The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1959-02-27

1T is hard to believe why anyone
would wish to kill himself, and ii
was a long awaited sensation to
attend a coroner's inquest in the
death of Mrs. Grace Gaskill Ward
who was found dead of pistol
wounds in her home on February
9th. She was the wife of John
Ward of Manteo, State employed
fish and oyster Inspector and the
mother of three children.
When the hearing happened
Monday night of this week an as
scmbly of citizens from many sec
tons of the county showed up long
before the courthouse doors were
opened to let them in. Victor
Meekins came by and saw the jan
itor Marvin Mann, standing around
and got him to open the doors to
permit the people to be seated. The
crowd that had gathered soon
filled the courtroom, many times
more people than had attended
the revival at any time during the
previous week at the Manteo Meth
odist church. Visitors had come
from other parts of the county,
some of them willing to stay over
night, in order to see what would
happen. Nothing did happen, for
the jury of six people after hear
ing all the witnesses couldn't agree
why the woman was dead.
Coroner Jim Vannote was there,
but didn't even bother to preside
at the inquest and made no effort
to conduct it, although he did testi-
fly and said he went to the house,
carefully picked up the pistol, put
it in a bag and turned it over to
Mrs. Donis White, the sheriff S
deputy.
Mrs. White testified that no one
got at the pistol while she had il
in the safe. Sheriff Frank Cahoor
was at Hatteras, but got back the
merit day and visited the scene, ex.
pressed the opinion it was a clea'
case of suicide, as usual sent fol-
the state SBI Agent Edwards tt
come in and take over. AS a wit.
ness he frankly said he probably
has called it suicide" as he hae
said so much during the preced
ing two weeks. he didn't remember
what he'd said.
Quite in contrast with the intel
ligent questions directed at tn
witnesses by the coroner's Jur'-
was their failure to agree on VIII"
sort of verdict to render. Obvious
" they could decide the woma'
was dead since she had been EN-
balmed and buried. She was deac
either at her own hand or at thu
hands of some unknown person
but there was no testimony at the
trial to indicate that some Other
person might have killed her.
DR.. w. w. Harvey, Jr. ex
planned the nature Of the wounds
that caused death and he also tolo
the jury that Mrs. Ward had de-
MED any attempt to commit sui
eide about one year before due tt
having taken an overdose of barbi
turate pills.
SBI Agent Edwards in his testi
mony discounted the suicide theory
Much stress was laid on the fac
that no fingerprints remained oil
the long-barreled target pistol o
% calibre. Mrs. Ward had beer
shot in the wrist, and twice in the
heart, and additional bullets hac
been found in the bedding in tn,
room.
Solicitor Walter Cohoon cam,
down to the hearing but did no
conduct the investigation as was
expected would be done. With hi!
ability as an attorney he nigh
have made a clearer case. but ljk
the coroner, he sat across tn
room, apparently not desiring t.
be connected with the case. Sheriff
Frank Cahoon asked few ques
lions of the witnesses and the jur,
members had to ask the rest t
clear up the things they wanted t
know, but at that they were no
sufficiently satisfied to agree on
verdict. One member of this jur
stated that two people wished t
return a verdict of suicide, Will
four others would not agree to
Suicide" verdict.
AS the situation now stands, un
founded rumors AIRY a lot o
weight, which perhaps do a gray
injustice to various innocent pei
sons. The bungling. delay and lac
of management of the case froI
start to finish may create difficu
ties through many years to com
Puzzle number one is VIII
wiped the finger prints off the gul
Was it someone who was afrai
it would reveal guilt, or was
some do-gooder who perhaps hope
to save sonaeonef .