The enquiry by the District Coroner (E.T. Worley, Esq.) into the circumstances of the case was held at The Greyhound Inn, Tathall End, on Monday afternoon.
Among those present were Major Otway Mayne, Chief Constable of Buckinghamshire, and Supt. Pearce.
Mr. George Whitbread was chosen foreman of the Jury.
Before viewing the bodies, the Coroner spoke of the terrible character of the tragedy, and paid a high tribute to the character of Mr. Watts.
GAMEKEEPER GIVEN NOTICE
Mr. Herbert Edward Bull, Buckingham, said that Mr. Watts was his uncle, and was 67 last birthday. Mrs. Watts was too distressed to appear to give evidence.
The Coroner: Have you heard anything about notice having been given to the gamekeeper Farrow? ---- I heard indirectly that my uncle did give the man notice because he had made up his mind to only keep one instead of two gamekeepers. My uncle endeavoured to get the man another situation, and I know for a fact that he was in communication with someone.
MRS. FARROW'S PAINFUL EVIDENCE
Mrs. Annie Farrow, widow of William Farrow, appeared greatly distressed on coming into the Court, but she composed herself and gave her evidence well. Had her husband lived until the 23rd, she said he would have been 46. On Sunday morning, between 10 and 10.30, he went to a drawer and took out some cartridges, which he said he wanted for Mr. Whitbread. He went out, but did not have a gun with him. He came back soon after 11 and got the book (produced) out of a drawer and some more cartridges. The writing in the book she recognised as his. Her husband drank about a jugful of primrose wine. She remonstrated with him, and told him she did not think he ought to drink it in that quantity.
The Coroner: Why did you remonstrate with him? ---- Because he had been having drink the night before and had nothing to eat. He had had nothing much the whole previous week.
Had he taken a good deal of drink? ---- He was not drunk, but he had had enough when he came in at times.
Did you know anything about a notice? ---- No, I never heard a word about it.
He made no complaint to you at all? ---- No.
Have you heard him make any complaint about Mr. Watts, or express any ill feeling against him? ---- No, never. He has always had a good word for the him.
Mrs. Farrow added that she had not heard of any insanity in her husband's family. Recently, he had not complained of his health, but in the hot weather last year he a sort sunstroke, and was unconscious for a time. He had not made any complaint about his head. The affair was a mystery to her, and she could throw no further light on the occurrence.
THE DISTRESSING SCENE
Mrs. Lily Green, wife of George Green, of the lodge at the Park gates, said about a quarter to one on Sunday she heard the report of a gun, and, running out of the house, she saw the Squire on the ground and Mrs. Watts bending over him. She went to Mrs. Watts, who said, "Fetch a doctor; someone has shot the Squire." She ran back to the house to fetch her son, and as she was going she heard a second report. About four or five minutes after she heard a third report some distance away. She did not see anyone with a gun, or see where the first shot came from.
William Green, son of the previous witness, said he heard the report of a gun and a scream. Running out of the house he saw the Squire had been shot down, and Mrs. Watts on the ground with him. Mrs. Watts asked him to go and get a doctor, and as he turned to go there was another report. He did not see the direction from which the shot came.
By a Juryman: Mr. Watts did not make any sound.
FINDING THE MURDERER'S BODY
George Green, coachman to the late Mr. Watts, said that the previous witness, his son, met him and told him what had happened. He looked into the spinney by the side of the road and noticed some tracks in the grass. He entered the spinney and followed the tracks, and in the long grass he saw the barrel of a gun sticking up. He approached, and saw the body of a man lying there. He made a spring for the gun and grasped it, and found that the man, Farrow, had shot himself in the mouth. Witness last saw Farrow alive on Friday morning. He had never heard him make any threats concerning Mr. Watts. The gun produced was the one he found across the body in the spinney.
