The Sun.
London, England, 1850-09-10 00:00:00

CORONEit'S INQUEST.

Yesterday morning Mr. Payne, the City coroner,
held an inquest at the Fox Tavern, White-street,
Southwark, on the body of Catherine Collins, aged
35, whose death was alleged to have been caused by
the brutal violence of her husband, Richard Collins,
on Wednesday last.
The inquiry was opened pro forma on Friday last,
and, after ordering the man into custody, Mr. Payne
adjourned the inquiry with a view of having a post
mortem examination. _

On the first opening of the inquiry a great number
of witnesses were examined, from whose testimony
it appeared that deceased resided with her husband
in New alley, White-street, Borough. On Wednes-
dAy morning, about 7 o'clock, the neighbours heard a
noise of quarrelling in Collins' room, and heard him
demanding money from her. The noise was repeated
about 9 o'clock, when struggling, cries of "Murder,"
and groans were heard, and several women entered
the room. They found Mrs. Collins' (who was eight
months advanced in pregnancy) lying on the floor,
with her husband stooping over her and tearing her
dress. She was taken up, and placed in bed, but she
died within half-an-hour. Her husband afterwards
admitted that he had beaten her, saying—"l did
not strike her to hurt her; but I have done it, and I
must suffer for it."
Mr. Morgan, a surgeon, who was directed to make
the post mortem examination, said that he found the
eye bruised, but the rest of the body was so dis-
coloured from decomposition that it would be impos-
sible to tell a bruise from the surrounding parts. On
opening the body he found that the cause of death was
the rupture of a large vein, previously diseased, in the
vagina. This might have been caused by a blow, a
fall, or great muscular exertion and struggling. The
disease of the vein was not dangerous to life, and it
would not have burst without some violence. He
could not trace any external bruise, as the tissues all
around were infiltrated with blood. Death arose from
hemorrhage. A person kneeling on the woman
might cause the rupture, or any very heavy pressure
on the part would produce it.
The CORONER observed that one of the former
witnesses had spoken about a kick inflicted on the de-
ceased. He wished her to be recalled.

Several jurors observed that there seemed a great
deal of reluctance on the part of some of the witnesses
to communicate all they knew. One of the witnesses
(a Mrs. Taylor) had been so much annoyed by some
of the relatives of the man that she had been obliged
to seek the protection of the police. They had
threatened to burn her house down. Mrs. Taylor's
reply to that threat was, that she had told a good deal,
and, if they did not mind, she would tell a good deal
more. A rather significant observation.

Mrs. Cooper (recalled) admitted hearing the de-
ceased woman say that she had been kicked; she did
not say by whom. The words she used were, " Oh,
my baby is born ; I have had a kick." She was then
lying on the ground in great agony. A Mrs. Con-
nell was the first person who entered the room. She
had not been examined.

Mr. PAYNE directed Mrs. Connell to be sent for,
and, in the meantime,

Mrs. Taylor was called. She said she had been
very much abused and annoyed, and went in fear of
her life. She thirst not go down the court, and they
had threatened to set her place on fire. The witness
gave her answers with evident reluctance, and was
obliged to be threatened by the coroner. She then
admitted that she had heard the deceased woman
scream " Pray don't beat me so, you will murder
me ;" and the child also cried out, " Oh, father, don't
beat my mother so."

The child was examined. She had been batter
taught than might hive been expected, and seemed
quite aware of the necessity of speaking truth. She
was accordingly sworn. Her name was Elizabeth Col.
lins. The deceased woman was her mother, and she
died on Wednesday morning. Oa Wednesday morn-
ing her father and mother quarrelled about money
matters. Her father struck her mother on the mouth
and made her mouth bleed. He afterwards struck her
across the shoulders with a cane. She was drunk et
the time, and fell between two chairs. H=r mother
said, " Pray don't hit me, you see what a state I am
in." Witness said, " F4ther, don't hit her, because
she will only die." Her mother came in at half-past
two in the morning, and was then quite tipsy. Her
father went out after beating her mother, and some
women came in and lifted her from the floor to the
bed.

In reply to many questions from the jury, the wit-
ness made several irreconcilable statements, showing
that the accuracy of her evidence could by no means
be depended upon.
Mr. Morgan said that, in his opinion, the fall be-
tween the two chairs would not account for the injury
he found.

Mrs. Sweeney, recalled, said that the deceased was
lying on her left side on the floor when she entered,
and her husband was holding her and saying, " Give
the money." The deceased clutched witness's clothes
and raised herself, and immediately after wards said,
"Oh I my baby is come into the world." Her husband
said, " What is that she says ?" and on learning, he
left the room at witness's desire. Witness placed her
between two chairs on the floor, and sent for assistance.
She sank very rapidly, and died soon after.
The CORONER, having gone through the evidence,
said that if this woman's death had been caused by her
husband while unlawfully assaulting her, the case
amounted to manslaughter.
The jury, after some deliberation, returned a verdict
of "Manslaughter" against Richard Collins.

The witnesses were then bound over in the usual
form to attend at the next sessions of the Central
Criminal Court.

THE ARMY.

DEATH OF CAPTAIN MOORE, KING'S DRAGOON
GUARDS.—A few days ago, we (Clunntel Chronicle)
had great pleasure in announcing that this deeply-
lamented gentleman's health was considered as some-
what improved, and we had sanguine hopes of his ul-
timate recovery ; but our expectations were doomed
never to be realised. We have this day the painful
duty to record his death. He died on Wednesday
last at Portobello Barracks, where be was stationed
with his regiment. He was a most amiable person,
and a perfect gentleman in every sense of the word,
and is sincerely and deeply regretted by all who
knew him, or had the pleasure of his acquaintance.
The deceased gentleman was the son of Stephen
Moore, Esq., of Berne, in this county. He entered
the 3d Dragoon Guards on the 12th of February,
1836, obtained his lieutenancy on the 10th of July,
1837, and his captaincy on the 2611 of May, 1848.
lie served with this regiment in India. On the ter-
mination of the war there he returned home on sick
leave, and on the re-establishment of his health he ex-
changed into the King's Dragoons.
Died, Sept. 4, at his residence, Wilton-terrace,
Henry M'Manus, Eq., for many years assistant mi-
litary secretary for Ireland, aged 73 years.