SUICIDE OF MR. PERSTON.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 241, 17 July 1872, Page 3

SUICIDE OF MR. PERSTON.

CORONER’S INQUEST. An inquest was held at the Imperial Hotel, Pollen-street, yesterday at noon, ou the body of Matthew John Perston. Dr Sam was the Coroner engaged. A respectable jury of twelve men were sworn in, of whom Mr H. Skene was elected foreman. Mr J E. Macdonald, solicitor, attended on behalf of the No. 3 Hauraki Ritle Volunteers, of which company' the deceased was a member, and requested permission to watch the proceedings, which was, of course, granted. The jury having proceeded to view the body, tiie following evidence was adduced. Mary Ann Perston having been sworn, deposed, that she was the wire of deceased, Matthew John Perston. She had seen the body which was that of her late husband. 1 last saw him alive between 5 and 6 o’clock last night when ho came home to tea. About seven o’clock Mr Cameron came to witness’ house to ask where dewas. Witness became aware of deceased’s death a little alter eight o’clock. The deceased was much excited at tea time, and witness noticed that he did not nurse or take any notice of the baby, a thing he had never omitted to do before. The witness had been married to deceased for 13 years, aud stated that he was not of an excitable nature by any means. Ou the contrary, very quiet as a rule, but lately lie had sometimes taken a little too much to drink. He had a great deal to troul'le his mind of late. He was 45 years of age. By Mr Bulleu : I knew that deceased had arms belonging to the Volunteers sometimes in the office aud sometimes at home. 1 saw the arms yesterday morning in the office, but deceased was not doing anyth.ug with them. The rifle was taken from the house to the office, yesterday, by

my son Lindsay. Did not bear the boy get any instructions to take the rifle, but believe that deceased told him to take the rifle up and clean it. Sarah Jane McCartie deposed: that she was the wife of Robert McCartie and resided in Sea’y-street, next to the Highway Board Office. Witness heard the report of a gun yesterday evening between six and seven o’clock. Mr Perston’s little boy was in my house and I told him to go into the office. She did this without having any idea that there was anything wrong, she thought that Mr Perston was simply preparing fur parade when she heard the shot. I* have seen the body and recognise it as that of Matthew John Perston. I know nothing more of this affair. By Mr Bullen : The hack door of the room where the deceased now lies is facing the front door of my house. Witness saw deceased in the morning cleaning his rifle at the door. I also saw him during the afternoon. Had very little conversation with deceased yesterday. Knew that the shot I heard was fired in Mr Perston’s room as it sounded so close, but took no notice of it. a Juror : The hoy did not go into the office when I asked him to do so after the shot was fired. Heard no noise in the room after the shot was fired.

James Vines Perston said that lie understood the nature of an oath. He was the son of the deceased, Matthew John Perston. . He last saw his father alive between 11 and 12 o’clock yesterday morning. Deceased was then standing in Mr Watters's sliop, in Grahamstown. lie was looking at a time-book, but did not purchase it. He bought a promissory note form and then went away. Witness was employed in Mr Watters’s shop all day long, taking the place of a lad who was away. I returned homo about 8 o’clock in the evening, and was told that my mother had gone to the meeting to see if my father was»not coming home. He stopped at homo until my brother Lindsay came with a message, to sny that he was to go up to the office. Went up and found his mother in the garden, whilst the meeting was going on, and she told him that the hack room was locked up, and that she thought his father must have gone to sleep in there. Afterwards, his mother, walking round the house, sawsomething dropping, and asked what it was. Witness examined and found it was blood. Told Mr Cameron that he had found blood dropping, and then took his mother away to the house in Maiy-strcct. Witness returned to the office and saw Mr Cameron, but was not informed of what had happened until some time afterwards. By Mr Bullen : My father was a member of a volunteer company. He had a rifle and some ammunition, which was generally kept at the house in Marystreet. Once or twice deceased had taken ill’s rifle to the office for the purpose of cleaning it. Witness did not see the rifle yesterday.

