes. Jihat did he say to that? —He said, oot even afterwards.” bid you mention the word hanging?—No, What was'his condition at this *"oe?— He was perfectly normal. ''ere there any indications of grief or distress of any kind?—No. "iUiam Nagel, father of the previous witness, stated that he had been eeding his fowls when John Price IJJbie on the scene and called out, father’s dead.” Witness said. Ob. John. He couldn’t be; He’s

asleep”; but Price said; “No. I felt him.” . Detective Quirke-: What was his condition? Was he excited? He seemed quite normal. Witness and a carpenter named Brogden who was working nearby had then gone over to Price’s residence with John Price, and had rung for a doctor. When the doctor came he went into the bedroom alone, and said he would like to have the body moved, so witness and Brogden had gone in. Questioned about the position of the body, witness said he had noticed that the left arm was extended outward from the body at right angles. Detective Quirke: You are positive of that? —Yes. If the doctor said it was the right arm, what would you say?” —I would be right. Did the bed appear to have slept in? —That is more than I can say. There were a sheet and two pillows on it. Did the pillows appear to have been used? —I wouldn’t like to say. Were the pillows in the part of the bed which they would be in usually? N Was there any sign of the room having been disturbed? —None whatever. From what you saw of the position of the body and the state of the room, would you say the man had died where he was found? —Yes I would say so. Witness had assisted in putting Price’s body in a coffin, and he had noticed one thing. The dead man s left arm was stiff, and the undertaker had had to bend it and tie the hands together with a towel, to get the body into the coffin. Before they had left the house he had passed a remark which he could not remember, but which he thought might have been to tell him not to remove anything Cl oil! the room, to which John Price had replied, “They couldn’t hang me for that, could they?” The Coroner: Did you refer to anything having been removed from the room?—I can’t remember. , .. Did tli;it suggest to you that the hoy might have removed something from the room?—I forgot all t about it until my daughter told me that John had said the same thing to her. Detective Quirke: This was when it was thought that a haemorrhage was the cause of death? Yes. What was John Price’s manner at this stage?—He was calm and colThe coroner closely questioned witness regarding his question which had prompted John Price s statement regarding the hanging. The Coroner: Are we to infer that without any suggestion from you that anything had been removed, John Price remarked. “I can t be hanged for that.” Something might have led up to it?—Yes, but I can’t remember. The Coroner: Something must have led up to it, Mr. Nagel, what was it.— I cannot say, Sir. I suppose you realise that if you suggested that nothing should be removed from the room it might be a perfectly natural reply, remarked the coroner. Detective Quirk*: Did Price discuss his financial position with you.—® might have said he was just a little bit short of cash. Mr McGregor: Price had £4OO unpaid purchase money owing him on Wilson’s house? —Yes. _ . Witness admitted that when Puce had been short of money he had told him to go ahead and he said that money would be found so long as the security was there. This completed Nagel’s evidence and the Court then adjourned until Friday next.

An account of yesterday’s proceed ings appears on Page ‘5.