“TALKED OF SUICIDE”

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 946, 12 April 1930, Page 1

“TALKED OF SUICIDE”

Wife Makes Statement INQUEST AT PALMERSTON A Dramatic Development Special to THE SUN PALMERSTON NORTH, Today. THERE was a dramatic development when the Price inquest was resumed this morning, and Mr. MacGregor, the solicitor acting on behalf of the Price family, rose to his feet. “Mi's Price has authorised me this morning to make a statement to the Court, as to certain matters she feels should be placed before the Court,” he said.

■lt appears sir, that since the deceased's accident about Christmas, 1928, on certain occasions lie has suttered from periods of depression, and su several occasions he mentioned to Mrs. Price that he. thought of shooting himself. It is father difficult to ret details from Mrs. Price, and she is in practically a state of collapse: but -he said his only worry appeared to be the state of his health, and the injuries he had received in his accident.” Detective Quirke: Did he say when these periods occurred? Witness: Yes. Apparently the threats were mostly made some mcaths ago, and she also said he had always insisted that John Price, the younger son, must not know anything about it, and he apparently wanted to keep everything from him. She said further that until the last week she has not realised that this would have any connection with the tragedy as had been seen, her husband’s practice very often was to sleep on the floor,, but a remark 1 made to her last Saturday, as to the fact that there was no pillow on the floor, convinced her that he would not be sleeping on the floor.

THIRD PARTY MENTIONED •Immediately afterward l saw John Price and told him what his mother bad told me. and asked him whether, in view of that, he could tell me anything further; but he still maintained that he knew absolutely nothing until between 7 o'clock and S o'clock ther next morning, and he did not move anything from the roow. I feel in justice to the boy that I should state that there is a possibility that it was arranged with a third party to remove the evidence.” The Coroner: 1 think if that is so that the third party should edtne for-, ward as a certain amount of suspicion will rest on the boy for life. 1 Mr MacGregor stated that as far as he knew the top of deceased’s spine had been injured in the accident. Ho had been under treatment by Dr. Laurenson, and had been fn hospital. “I have Co thank you, Mr. MacGregor, for the evidence which you have brought forward. It seems a very proper thing for a solicitor to do.” commented the corner. The crouer stated that he would probably adjourn the case, sine die, to allow a-report to be. obtained from Hr. Laurenson.

HOMICIDE THEORY ATTACKED Ar opportunity was afforded Dr King: and Dr. Wylie, however, to attack the homicide theory advanced by two medical men yesterday afternoon. ",'itZ !i “Dr. MiUor and Dr. Boyd have attempted to explain death by homicide. as resulting from a wound the nature a-nd direction of which are notoriously that o£ selection by a suicide,” said Dr. King. “The wound in the present instance is that produced by a suicide in the attempt to blow out his brains by the way of the mouth in the only conceivable way with such an uuweildy weapon as a shot-gun. To quote Dr. F. J. Smith, formerly medical reference to the Home Office, 111 Taylor’s ‘Pi-incl pies and Practice of Medical Jurisprudence’: ‘There is one situation where it is almost impossible for a murderer to imitate, i.e., inside the month.’ "Whereas, after careful considera tlon of my report, three of my colleagues are unanimously of the opinion that the fatal wound was selfinflicted in the position in which the body was discovered. Dr. Miller and

[Dr. Boyd, apparently realising the | extreme improbability of homicide with the hotly in its known position, j have .lead to assn me a problematical position of the body, in order to secure the known direction of the missile,” said witness, referring to Dr. Miller’s demonstration. / Dr. King said: “Dr. Miller’s PO_sition repeats precisely the position described by me, even necessarily the direction of the head; but he conveni--1 ently rolled the body on to its side to make the direction of the missile accord with that of a shot-gun. DEMONSTRATION TO CORONER Witness then demonstrated to the Coroner with a shotgun, and a bed brought into the Court, his theory, and the impossibility of ijjrice having been murdered in the position in which he was found. “1 maintain that the position of the head accepted the direction of the missile, demanded by virtual parallelism between the body and the shotgun, so that the assailant would have to be crouched in an awkwardly low position, or; alternately to have preserved the. parallelism to be so far | from his victim’s head to have produced a large irregular wound, and j little of any powder ingraining. Taking' the average measurement from shoulder tip to shoulder tip in a spare individual as not less than 17 inches, j and the distance from the floor to j under the surface of the bedrail at the known measurement of 13 inches, then it would be an impossibility for the position described by Dr. Miller and Dr. Boyd lo be assumed, unless the shoulders were quite clear of the bed.” With the assistance of Detective Russell, witness demonstrated this point. ! “Secondly,” he said, “for the body to move from, this position to that occupied at the tithe of discovery, first a rolling movement would be necessary tor the shoulder to clear, the rail, followed by a considerable bodily heave to cai'ry the head under the .bed. With death occurring Instantaneously the complicated movement of rolling, and thrust with the head partly under the bed, and the shoulders clear of the rail in a position demonstrated by Dr. Miller, it is manifestly as difficult for the victim to see his assailant as it would be for the murderer to shoot his victim at pointblank range, where he was shot. Filially, from the immediate daiiiage the wound inflicted on the great vessels ! at the base of the brain, arterial blood would instantly gush from the mouth and In the supposed rolling movement described by Dr. Miller and Dr. Boyd, would have placed a profuse arc-llke course over the left side of the body and carpet. The localisation of the blood to a single and continuous sheet disposed round the Xxead and tile j left side of face is one of the main ! points in proof of the fact that the body did not move appreciably after “the wound was inflicted.” INQUEST ADJOURNED Dr. Wylie also attacked the theory of homicide. “I fully associate myself with Dr. King's remarks,” he said.' “The wound is typically that of a suicide, and one rarely ever used by a homicide.” The coroner '• adjourned the pro, ceedings sine die to allow further inquiries to be made, and a report obtained from Dr. Laurenson to see if the deecased’s brain had been affected by his injuries received in the motor accident. An account of yesterday afternoon’s proceedings appears on Page 5.