INQUEST ON THE LATE MR PETER WALKER.

Waikato Times, Volume XIV, Issue 1179, 17 January 1880, Page 2

INQUEST ON THE LATE MR PETER WALKER.

An inquest was held at Woodstock, Kirikiriroa on Thursday morning before Dr . Beale, coroner, and a jury consisting of Captain MoPherson (foreman), Joseph Oochrane, Jas.' W. H. Wood, Henry Steele, Henry Hinton', Robert Harris Thomas Runciman, Henry Hinton, jnr., William Gumming, 0. R. Johnsen, C. C. Wood, and Captain Steele. After viewing the body, the jury returned into court, and the first witness examined was Isabella Allan Walker deposed : I am the wife of the deceased. I remember yesterday; he went out after dinner with a gun, after a hawk. He came in * the front door soon af te wards, and rema ked he was afraid to fire because of injuring some cattle. He almost immediately after this, said he saw a dog amongst the cattle and went out at the back door with the gun, and told me he was going out for the purpose of shooting the dog, which he said answered the description of one that had been worrying some of Captain ttunciman's sheep, de went through the gate, about a chain distant, into the paddock. About an hour after this I heard the report of a gun some little distance away. I was in the paddock when I heard the report of the gun. I saw deceased upon going into the paddock, who was moving from me towards a fence. When I heard the report I loo»ed up and saw some smoke. I went on towards my husband, who was in a stooping position 1 , between the wires of the fence, and the hat was lying about a couple of yards away. I hailed him, but he never moved, and 1 was near enough to see blood upon his face. I returned towards the house and met Mrs Bennet, ray housekeeper, and told her that my husband was shot. By the Court: My husband enjoyed his dinner before going out with the gun, and was in good spirits. We had been doing some gardening together just before we saw the hawk. He would be 31 yeais of age next July. Mary Ann Bennet deposed: I am housekeeper in the employ of Mrs Walker, and deceased was my late master. I have been two years in the situation. Yesterday, after dinne , deceased went out with a gun in his hand. He asked me if I saw a dog in the paddock, and I replied " No, I was not looking." He asked me about the dog before he took the gun I saw him go away with the gun across ths paddook. About half an hour after* wards I saw him driving cattle. Mrs Walker went leisurely down the paddock, and was away about half an hour before she retuned. I «aw her coming homewards hurriedly, and when she got near enough to me I observed there was something the matter. I asked her what was the matter, and she replied, " Kun and get help, Mr Walker has shot himself " I then said " fclow did it happen," and she replied, " It was an accident in getting through the fence " I then asked her if she could tell me where he was shot, and Mrs Walker said, " Yes, there was blood all over deceaseds face." I then ran for help, and went to Mrs Hinton, the nearest neighbour, and asked her to send for a doctor as soon as she could. As I was returning I met Mrs Walker, and I made her promise me that she would remain in the house while 1 took some water down to deceased, and to see if I could do anything for him. While I war speaking to Mrs Walker Mr Kelly came riding up, and I asked him to ride down across the paddock to the deceased, and he did so. I was orossing the paddock with some water when I met Kelly returning, who said "I had better turn back and look after Mrs Walker for deceased was dead." 1 did so. By the Court: Deceased was in his usual health and spirits before the occurrence. There was no difference except more lively, if any. By a juror : I had some conversation with deceased in the morning about bees. He said there was a large swarm of bees alighted on the fence, and tasked me if I thought we could take them, and I told him yes if he could make a box. Deceased made a box, and we were to go and take the bees about dusk. By the Court : The accident occurred between 4 and 5 o'clock. By a juror: I have frequently known Mr Walker to take the gun out after dogs, and sometimes late at night and early in the morning at all times. James Alfred Kelly deposed : I am a surveyor, and knew the deceased. I was riding along the road yesterday near deceaseds farm (yesterday, the i4th January) about 5 o'oloc * , and overtook Mrs Walaer. Mrs Walker stopped me and asked me to give her help, es Mr Walker was shot. I asked her where deceased uras, and she pointed over in the direction where he wrs lying. I galloped across the paddock, and found deceased lying dead, half way suspended on the . third wire of thewi c fence. The oarbine , was resting on the ground with its ' muzzle against the wire, and deceased's hat about a yard from the body, I B*W fajgod, gn fte. hqad W d face,

Tlj& oarbine was under the right ley, bf idooe4sed r and, l took it find' placed it on tile ground I came back, arid met Mrs Wilkl»r in tho ! paddook, and told her Mr | Walker was nt>t dead so as not to frighten h9r. When t first saw deceased he was quite warm, but neither breathed nor moired. There was every appearance of j the accident having only just immediately occurred I thsn assisted Captain man and his son in getting the body of deoeased over to the house. - By the Court: The carbine had been recently discharged, and there was a box ' near deceased's body. Deceased's left Arm was in the box, and it whs just a box that would suit for taking a swarm of bees. I placed the body on the gr iss and covered it. James Runciman deposed : I am a farmer residing in \yaikato. Yesterday, the 1 4th" January ,J wis* working on my farm, almost adjoining* deceased's, when Mr Alfred Kelly, the last witness, came riding up tv mo, and requested me to go to Mr Walker's, a? Mr Walker was shot. I sent him on to get me a horse, and ran home quickly and changed myself, got on the horse, and galloped on to vlr Walker's farm (about three-quarters of a mile distant) as hard as I could, Mr Kelly, the last witness, preceding me. When I arrived where deceased was lying the body of deceased was on the grass with i his feet towards the fence, and T took off the covering which the last witness had put over the face, and satisfied myself the deceased was quite dead. Blood was over deceased's head, and face, and upon a box lying close by ; I also saw a carbine lying by. I then suggested that the body be I carried to the house, and the deceased's body was accordingly lifted into the cart by Kelly, the last witness., and others, and taken home. By the Court : I have known the deceased for about two and a-half years, and never knew him to be ill. I saw him some four or five days before tho accident that has led to his death, and he was then in his usual good health and spirits. By a juror : I sent him word some few days ago about a dog that had been worrying some of my sheep, describingthe dog verbally, through my son, and requesting said dog to be shot if vossible The clog's owner is unknown ; but I saw it go in the direction of Mr Walker's farm. The box lying by the side of deceased when I saw him first was just such a box as is suited for bees. The box had been very recently put there. Browne Wood deposed : I am a settler residing close by Mr talker's (the deceased's) farm. I reme-aber yesterday, the 14th January, about 4 or half-past 4 o'clock, I was clearing out a bit of ti-tree near my stable with a man named Scott, when I heard the repo t of a gun. Abo at 10 minutes afterwards I heard a second report, and 1 made the remark to >'cott that someone was out shooting 1 , although it was a close season. 4 bout 10 minutes after' this I heard some ' shouting in a north-west direction. I looked across and saw some cattle in one of VI r Walker's paddocks-«~some eight or ten of them I took little notice of the shouting, as I thought it was someone driving the cattle, over naif -a-mile away. Walter Hussey Fitton deposed : I am a member of the Royal College of Surgeons. I have examined the body of deceased, and found a bullet wound on the rijEfht side of the head leading through I the brain to the opposite side of the skull, the bones on the left side being much shattered, and brain substanoe protruding. The carbine produced is an instrument likely to have produced the wound, which was the instantaneous cause of death of the decased. 'JL'he jury without deliberation returned the following verdict: — "That the said deceased Peter Walker was killed by the accidental discharge of a carbine which he had in his right hand in getting through a wire fence."