Thomas Bedford Cameron was called, and deposed that he was an engineer and architect, residing in Pollen-street. Was engineer to the Highway Board. Knew deceased for about three years, and last saw him alive about 5 o’clock yesterday evening, and Apoke to him at his residence in Mary street; he was then cutting some firewood. Ho said that he would get some dinner and then go and see Mr Gibbons, the timber merchant, and that lie would be at the meeting at seven o’clock. 110 was not present afe the time appointed for the meeting, and I went to liis house in Mary-street to look for him at the request of Mr Burgess. Mrs Perston t< Id witness that deceased had left about six o’clock to go to the meeting. Witness returned to the office and told Mr Burgess wlmt he had learned from Mrs Perston. In a short time deceased’s son, Lindsay, came in and said that he thought his father was asleep in the hack room. At 8 o’clock Lindsay, the boy, told witness that Mrs Perston wanted to see him at the door. Witness went out, and Mrs Perston was anxious to’ know whether he was in the back room or not. Both doors being locked from the inside, recommended Mrs Perston to-return home and wait until the meeting over, when he would find out if deceased was in the room. About half-an-hour afterwards witness was informed by the boy James that there was some blood dripping through the floor of the back room. Witness went and saw it, and then went iti and informed the Board that there was something wrong in the next room. They immediately got the lamp and went outside, and saw the blood themselves. One of the members of the Board then burst the door open and went into the room, followed by the rest of the members. On entering they found deceased in a sort of stooping position on his knees in a corner, with a rifle between his legs, and a large pool of blood on tho floor. The deceased’s head looked much shattered.

By Mr Bulleu : The room where the deceased was found is adjoining the office of the Ivauacranga Highway Board. There are two doors to this room, one from the office, and also an outer door. There is also a window in the olliee. Witness ascertained that the door from the office into the room had been locked from the inside, the key being in the lock. The outer door was also locked from the inside, the key being in tho lock. Did not ascertain whether the window was fastened on the inside or not. Except, through the window (which witness did not know whether it was fastened or not), it was impossible for any person to gain access to the room, both doors being locked or the inside, and the keys being in the locks. Noticed that deceased’s coat was taken off, and was lying on the table. The boot and sock were off his right foot, and the sock was partly in one of his trousers’ pockets. The boot the witness did not notice. Did not examine the sides of the room. The muzzle of the rifle was poiuting from deceased, and the butt was close to his body, as if the rifle had fallen away. Deceased was Secretary and Collector to the Board for about two years, and it was his duty to collect rates, At a meeting of the Board held on the Bth of July, it came to witness’s knowledge that there was a deficiency in the Board account at the bank of £6O. After the meeting of the Board on tiie Bth of July' deceased told witness that he did not know what to do, as there were not sufficient funds in the bank to meet a cheque for £BB 7s lid, which had beeu signed by the Board. Deceased then said that he did not know what the deficiency was exactly, but that lie would be able to inform witness ou the following day. On the next day he showed witness a statement making out that lie could onlyshow £2B in bank, to go against the £BB 7s lid cheque. Of this £2B, £lO lie had to lodge, aud the balance was already banked. Deceased gave witness the cinque with a r. quest to hold it over for a day or two, as it was no use pi senting it at the time. Witness inimediaiely informed the Cnairmaii of the Bind of what had happened, and was t« <1 to try and get the thing settled before h- first meeting of the Board. V itnes s stated that the money had not been pain r.to the bank at all. The deficiency has ariseu

from deceased using cash belonging to Hie Board. As a portion of the money included in the cheque was for deceased’s salary, the actual deficiency to the Board amounted to only £B6. Deceased appeared very anxious lately in consequence of this matteT. This matter would have come before the Board last night, and the deficiency would have been made known to the meAiibers.. The meeting of the Board was held at seven o’clock p m. yesterday. Witness was at the office at a quarter to seven o’clock, and found the chairman and two iepoit-rs present, and the office in order, all papers having been placed in readiness for the meeting. A lamp was also lighted. Witness had observed during the past nine months that deceased has been much given to liquor, but noticed nothing particular during the last few days. By a Juror: Witness did not notice that the door of the inside office was locked troin the inside before the Board met.

