ANGLO CELT - January 27, 1853 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A CORONER'S INQUEST. A FATAL LEGACY -- DEATHS FROM EXCESSIVE DRINKING.-- On Monday John Elliott HYNDMAN, Esq., city coroner, held an inquest at the house30, Church-street, on the body of Mary-Anne Foster, aged 22 years. Mary KIRWAN deposed that she (witness) lived in the room in which the inquest was being then held; deceased was her sister-in-law, and had resided at 28, Moneck-place, Phibsborough; the husband of deceased was a millwright fitter, and was engaged on the Midland Great Western Railway ; in August last deceased's husband received a sum of 400£., being a legacy bequeathed to his wife by her father, the last Mr. L'ESTRANGE, of Smithfield; ever since he got that money he and she had been continually drinking; the husband died on Friday morning last from the effects of drink; the wife continued drinking throughout the entire of that Friday, and the following Saturday; he was buried on yesterday (Sunday) morning; she (deceased) was unable to attend the funeral, and said she would come to this room to her sister-in-law and go to bed there; she came at about eight o'clock on Sunday morning on a car, and was taken with a fit on the way; as soon as she arrived, she went to bed, and neve! r rose again; at six in the afternoon she had a fit in which she worked violently, and had to be held for ten minutes' at nine, the same evening she was seized with shivering, and expired in a few minutes. Deceased left one child, a girl aged three years. Surgeon George Porter stated that he had examined the body -- there was a slight scratch on the right breast; the pupils of the eyes were dilated; he believed that she died in a fit of epilepsy, caused by intemperance, and probably hastened by a shock from the death of her husband. The jury found a verdict of death from epilepsy, probably caused by intemperance. ==================================================== County Cavan Newspaper Transcription Project