SHOT DEAD ON HIS WEDDING DAY.
A LAKE WAKATIPU TRAGEDY.
[United Press Association]. INVERCARGILL, September 27. Information reached town to-day that Thomas Plato, a resident at the head of Lake Wakatipu, was found shot in the head, at the Shotover Gorge, early this morning. Whether his death is the result of accident or suicide is not known, but it is probably the latter. The young fellow was to have been married at Queenstown to-day, and his body was brought into the township at the hour the marriage ceremony was fixed on. -Nelson Evening Mail, 28/9/1898.
ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES
[by telegraph — press association.] Dunedin, 27th September. It is not known whether the gun accident to Thomas Plato, who was killed on his wedding day, was accident or suicide. The body was brought into Queenstown at the hour the ceremony was fixed for. -Evening Post, 28/9/1898.
A number of persons yesterday followed the remains of the late Mr Thomas Plato to the Queenstown cemetery. The Rev. R Blair, who officiated at the grave, delivered a very impressive address on the cause of the tragical event whereby deceased lost his life. -Lake Wakatip Mail, 30/9/1898.
INQUISITION.
An inquest was held at the Court-house, Queenstown, on Tuesday, before Mr Hotop and a jury of six (Mr S. G. Daniel, foreman) touching one Thomas Plato, who was found dead that morning in Shotover Gorge, about half a mile from Queenstown. Constable Bonner watched the case for the Crown.
J. C. McBride, manager of McBride's Family Hotel, deposed that deceased was lodging at the hotel. He last saw deceased between 2 and 3 o'clock that morning, when they retired to bed after talking some time in a private room of the hotel. Deceased seemed to be in very good spirits and no reference was made in any way to what occurred afterwards. Deceased was quite sober, and asked witness to go out rabbit shooting with him in the morning. Had often arranged but never went out with deceased shooting.
John M. Plato, brother of deceased, said the latter was a native of Chesham, Buckinghamshire, England, aged 27 years, and had been in this colony six years. He was farming a few months. He was of a cheerful disposition — not morose or despondent. I understood he was going to get married today although he said nothing to me about it as we did not quite agree upon the subject. Last saw him alive at the hotel about 3 o'clock this morning, when he seemed to be in remarkably good spirits, and never hinted at anything likely to happen him.
R. Holliman, painter, Queenstown, was with deceased, who was his cousin, about 8.30 previous night, and last saw him that morning at about 6.30, when he was going down the passage of the hotel. Said to him " Good morning. Don't be late; remember 8 o'clock," referring to the marriage fixed for that hour. He seemed in good spirits then and said he wanted to see J. McBride.
J. M. Plato, re-examined, said that his brother was not in financial difficulties, but far from them; and he paid a bill for witness the previous day. The pea rifle produced and which was found alongside deceased that morning, belonged to him and had been lent to J. C. McBride some few months ago. Constable Chas. Bonner, stationed at Queenstown, deposed that at about 20 past 7 that morning, J. Marshall, groom at McBride's livery stables, told him that a man had shot himself on the Gorge Skippers road. Went out immediately and found deceased about half a mile out of Queenstown. His body was between a barbed and the top wooden rail of a fence — one leg inside and the other with the head just on the road side. There was a wound near the temple between the eyes, and a great quantity of blood about the wound and on the ground. The pea-rifle produced was nearly underneath deceased lying on the side next the road; it had been recently discharged. In the pocket of deceased were five cartridges which fitted the rifle. There were so signs of struggling having taken place. The body was removed to the hotel. — Witness understood that the rifle produced was apt to go off when half cocked. There were no other marks on the body apparently than that named.
J. M. Plato stated that the rifle when in his possession had more than once gone off at half cock. He was corroborated in this statement by J C. McBride. The enquiry was then adjourned till 11 a.m. on Thursday morning for the production of a material witness.
At the adjourned inquest held on Thursday (yesterday) T. Gilmour, rabbit agent, deposed that on Tuesday morning at about five minutes past 7 o'clock, he was going from his house to Dagg's stables, to get a horse, when, on turning the corner of Timpany's hotel in Camp-street, he saw deceased about 150 yards away going over the Shotover-street bridge towards the Gorge, with what appeared to be a stick in his right hand and a little dog following him. About 20 minutes afterwards, whilst on horseback, and at the little bridge in the Gorge, just outside Queenstown, he noticed something on the side of the road — in fact his horse, by first stopping on account of it, was the means of drawing his attention to it. It appeared at first like a coat hanging in the fence, but when he got close he recognised it as the body of deceased, the cap being still on. One hand on the ground and the head were black. The head was resting on the other hand or arm — could not say whether it was the right or left. Sang out to deceased, but got no reply and seeing the position, etc., concluded he was dead. A short rifle was lying between his legs — the butt of it being below his head. The rifle produced was similar, with string round the butt. The body was on one side of the fence next the road, and one leg was on each side of the fence; it was a four or five wire fence with top barbed wire, the body being about 18 inches from a post, just under the barbed wire, which was tight and the others slack. Seeing the gun came to the conclusion that deceased had been shot accidentally whilst trying to get through the fence. Galloped back to town immediately and gave information. Heard no shot fired. Returned to the scene with C. D. Dagg and R. Holliman, when the latter, on examining the body exclaimed "It is too true."
Constable Bonner, on being recalled, stated that there was no top rail to the fence, but only a barbed wire. The right leg, next the road, was entangled between two wires, but the left leg was clear. Except the upper wire all the others were very slack.
The jury after deliberation for about 20 minutes returned a verdict that deceased was killed by a shot from the gun in question, but there was no evidence to show how or by what other means he so met his death. -Lake Wakatip Mail, 30/9/1898.
Queenstown Cemetery.
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