TERRIFIED BY HIS EYES
Mrs. Mary Beasley, of the Manor Farm, said that about a quarter to twelve on Sunday morning Farrow came to her house and said to her, "will you give me a glass of beer to quench my thirst, for I am parched." "I did not answer him," she continued, "but I went to get some beer and gave him about half a pint in a small jug. I was terrified by the look of him. His eyes were so glassy and quite unnerved me. While I had gone for the beer he picked up a gun that was by the door and did something with it. He made it click as if he had pulled the trigger. He did not take the gun away with him when he went. I gave him the beer, and went into the kitchen. When he had drunk it he said, 'I want to borrow a razor to get a shave before they come out of Church.' I exclaimed 'What?' -- it so terrified me -- and he then said his razor had gone to be ground. He then turned away from the door and went off, and I did not see which way he went."
The Coroner: How much beer did you give him? ---- Not more than half a pint. I felt very nervous about him.
Did you tell anybody? ---- I told my daughter about it and she said "Fancy that man coming here and you fetching him beer." I said I fetched the beer to be rid of him.
Was he the worse for drink? ---- No, I cannot say that he was. He was very agitated, and his eyes were like glass.
Olive Beasley, daughter of the previous witness, also spoke of Farrow's visit to the house. While her mother was getting him some drink she heard him "fiddling" with the gun at the back door, but he did not take it away with him. Her mother said "His eyes seemed to pierce me through." He seemed agitated and his eyes were glaring.
A DISPUTE IN DECEMBER
Henry Martin, the other gamekeeper employed by Mr. Watts, deposed that Farrow had worked for the Squire for about two years. He had never heard him complain about his head, and he had not seen him strange in his manner.
The Coroner: Do you know if he complained about people telling lies about him? ---- He and I had a few words last December with regard to some reports that had got about, but I explained to him. There has been no ill-feeling since. It was all lies that he had heard.
Mr. Watts' name was not brought into it at all? ---- No, sir.
THE CARTRIDGES
Police-constable Cooper, of Hanslope, said that about 12.50 p.m. on Sunday he received information from William Green that Mr. Watts had been shot. Proceeding to the spot he found that Dr Rutherford had already arrived, and he told him that life was extinct. Almost at the same time he heard a man shout from the Spinney, "I've found him," and going into the spinney, he met George Green coming out carrying a double-barrelled gun. There was a discharged cartridge in one of the barrels. Green showed him where the body of Farrow was lying. Two more empty cartridges were found underneath the body. In deceased's pockets were a book, a knife, watch and chain, four full cartridges, a pencil, a handkerchief, and some tobacco. There was a stick underneath the deceased's arm. Where he stood to shoot the squire was 42 feet from where his body was found. Witness could not say whether deceased had discharged the gun in his mouth by moving the trigger with the stick or his fingers.
A FEW MOMENTS BEFORE THE TRAGEDY
Dr. Rutherford, of Hanslope, said he was cycling towards the village on Sunday morning, and he met Mr. And Mrs. Watts walking towards the park about 12.30. He got off his bicycle and conversed with them, and rode on to the village. He did not hear the report of a gun. Subsequently he was sent for and found the squire lying dead about 60 or 80 yards from where he had left him and Mrs. Watts a short while before. The whole of the left side of his face was nothing but a mass of shot wounds. He also saw in the spinney the body of the man Farrow, whose death was caused by gunshot in the mouth. There were about 120 pellets in the squire's body. Questioned as to the effect of sunstroke the Doctor said another attack would not cause the deceased to commit this crime.
Thomas Whitbread said that Farrow was at his house on Saturday afternoon, and he was apparently all right then. He did not talk or act strangely.
The Coroner: did you ask him for some cartridges? ---- No, I did not mention the subject of cartridges.
The Coroner, in summing up, said with regard to Farrow there was little doubt that he had been on the drink for some time previously, and that on the Sunday morning he was more or less under the influence of drink. Drink was no excuse for crime, and unless there was direct evidence that the man's brain was actually unsettled it seemed to him there was no alternative but for them to return a verdict in his case of self-murder. If there had been a recurrence of sunstroke the medical opinion supported the view that it would have shown itself in the same way as it did previously. It was clear that there had been no insensibility produced in this case.
THE VERDICT
The Jury found that Mr. Watts died as a result of wounds by gunshot fired by Farrow, and that it was a case of wilful murder. Also that Farrow died from gunshot wounds self-inflicted, and they returned a verdict of "Felo-de-se"