CORONER'S INQUEST.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 182, 6 September 1909, Page 3

CORONER'S INQUEST.

An inquest concerning Mr. J. 0. George's death was held by Mr. H. S. Fitzaerbert, S.M., District Coroner, on Saturday. Sergeant Haddreil conducted the inquiry. Annie George, daughter of deceased, deposed that her father was 59 years eld. His physical health had been generally very good. The family consisted of witness' father, uur Brother and herself. Her brother left home about 8.30 a.m. on Friday. Witness? was at home until 0.45 a.m., when she left her father in the house. He was then sitting on the verandah. Witness returned at 5.5 p.m. The ihouse wa> open. Witness went through to the kitchen to put down a basket she had., Passing her father's bedroom door on her return she found the door open -. and looked in. She noticed her father's foot on the floor, and went in, thinking he had fallen down. Her father was lying on'liis back on the floor, alongside the bed. She felt both his hands, and - found they were quite' cold. Then witness saw a pea rifle lying between his legs, with the muzzle pointing towards aim. Witness then went for assistance . and sent for Dr. Home. She could not assign any reason for the deed. Deceased had not been very well for two or three days, but on Friday morning he seemed quite well. Witness' mother ' and brother died two years' ago, and her father had fretted a good deal since then. He had never talked of committing suicide. The pea rifle belonged to her brother, and was usually kept in the workshop. There were no signs of a struggle. Tom Veale George, son of deceased, » with whom he had been living in Vivian Street, stated that he left the house about 8.30 a.m. on Friday to go to . the breakwater. The last time he saw Ms father was on the previous evening, when he appeared to be* in his usual condition. There was nothing to indicate that he was likely to commit suicide. Witness did not return iiome until a little after 5 p.m. He identified the rifle, which was kept in the workshop. He could assign no motive Sot the deed. Dr. G. Home stated that he was calfpil to deceased's residence about 5 p.m. on Friday. Deceased was lying dead on bis hack in a bedroom, with his' head and part of his body underneath the bed. There was no evidence of any disturbance, in the room. The body was cold, and deceased must have been dead some hours. There was a bullet wound on the left temple, but no other marks of violence on the body, which was fully dressed. Witness made a post-mortem examination on Saturday morning and found death to be due to a bullet wound in the brain. The shot had been fired with the muzzle close to deceased's head, the edges of the entering wound being singed and blackened with powder. The hullet had traversed the brain obliquely upwards and backwards, The bullet was a soft leaden one, such as would fit the pea rifle produced. The rifle must have been held very close to the temple. The brain had been healthy. The liver was in a state of chronic inflammation, which might have had the effect of making deceased despondent. In witness' opinion the wound in the brain was/ self-inflicted and was the cause of death. Witness had known deceased for about seven or eight years, and he always appeared quite sound mentally. The Coroner found that deceased came by his death from a gunshot wound, apparently self-inflicted.