Verdict of Manslaughter
An inquest was held yesterday before Mr C. ASPINALL, borough coroner in the police buildings Dale St, touching the death of Joseph FAIRCLOUGH, aged 38, a shoeing smith, of 1 St Stephen St, who was employed at the establishment of Thomas SIMPSON, veterinary surgeon 70 Seel St.
Samuel FERGUSON, the foreman, stated that the deceased worked in the same employment for about 7yrs, he was a hard working man, but, drank a great deal, taking drops frequently from morning till night. On the evening of Thursday the 30th ult, as the men were leaving work, a quarrel arose between the deceased and James GALLAGHER, both wanting to fight, and they were ordered to leave the premises. They did so and the deceased was brought back injured 5 mins afterwards and sent to the Royal Infirmary.
Thomas INNES, another of the men, stated, both men began to fight outside. The deceased first struck GALLAGHER, and when they fought at the corner of Slater St they fell. They fought again and the deceased was thrown a second time, when he cried out, "Oh my leg is gone." As he tried to get up GALLAGHER kicked him in the face, and witness then lifted the deceased and stood him against some railings. GALLAGHER followed, and knocked the deceased down again by kicking his feet from under him and striking him in the face. The deceased was then taken up, and afterwards carried to the Royal Infirmary.
Another witness, William CALVELEY, a labourer, of 22 Roscoe Lane, stated that he saw the fight, and that he was a stranger to both men. The deceased at the end of the fight said to GALLAGHER, "You have already done that, you have broken my leg" after GALLAGHER had said with an oath that he would leave the deceased so that he could not go home. GALLAGHER afterwards said, "I will break your -------- neck. I would not take my coat off to a wastrel like you."
Dr F. T. PAUL, of the Royal Infirmary stated, that the deceased died at the institution on Monday last, and on Wednesday he made a post mortem examination of the body with Dr Griffith JONES. Externally he found an extensive bruise over the left leg, and both eyes blackened. On opening the head he found a good deal of extravagated blood, the result, he considered of a severe blow. There was also water on the brain, the distinct result of excessive drinking, the brain having wasted. The heart was in a state of fatty degeneration, owing to excessive drinking, and in his judgement the deceased had died from delirium tremens, but the attack had been excited by the injuries to the head and leg, causing a shock to the system. The deceased, he thought, might have recovered from the injuries but for the delirium tremens, but the violence he had sustained was the accelerating cause of death after the other condition had been set up.
The coroner having summed up, the jury returned a verdict of "Manslaughter" against James GALLAGHER, and a warrant was issued for his apprehension. GALLAGHER, it is suspected, has left the country.
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Liverpool Mercury, September 24th, 1880
Liverpool Police Court, September 23rd before Mr RAFFLES
Robbing a sailor
A woman named Catherine SULLIVAN was committed to gaol for 6mths for robbing a sailor named Patrick MAHON of the sum of £4.
Before Messers H. R. HORNBY and A. TURNER
Heavy fine
Michael LOUGHRAN, marine store dealer, Upper Frederick St was fined £3 and costs for not accounting for a quantity of brass, lead and some gas-fittings which had been found in his possession. The magistrates imposed a fine as this was the first offence, if he offended in the same way again the punishment would be imprisonment.
A new act in operation at the docks
Several persons were summoned before the magistrates under 43 and 44 Vic, chap 16, sec 5, which came into operation only a month ago, and which provides that no one may go on board a vessel which has just arrived in dock at the end of her voyage and before her crew were discharged without the permission of the master. The act also provides that the penalty shall not exceed a fine of £20 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6mths. The information against a man named John BURNS, stated that the defendant went on board the British ship Buckinghamshire in the Salthouse Dock on the 18th Sept, without permission - fined 20s and costs. There were three other cases of a similar character, T. H. WILLIAMS, was fined 10s and costs for going on board the British ship Broderick Bay in the Canning Half-tide Dock on the 18th Sept. Robert MARTIN, was fined 5s and costs for going on board the British ship Canopus, on the 15th Sept. and Bernard DEERING was fined 2s-6d and costs for going on board the same vessel.
Defective weights and measures
Shopkeepers and others fined for offences under the weights and Measures Act :-
William CROGENT, greengrocer, 11 St James Place, scale 4ozs against the customer, fined 20s and costs.
Joseph SCOTLAND, butcher, 35 Milk St, scale 10 drachms against purchaser, find £3 and costs.
Ann LLOYD, tobacco dealer, 141 Park Rd, scale 1 drachm against the purchaser, 20s and costs
Burnell FRAZER and others galvanisers, 23 Upper Pownall St, machine was tested with a 112 lbs weight, was 3lb against the purchaser, 20s and costs.
Michael M'INTYRE, coal dealer, Upper Pownall St, scale 1lb against the purchaser, 20s and costs
John NORMAN, coal dealer, Boundary St 20s and costs
William GRIFFITHS, coal dealer Godfrey St, 14lb weight, 1lb and 3oz lights, 40s and costs
Thomas AMBROSE, provision dealer, 236 Vauxhall Rd, scale half an oz against purchaser, 40s and costs.
Birkenhead County Magistrates Court.
Thurs, Sept 23rd, before Mr J. R. SHAW and Lieut Colonel KING and Mr T. R. LEE
Indecent assault
A boiler maker named Thomas COWIN, was charged with having indecently assaulted Mary SYKES, a girl aged 10, who lives with her uncle Edward HENSHAW, of Woodbank near Shotwick. Mr SHERATT appeared for the defence. The prosecutrix stated that on the previous Tuesday afternoon she came to Birkenhead in a shandry with her uncle and she saw the prisoner standing by a shop where her uncle delivered milk. The prisoner then asked her uncle to give him a ride to Ledsham railway station, where he got out. The prisoner re-entered the shandry and on the way to Woodbank indecently assaulted her. Her uncle threw the prisoner out of the vehicle and they began to fight. Ultimately the prisoner ran across some fields, pursued by her uncle and another man, who caught up with him and took him to Bromborough where he was given into custody. Edward HENSHAW corroborated the evidence of the prosecutrix and said that after throwing the prisoner out of the shandry he gave him a good, "hammering" For the defence Mr SHERRATT urged that if there had been an assault it was of a very slight character. The magistrates committed the prisoner for trial at the sessions.
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