INQUESTS.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1989, 9 July 1880, Page 3

INQUESTS.

An inquest was held yesterday afternoon in Quill’s Hotel, Ashburton, before Dr Trevor, coroner, and a jury, of whom Mr A. Orr was chosen foreman, touching the death of Annie Walsh, who was found dead in her bed on the previous day. Inspector Pender conducted the inquest, and Mr Crisp appeared on behalf of John Walsh, the husband of the deceased, who was under arrest on a charge of manslaughter. Robert Neill, constable, stated that acting on information received he wont, accompanied by another constable, Dr Ross, and a man named John Murphy, to the house of John Walsh, and found in a bed the body of the deceased, with her husband and' child lying beside it. The bed was in an indescribable state of filth. He took Walsh out of the bed and helped him to dress, and afterwards arrested him. He saw a two-gallon jar of either whiskey or brandy in the room. It was nearly full. There were also several empty bottles in the room. There was a black mark under her right eye. Michael Murphy, a laborer, living in the employment of the deceased’s husband, deposed that he was with him for the last ten months. Since the cold weather they wore in the habit of consuming two gallons of whiskey every week. The deceased and her husband scarcely ate anything, they almost lived on drink. The deceased had been confined to her bed for the last three weeks. She used always to ask for something to wet her lips. He had seen no doctor in the place, and she never asked for one. Her husband said to witness it was no use bringing a doctor as she would not be saved by him, eho would not take his medicine. Witness used to give her the drink. On the day she died ho gave her two nips and two cups of beef tea. She died about ten o’clock in the forenoon. He had been with her a quarter-of-an-hour previously, when she shook hands with him, bid him good-bye, and kissed her boy. During the past week she told him to save the liquor and keep a cup for her. Ho noticed she had a black eye the week before she died, but could not say on what day, or how she got it. Walsh had a “ nip ” about every hour. Deceased told him about a month ago to tell the police that she would rather be in gaol than the way she was. Witness had not had his clothes off for three weeks, owing to having been constantly in attendance on the deceased.

Jane Roberts, wife of Weymouth Roberta, of Ashburton, said that at the request of Murphy she visited the deceased last Monday. Witness then described the state in which she found the deceased in bed, and said she cleaned her up and made some beet tea for her. Deceased was insensible almost during the whole of the two hours witness remained with hor. She told Walsh ho should bring a doctor, and Walsh said the doctors would not come.

Mary Griffin also gave evidence of the neglected state in which she found the deceased.

Sergeant Felton stated that when he accused Walsh of being guilty of the death of hia wife, he replied that he had alwoya tried to

keep her from drink. Ho had seen deceased about three weeks before on the street, and looked well, and said she had given up drink. She hod been committed before for lunacy from drink. Her husband and herself had been committed for lunacy from drink. Dr. Boss stated that he made a post mortem examination of the body of deceased. He described the different organic diseases from which she suffered. The immediate cause [of death was odema of the lungs. The condition of the lungs precluded the possibility of her living much longer. All the diseases • from which she suffered had boon caused hy drink. The black oyo had nothing to do with her death. If better treated, she might have lived a little longer, but under any ciroumstances she could nob live long. The jury, after an hour’s absence, returned the following verdict, “ That the deceased, Annie Walsh, died from diseases caused by excessive drinking, accelerated by the neglect of her husband and Murphy,” and added a rider to the effect “That the parties are much to blame who supnlied Walsh with ouch quantities of liquor.” In reply to the coroner, the foreman said that the jury did not think the neglect was criminal. It was more stupidity than anything else. The verdict having boon recorded, the coroner called on Walsh to appear before him, and told him if ho had any feeling of shame in him ho ought to feel ashamed of his conduct with regard to the case for the rest of hia natural life. He was not guilty of manslaughter in the eye of the law, but morally ho wso guilty of accelerating the death of the deceased by supplying her with drink. He know quite well that drink was killing her. If he did not give up his drinking habits the result would be that ho would soon be guilty of another crime—the crime of suicide. Ho would ask Sergeant Felton to warn all the hotelkeepers of tho town not to give him drink. Mr Quill asked leave to state on behalf of the hotelkeepers of the town that none of them supplied liquor to Walsh for eighteen months. A coroner’s inquest was hold yesterday afternoon, at the residence of Mr Thomas Baldwin, carpenter, Sydenham, on .the body of Frederick George Baldwin, aged throe months, who died on the previous day through convulsions. A verdict in accordance with the medical evidence, to tho effect that deceased died from “Natural Causes,” was returned. j