MANGATOKI TRAGEDY.
CORONER’S INQUEST. The coroner (Mr. T. A. B. Bailey, S.M.) held an inquiry at Mangatoki into the circumstances attending the death of Ernest John Richards, who was found dead with a gunshot wound in the head. Lawrence Henry Magee gave evidence of deceased taking a box of cartridges from the kitchen and returning to the Witness and George Woodhead, who had visited the house that evening, heard an explosion during the evening but took no notice of it until they went to say good-night to Richards. Receiving no reply they obtained a light and found deceased’s dead body in a sitting position on. the edge of the bed, the corpse being propped up by the gun. His parents were immediately informed and the doctor and police communicated with.
Dr. H. A. Cooper testified to examining the body. Death was due to wounds in the head caused by the discharge of a shotgun within a few inches of deceased's head. The wound was selfJnfiicted and death was instantaneous. Deceased was an in-patient in the hospital at Eltham from the 22hd to 31st January, and during that time witness noticed that he was very moody and depressed. The coroner returned a Verdiet that deceased committed suicide while temporarily of unsound inind.
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Taranaki Daily News, 21 April 1921, Page 5
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211MANGATOKI TRAGEDY. Taranaki Daily News, 21 April 1921, Page 5
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