INQUEST.

Westport Times, Volume VI, Issue 968, 7 May 1872, Page 2

INQUEST.

An inquest, touching the death of Jane Lockyer, was held on Friday last at the Post Office Hotel. The following jury was empannelled :—Messrs John Munro (foreman), J. Suisted, B. Strachan, W. Hanna, John Eeid, E. Jamieson, J. Hoskins, J. Q-. Hay, W. S truthers, A. Peterson, W. Levettj Jules Simon, T, S. Rodgers. Dr Samuel Thorpe deposed that he had examined the body of deceased, which he identified as that of Jane Lockyer, and stated the particulars of an illness she had suffered from when, he first attended her, some three yean ago, an illness attributable to the effects of intemperance. Deceased had recently been a patient in the hospital, and since then witness had on one occasion, at the request of the police, attended her at her own house, as she was then reported to be dying. Had then found her insensible and j violently convulsed, in consequence of excessive drinking. Suffering, in fact, from alcoholic, poisoning. Had then removed a quantity of liquor from her stomach by means of the stomachpump, and ultimately the deceased rallied, contrary to his best expects-j tions. Subsequently saw her in the gaol suffering from drunkenness and incipient delirium tremens. On Wednesday last a little girl came to witness and asked him to visit deceased, saying she was sick. From replies given to questions he asked the girl) witness understood that the deceased| was vomiting and attributed this to i one of her ordinary debauches. Being very busy did not then go, and told the girl also she should have brought 1 the usual fee. Afterward?, knowing! deceased was under the supervision oil tho police, witness came to the campl and made enquiries, and was then m-l formed that deceased had died. ott|

Thursday made a post mortem examination of the body. Found the person and clothing of deceased very unclean. There was a great amount of superficial fat around the body, and a quantity of frothy mucus at the jnouth and nostrils. No external marks of violence. Heart soft and flabby, and the cavities empty, with the exception of the right auricle, which contained a very firm colorless clot, completely blocking up the valve. ■ Noticed that the blood in several of the large vessels contained a quantity of air. The lungs were pale and somewhat inflamed, and several long standing adhesions existed between the lung and the wall of the chest ; more especially on the left side. The stomach contained a quantity of fluid, having a faint vinous smell, and intermixed with fatty and vegetable matter. The stomach and intestines wore much distended Believed the immediate cause of death to be a sudden failure of heart action from the clot formation in the right auricle, or else from the introduction of air into the blood ; the last being difficult to account for. Death had evidently resulted from the effects of prolonged alcoholic poisoning. Francis Donovan deposed that on "Wednesday last, between two and three p.m., while passing deceased's house, he saw her sitting on the door step, and said to her " how are you." Deceased asked witness to lend her ahand to get to bed. Carried her into the house and laid her on the bed, thought then that she was dying. Deceased said, she was thirsty and asked for drink. Witness gave her some broth from a small saucepan, and !she then asked him if he was a Eoman Catholic, and if he would read the prayers for her, telling witness he would find a prayer book in a box near I her bed. Witness sent a little girl for ! the doctor, and at that time an acquaintance of his came in, and then got some port wine, a portion of which was given to deceased. They then sent for a man called the Old Captain, f.vho came, and, on looking at the woTnan, said she was dying. Shortly after deceased drew her last breath. By Foreman : She spoke frequently just before her death, but merely about her child and its father. At this stage of the proceedings the jury decided that it was unnecessary to examine other witnesses ; and after • a short consultation, delivered a verdict " That the deceased died from excessive indulgence in alcoholic liquors."