CORONER'S INQUEST.

Westport Times, Volume 1, Issue 132, 2 January 1868, Page 2

CORONER'S INQUEST.

An inquest was holden before Dr G-iles, in the Court-house, yesterday afternoon, by a jury consisting of Messrs Newton, Singer, Smith, Brown, Trimble, Parer, Anslow, King, Simpson, Milieu, Watson, and G-illebrand. Mr Newton was chosen as foreman. It was to inquire into the cause of death of Charlotte Dawson, who was found dead or dying by the police on the evening of the 31st ult. David Emanuel said that about 9 o'clock the previous evening he heard a noise in the house of the deceased, and his attention was thereby drawn towards it. Mr Ehrenfried was with him at the time. The deceased's house at the time was in total darkness. There was a sort of groaning going on. Witness's place was 20 or 30 yards from that of deceased. He went and got some matches, and when he struck a light he fouud Mrs Dawson seated in a corner on the right side of the door, as if she were seated on a high stool. Sergeant Williams and another constable were sent for. I went to my own place for a candle, and sent the cook for one.

By the Foreman—l am positive she was on the right side of the door when I entered. She was alive at that time, or I could not have heard her groaning. She was covered with blood. Charles Kent deposed that about a quarter-past nine o'clock on Tuesday evening he was in the kitchen of the Little G-rey Hotel. Mr Emanuel came in for a lighted candle, and said, " For God's sake come in; Mrs Dawson has cut her throat." He went in and fouud the blood gushing from her throat. She was alive at the time. He endeavored to stop the blood with a wet towel, when she fell to the ground. He remained with her till the doctor came, which was about 15 minutes afterwards. By the doctor's instructions he removed her to where she now lies. Her pulse was beating Avhen I entered, and there was a bloody knife near her. By the Foreman—There was no sign of a scuffle or disorder in the house when I entered. There was not much bleeding after I entered, as the wet towel stopped it. Henry Mallett deposed that he lived at the Little Grey Hote'. Between 8 and 9 o ( clock on Tuesday evening Mr Emanuel run in and said that Mrs Dawson had cut her throat, and told him to take a lighted candle and go in. When he got in, he found her in a sitting position, on the righthand side of the door, with the last witness attending on her. He remained with her till the doctor came, who ordered her to be removed to the Court House. The knife produced was laying alongside of her. Constable Henry Hunter deposed that about half-past 9 o'clock Mr Emanuel came to the Camp and said that Mrs Dawson had cut her throat. He went across to the house and found her sitting down on the righthand side of the door. She was nearly \ dead at the time. The two last witnesses were there, holding her up. I When the doctor came he pronouuced ! her dead. She was then moved across ; to the Court House, where she now lies. Her dress was covered with blood, and a bloody knife was laying on a box beside her.

"William Cotterell deposed that he was an L.S.A. of London. About a quarter to 10 o'clock the previous evening he was requested by the police to visit Mi's Dawson, as she had cut her throat. "Went and saw her and found her sitting on the floor attended by Kent and Mallett. He made a palatial examination, and found her upper extremities cold and her face livid. He removed the cloth round her throat, and found an incised wound covered with coagulated blood, extending from the left side to the right. There was one large incised wound in her throat and two smaller ones extending from left to right. The larger one was about three inches long. The left carotid artery was severed, likewise all the large blood vessels. An incised wound was hi the bend of the left arm, about one inch in length, in an oblique direction. The wound in the throat was a very jagged one, as if made by a bhint instrument, such as the knife produced- There were no other marks on the body. Death had resulted from the severing of the larger blood-vessels of the neck, and its consequent : hemorrhage. The wound in the arm I might have been caused by convulsive ; struggles. She could not have lived more than fifteen or twenty minutes after the larger vessels had been divided. Tho deceased was a woman of fuQ habit. The blood had been stopped by the peoole around her. P. J. Bruen, M.8.C.5., I, deposed that he knew deceased since November, when he Attended her for attempting to commit suicide by cutting her throat. She was suffering from de-

lirivmi tremens when she attempted it before. He thought she would not have attempted the like again. She had to be restrained during the time she was suffering before from doing herself bodily harm. He felt certain that she would not have again attempted to commit suicide without she had been suffering from delirium tremens. Since that time she had been brought up at the Police Court for being drunk. He thought it would have been right to have looked after her.

Sergeant Williams stated that on the 27th December he sent a constable to Mrs Dawson's to see what state she was in. The constable brought her to the police station, as she was then quite drunk and incapable. She was then locked up and brought before Mr Kynnersley on the following day. She was brought before him, not in open Court, but in a private room. She was then sent home under the surveillance of the police. By the Foreman—The police generally had an eye upon her. The Coroner having summed up, the Jury returned a verdict—" That the deceased, Charlotte Dawson, died from wounds in the throat, inflicted by herself while suffering from temporary insanity, caused by excessive drinking." ♦ RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT. Wednesday, January. 1. (Before J. Giles, Esq., M.D., R.M.) DRTJJfK AJS"D DISORDERLEY. John Gay and Thomas Scott, both old offenders in this category, were each fined 10s, with the alternative of 24 hours' imprisonment for this offence.