THE SUPPOSED SUICIDE AT GREYMOUTH.

West Coast Times, Issue 314, 25 September 1866, Page 2

THE SUPPOSED SUICIDE AT GREYMOUTH.

fI'HOM THE AHOUB OF BATUBDAT.)

An inquest was held before W. H. Revell, Esq., R.M., at the Melbourne Hotel, on Thursday, on the body of John Couche, who had been found shot'iu' one of the rooms of the hotel on tho previous day. The following evidence was taken :— Satnuel Heighwayi manager of the hotel, stated that he saw the deceased on the morning of his death, at about a quarter before eight o'clock, when the gave him an order on the Collector of Customs for Ll9 16s, and stated he would settle the balance of his account with Air Johnston, lie was doing something witb^ a gun,- and witness asked him if he was' going out shooting, And he replied that he was. This occurred in the commercial ' room up stairs. Witness went down stairs to the bar, and in a few minutes heard a noise up-stairs, a/ if some one had upset a heavy chair or table, but did not hear anything that sounded like the report of a gun. Mr Oldfield came down and t.aid that deceased had shot himself. -Witness went up and found deceased lying on his back on the floor, and a large pool of blood at his head. Deceased appeared to be quite dead at the time. The gun was lying between the legs of the deceased, with the muzzle under his left thigh, high up. There was a strong smell of gunpowder in the room, as if the gun had been recently discharged. Deceased was always in good spirits. He complained the flight before that he was not well, and went to beil early. - In the morning he complained of a pain in his chest when he was in the bar at about half-past seven o'clock. Knew that the deceased was short of money. He gave witness the order of his own accord, but he had been asked for it. The balance he owed the hotel was about four pounds ten shillings. Arthur William Oldfield deposed that he knew the deceased. He was a fellow clerk in the Customs since last March, but deceased left- orr the 7th instant. Saw the deceased on the ' night before his death. He complained of a pain in his chest. On the following morning deceased came into witness 1 bedroom and awoke hiw. He asked if witness would take back a gun which deceased had borrowed from Mr Wright several days before. He said, the S>wder and shot belonged to Mr Wilmot. c also said he vtea going to Hokitika, and would return before Saturday. Deceased looked at the watch and said it was twenty minutes past seven. He was only partly dressed then. Witness got up and put on his trousers, aud went to the Com-mercial-room, and on opening the door smelt the gunpowder, and on looking round the ' room saw deceased lying on his back on the floor, and his feet stretched out straight. The gun was lying between j bis legs, pointing towards his left thigh. Did not go uear the deceased when he first entered tho room. Witness went down to the bar - and/ called "to Mr • Heighway, " Good God ! Mr Heisjhway, did you see Couche?" He said, "Yes, what for ?" Witness replied that Couche had shot him; self. Heighway and witness immediately went up stairs to look at deceased, who appeared to be dead. Deceased appeared more changed in his demeanor during the last two months ; lie was more thoughtful and ndt in such good spirits as he used to be. Deceased was short of money, for he .had not been paid his salary from the Government. Had heard deceased say he had lent money to a man in town, but could not get it back. Deceased had said he would discharge the gun for fear of accident. Never heard the deceased contemplate suicide. Georgina Mackenzie, housemaid at the hotel, deposed that, she saw the deceased in the commercial room with a gun in his hand, which he put on the table. Asked him what he was going to do with the gun, and he replied, "never mind, you just go out." Witness then left the room, and went down stairs. He appeared to speak in haste when asked about the gun, and witness thought there was something strange in the appearance of his face. Constable Chapman deposed to having been sent for, and seen the body of the deceasedi and described the position of .the body, H» iaw something wrong wity

the mouth, but could not see anything wrong in the front or top of the head. _ The back part of the head was lying in the blood. Took possession of (he gun (produoed), a single barrel, which had the appearance of having been recently dis- - charged. There was no cap on the gun " when witness oxaniined it. When witness first entered the room the ratnrod was on the table, and the cap of the screw was off. Deceased was a tall man, and could easily have reached the trigger whilst the muzzle waa in his mouth. The ceiling of the roomwag marked with shot and portions of the brain. There was also a portion of the skull lying on the chair bealde the body. The gun hid been removed before witness examined it. Sergeant Walsh stated, that on searching the deceased's portmanteau he found - a small packat labelled " Poison—Strychnine," bat conld find no* paper or document to shoV that deceased bad contemplated suicide. On exammg the gun he ■ | could not nrid any cap 6r tht remain* of one, although the hammer wa* down, and he could find no trac« of it on fcfee Hoot. Dr. Jackson-, who had mad* a post rnbtUm examination of the deceased, »tated that when he waa first called to *te the deceased, he found hioi lying 6ft hi* back on the floor; the muscles were flaccid, and blood was rnniving fr6n* his mouth and nostrils, an 4 the head was resting in a pool of blood. ' Lite was perfectly extinct. He made aa examination of the Head, and found that the teeth were intact, the lips blackened, and the whole muewt membrane of the mouth charred. The posterior portion of the tongue waa torn away, and thejjpper portion A the roof of the mouth. The' course of the wound, was a double one, at an angle of ninety degrees, penetrating to the lower portion of the brain, and the upper portion of the brain from the right towards the left. The brain was scattered about the room, and a portion ,of tße skull lying on a couch close by. The contents of a gun might hare caused the , injuries described, which would cause death instantaneously. If the muzzle of ~a gun loaded with shot was placed so far within the mouth to reach the position, Sir have the direction which would give its contents the effect which they have produced, the muzzle of the gun mast have been introduced well into the mouth before it was exploded. The deceased might have effected suph a wound on himself with a gun. The cause of death was < the violence of the injury which tne brain sustained, and which may have been produced by the discharge of the gun ia question. If the deceased had con tern- , plated suicide, and had studied the position of the -gun, the wound might have been the same as that which has occurred. William Wright deposed to having lent the deceased a gun on the 15th inst., for the purpose of going out shooting. On Monday deceased promised to return the gun on the following morning. The gun was not loaded when lent to deceased. He once asked deceased what he was going to do, aud be replied that he had a speculation df his own in his head. \V. Rice, an assistant to Mr Proaser, druggist, deposed tbat the deceased called and purchased a shilling's worth of strychnine on Monday, the 17th inst., stating he wanted it for the purpose of killing rajs. He did" not appear excited at the time. The jury found a verdict to the effect that the deceased had died from the effects of a gunshot wpund in the head, but i whether caused by accident or otherwise, there was not sufficient evidence to show.

When is it dangerous to enter a church ?—? — When there is a camion in the reading-desk, and a great guii in the pulpit. Why -is a mad ball an animal of- a convivial disposition ? — Because he offers a horn to every one he meets,.