INQUEST AT CARTERTON.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2726, 15 October 1887, Page 2

INQUEST AT CARTERTON.

Aif inquest was. held Hall, Carterforyvyester'aay (BWdayJ, < before Dr Splat ['(Coroner) and a jury.* of .six,.touching the death of Arthur '• Moore;wh6-wa§';jf\iuni;de.ad.in the, '■' Carterton ; pubnii'ichool on Thursday morning; Mr v J'.' ,,; Aplin was/chosen foreman'of the-jtirr, who, after being: 'sworn ini/retired ;ti the residence.<)f v the deceased's.'pa,tient3 to.tiew the' body. '". '.;'.!":; Mr P. Betfe. teacher at the : : Carterton .school,-deposed that about nine/o'clock 'oh Thursday morr&«j& went to' the school to see why r " had not rung at the usual time. Wheif, he got to the front gate he found it l . locked, which was an. unusual" thing. - He did not.attempt to go into the school,, as ho thought perhaps the deceased was getting the keys. ,Ho - walked up the road, and when he returned saw the porch door open. Ou going in he found the,. doors lpj|d - ! which led from tho : porch- intPlle main building. He saw the deceased's brother in the school yard and asked him if the deceased had left home for the school, and he replied that he had. Witness then sont him to, the master's house for the. key's,.and he returned and said that his brother had been for them. Witness then went round to' the window of tho. infant's room, saw the key in the door "and opened it. . When he got into the main building he smelt gunpowder. He thon wont, into the head master's room, and from there into tho deceased's class room, ' and-sawhim lyingxm'his back k £ pool of blood, with the carbine by hi* side, and thetop'of his head appearing ' to be blown away.- Witness''then went and told the other teachors and the head master. At.- the request of the Head Master witness sont the ohildroii, who wero'COiigTogalcd in the playground, homo, aud'.then wont and 'gave information to .Constable Darby and also to Dr' 'Jolmsfjon. He||j|W kuown deceased about, four monSra; ' noticed at times that, he had been depressed" and low spirited, and talked rather/strangely, and had told witness he wished he was dead, as ho said everything was going wrong with him. Witness used to; try '-"aim laugh,' him out of it-. When he' saw' him on the . night before the occurrence, he seemed to be quite cheerful and merry ;'• witness considered that he-.wns getting on very well with his stucliosaud thought : liis prospects bright.- .-' •:•;. .■' : k . : .-■ To the- Pcreman ; : h body'was found in his' own ; classfroom ;-.'ihe carbine belonged to the.school cadets: " the cartridges were and the carbines in thV-Head room. , ■■'■'■■■*'^T'

Dr Johnston doppaetl, He.waa.c^lied by Mr. Mima about baUpteitie o'clock on the 13th inst, and v into the schoolroom 'fbiijid'deceased lying ou his back, with', the carbine lying across his mouth and toji oftiie hoad-Tvas very much shattered j; the:{bal|'-hoJdug ■ apparently gone through: ;tha xprnki the mouth.,' There.: was ■: a ; cavity through, thelloas to.thebaseof. the skull. The;, brain ~;wa3-:>-completely removed, tho greatoriart of which, was lying, oil..the ildbr/ .:: Ho .''considered that the muzzle of-'the .carbine must have been placed in deceased's mouth, and' probably, 'deceased- discharged the weapon with bis hand.. De'qfh ' must have been •instantaneous,' iffe had known the deceased'about*lß mouths,:. ; aud .on certain Ibccjjsibns thought him depressed. Whoi* .'witness taxod him with it, deceased, had said it was owing tothc worry of thsL school. Witness thought'; li'e : BeemeiH rather hotter lately, ■ but' formerly thought him slightly insanot Constable B. Darby ptet'that -Mr Bethuno reported to liim'ihat Arthur • Mcore had shot himself,' and when witness came to the. schoolhouse found the deceased as already Dr Johnston. Ho also foimd'fflfiho desk a packet of cartridges recently opened, with one cartridge missing; A case containing cartridges appeared to have' .beon recently "opened. He had known deceased for some time, but not intimately. A scrap of paper was found on the desk of the deceasedi on. which was written,"Pardon mo and.forgetthat I ever lived." The handwriting had been recoguised to bo the'deceased's. The. note was not addressed This conoludod the evidence, .and the coronor having addressed' t'Ke Jury, ' Mr Bethuno was rooalled at theredjießt . of the foroman, and in a § questionstatodthatthoro weroiixty 'I pupils in deceasod's II). and that most of thsllower standards wore vory large; TlVJury,' after a short deliberation, iHfamsi a verdict "Ihat the dcoeas ! Bd,Arthur Moore, shot himsolf iuJpfUarterton sohool building while of temporary ivtaauity. : -";'' V' ■" ;