The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-01-01
COroaners' ONCE.


MELANCHOLY TALE or REVERSE OF FORTUNE.
sad case OF Of fortune came under the OBJ
servaon Of Coroner Hills yesterday Emma Jane Hughes,
rect OF the late Colonel Thomas Hughes, Of Boston,
Nass. found dead in the tenement house No Null
berry street, under circumstances Of most melancholy
nature.
On the evening previous Captain Bowling, Of the Sixth
precinct, received information that the deceased
living dead the above place. and that her son. boy
about eight years old, lying beside the corpse, half
dead with grief and hunger He Immediately repaired 10
the spot and upon opening NE door nofra specsacle
Of woman apparently about thirty i've years Of age,
entirely nude, with the exception OF blanket which had
been thrown over II by Of the neghbors. BY the
side of interesting lad about eight years
age who weeping bitterly the dead body Of
and bis features denoted and long suffering He
a bright and intelligent boy wha ana his case excited
the sympathy OF all who were acquaned WIN .Ge acs
treated substantial supper after which lie was dressed
in suit OF clothes presented him by the oficers
Tommy y for such was the boy name, gave the police
detailed history Of his life, and gave very interesting
Of his pares' msortunes from the time Of his
earliest recollection.
The following was the substance OF his statement
His father Col Thomas Hughes, OF Boston, formerly
of the United States army he was afterwards connned ~
lunatic asylum in France, for insanity, where he cut
h's throat, and thus ended his fe Tommy recolectcd
going with his mother to gee his father al the crazy
house when bis father said, Emma, look at this -,
and time he pulled great long Dutch knife
out Of shirt bosom and attempted to cut his mothers
mother second husband her former name being Emma
Jane Torrance He could recocct when his mother kept
She then sold her furniture and boarded al tne
Prescott House. and then from there TO the Metropo
HOTEL about ago as nearly as he could recol-
lect) where she commenced drinking Holland gin su6se-
queny left Metropolitan Hotel and boarded in Mott
street there she commenced to drink brandy and final
ly moved Mulberry street. whore she found dead
He says that she threatened kill him at time but ne
escaped by screaming when the nclghbors in and
saved him. All the money she could get into her posses
sion she used to buy rum with and neglected procure
| rouca nd ho had
little coffee daily TO subsist on According TO
his account, his mother at time had friends among
whom mentioned Charles Gilbert. l8 Broadway, H.
J. Tbbets. Trinity Buildings and William j. Haskell,
attorney Al time Gilbert gave his mother one dollar
and his mother sent woman to him again for some mo-
Dey, which he refused, and put the woman out OF the
Office Mr.. Haskell had given him money at times, which
his mother had taken for drinking purposes MI Ibpets
he said, in way related to his mother. AT one
time she sent named John Burden TO Mr. Tbbets
for money Tbbcts ten dollars four Of which Burden
used, and gave his mother only SIX dollars lAttle by
little she had sold and pawned every article Of her cloth
ing, and everything that she possessed to satisfy her
craving drink The little fellow says that his taher
4 has considerable property, of which he should
receive a part, and that it is now in a law
away from his mother, and and is now living with
his grandmother Ns. Terrance in one OF the Western
states Tommy also gave minute account Of hls mcthers
FIVE O'Clock while she was lying en- the noor she com
menced sroanpg as sn great PAIN saying at times 80,
with her several times before she noticed him.
She then asked him " draw her the fire. which he
did after great exerton Alter this, she slept about an
hour, and then ws<ing, asked him where ae had been
| and commenced storing wildly about her He replied
By you, mother" she said mo, you wasn't" Imme
diaely she commesccd shaking which ceased. She
thea minated to him by signs that she wished him Il
kss her. whichhe did. She then drew her limbs up, ane
| layquet. Shortly Afterwards woman came into the
| room and said, but guess your MANS dead" az
then placed his hand heart &c feel its beatngs
and afterwards placed his 10 her mouth, TO heal
whether she breahed Shortly afterwards Captain Dow
| ling came and took the eody 10 the station house.
Tommy examined by Coroner Hills yesterday
Wnan no made oath q statement -.iInlr ID every re-
spect 10 that given at the station house the night pre-
viossy Inspector Bowling also examined Dr. Beach
| who made she post mortem examination Of the body
gave il as his opinion that death caused by deruu
reIrens and the jury rendered verdict 10 that effect
We understand thet effort still be made by the Pc
lice Commissioners have Tommy placed in inst
tuition where he be properly train ID aud educated