The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-04-25

Coroner's inquest over the body ofJohn Fin
negan, deceased, at West Gorham, Saturday
forenoon, commencing at 10 O'Clock, c. II
Hall, Coroner.
| John Golden was sworn and testified as fol
lows: Wednesday afternoon took the deceas-
ed, John Finnegan, from his late residence in
Portland, on a loaded wagon, with the inten.
ton of landing him at Baldwin, to prosecute
the work of a laborer, on the track of the Port
land and Ogdensburg railroad. Before leaving
his wife put up and handed him a bottle OF
whiskey, from which he drank occasionally on
the way. He was very much under the lnflu
ence ofintoxicating liquor when he left Port
land. After passing Saccarappa village he fell
Oft fromJthe team, but did not at the time APP
pear injured by the fall Soon afterwards he
became insensible-and continued SO. I sup
posed he was dead drunk. About mile from
Gorham village he fell off the team, and the re-
suit was that his face and head was cOnsidera-
bly, bruised and scratched. 1 called at house
near by and obtained some water, and washed
his face, and with the assistance of a gentleman
tried him on to the wagon with a rope. then
proceeded on my journey without interruption
until reached West Gorham, when made ar
rangements to stop at the hotel of Mr.. j. Graf
FAM LETT the deceased in the wagon until
bed time, when called the attention of the
hostler to the fact that had q drunken man
in the wagon As he was SO muddy and drunk
proposed putting him in the stable, which
was done under my directions. Neither the
hOstler or Mr.. Graffam refused to take him into
the house-the former proposed to do it. /
drank some Of the whiskey which his wife put
up; there was nothing unusual in its taste or
effe cts. We did not get any liquor at Sacca-
Kappa. The name of the deceased is John Fin
negan, and recognize him, as the body before
u.s. Finnegan's late business has been selling
rum. I do not think the wheel of the wagon
run over him, or that his head at any time rest
ed on the wheels of the wagon. He became in
sensible between the first and second fall. [
him as l supposed still drunk in the morning,
and left him. was surprised to hear OF his
death.
Joseph Greenlow sworn and testified. as fol-
lows:
am hostler at the hotel kept by j. GRAHAM.
John Golden drove up to the hotel about
o'clock in the evening, and Immediately put
up his team. About 10 o'clock 1 went out to
lock up. Golden followed and said to me, shat
he h ad man in his wagon who was drunk"
and asked me "to assist in taking him from the
wagon. I proposed taking him into the house;
objections were made, SO we made a comforta-
BILE straw bed for him in the barn. The de-
ceased appeared to be asleep and breathed hard.
Mr.. Golden might have been drinking, but
was in condition to take care of his team and
attend to his business when he arrived at the
hotel The man died Thursday at 10 o'clock
A. M. came to the conclusion that he was
in dying condition about an hour and a half
before he died. No medical aid was given him.
1 supposed he was drunk until he died.
Leander A. Dow sworn:
Testified that he saw the deceased on the
wagon between Saccarappa and Gorham; APP
peared to be in drunken condition: was in as
comfortable position on the wagon as he could
be placednunder the circumstances. did not
notice that Mr.. Golden was under the influ-
ence of liquor.
Byron Hamblen sworn, and testified:
saw deceased front of my house. Golden
called to get some water to wash the face of de-
ceased; this was after his second fall. Golden
did all he could to make deceased ride comfort
ably. l assisted in tying him into the wagon.
Golden did not have the appearance Of having
drank liquor.
G. A. Bracket sworn, testified as follows:
saw the deceased after his first fall. His
flesh was cold and his pulse was very slow; he
6reathed very hard; was insensible. Mr.
Golden was in a condition to take care OF his
team, and the deceased was as we'll taken care
of as the circumstances would admit
Drs Henry HI. Hunt and Charles II. Rey
noids of Gorham, testified as follows:
We have mado post-mortem examination
of the remains of John Finnegan; we found a
large bruise over TIE left eye, with numerous
smaller bruises and extensive excOriation upon
the right side of the face; upon opening the
Uranium there were found clots of blood at the
base of the brain, both upon its superior sur
face and within its substance. The hemorr-
mage within the Uranium, in our estimation,
was sufficient to cause death; the other inter-
nal organs were found in state of health. 1t
is our opinion that the man died of apoplexy
induced by drunkenness and exposure.
The following is the verdict of the Coroner's
Jury rendered by Samuel Clements, Esq. fore
man, in behalf Of the jury:
That John Finnegan died in the stable at
tached TO the hotel OF Mr.. Jedediah GRAHAM,
Thursday, April 81, 1870, at 10 o'clock A. M
The cause of his death in our judgment, is apo
plexy, brought on by the too frequent use of
intoxicating liquors, fastened by exposure on
the day previous to his death. Under the Cir
cumstances, although he was not so well cared
the neglect was not intended, and we are not
prepared to attach any blame on any party re-
Gently associated with him, but leave the re-
sponsibility OF his untimely end as one of the
fruits and results of an ungovernable appetite
for strong drink.