James Kilgour deposed that lie was a duly qualified medical practitioner. Last night about nine o’clock Mr Scott, a member of the Highway Board, went to witness’s house, and requested his attendance at the office of the Kauaeranga saying that Mr Perston had shot himself. Immediately accompanied Mr Scott to the place, and upon entering the room adjoining the office of the Board found Mr Cameron and the members of the Board, and his attention was at once directed to tlie body of Mr Perston, which lay in a partly sitting and partly reclining posture, with the head leaning forward on the chest. At once perceived a large wound in the forehead, through which the brain was protruding, and from wlijcli blood was still flowing. The hotly was not perfectly cold nevertheless. Rigor mortis was partly established. Saw lying at the feet of deceased a lifle, which, upon being taken up and examined, proved to have been recently discharged. A large pool of blood had gathered where deceased lay. Made no examination of the wound at that time, but this morning have done so. Witness finds that the bullet entered the root of the nose towards the left side, and passing upwards shattered the pariatal hones at their union on the top of the head. It thence must have passed backwards, lacerating the brain and membranes, and became lost in the substance of the brain as far back as the occipital protuberance. There can be no doubt that a wound sueli as that described must have caused immediate death, and no doubt can be entertained that it was caused by a projectile, for no other weapon could have produced such an injury. By Mr Bullen : From the course taken by the projectile, another person could possibly inflict the wound, but the position of the body favours the opinion that Mr Perston fired the rifle, having the butt resting on the ground, the weapon being at about an angle of 45 degrees. Martin Grace deposed that lie was a constable in the Armed Constabulary, stationed at the Thames. In consequence of a report made to him last night by Air T. R. Jones, witness proceeded to the office of the Board, situated in Seal.-y----street, entered the office and a room off the office, and sow the deceased, Matthew John Perston, lying in a crouched position,

on the floor, portly on his left side, and his head partly under the body. There was a large wound in the forehead, and a large quantity of blood lying on the floor. Deceased was partly undressed (as before described). Found the sock placed between his trousers and shirt, on the left side of his body, and the boot underneath him. Found ihe rifle produced lying between deceased’s feet, with the butt partly under the body. Found an exploded percussion cap on the rifle, with the hammer down. Examined the rifle with the ramrod, and found it foul inside with damp powder, the gun having evidently been recently discharged. The rifle is in the same state now as when it was found. Searched the pockets of deceased, and found in his right vest pocket two percussion caps, similar to the one on the nipple of the rifle. In h’s trousers pockets some memos, of accounts, a bunch of ke}-s, small memo, hook, penknife, letter, etc. By Mr Bullen : There is a window in the room where I saw deceased lying dead, and this window I ascertained was fastened on the inside by means of a kind of spring holt. With tho doors locked on the inside, and the window fastened as I have described, there was no possible means of any person entering the room. Handed over charge of the premises and deceased’s body to Constable Furlong, about 10 o’clock last night. Martin Furlong, being sworn, deposed that he was a constable in the Armed Constabulary, arid stated that he bad received charge of tho body of deceased last night, and remained in charge during the night, and the body was seen by the jury in the same state as when taken charge of. The Coroner then addressed the jury, and said that if any of the jurymen wished lie would go over and explain any part of the evidence which had been adduced befoic lie left them to consider their verdict. He then addressed them at great length on the evidence, and, after a short deliberation, the jury returned the following verdict: —‘-That the deceased, Matthew John Perston, did, on Monday, the loth day of July, 1872, take his own life by shooting himself with a rifle while under temporary insanity.’’