National Republican., 1880-07-10
MONDAY NIGHTS TRAGEDY.
Investigating tho Causo Of Potter Lynoh's
Death,

Investigating the Causo Of Potter Lynch's
Death,
An inquest was hold yesterday over thq body
of Peter Lynch, who died ut Providence hos
pital Thursday morning from injuries received
during family brawl last Monday night.
The first witness was Dr. George Mccoy,
who testified that he was called in to attend
deceased tho morning of tho 9th of july fouud
him lying on n bed and blood oozing from a
wound near the loft frontal bone; 1t was o
Jagged and confused wound, aud might havo
been inflicted with brick; the Uranium was
mashed, and pieces of brick were in the
wound; when the wound was first dressed de-
ceased was conscious, but in the afternoon
| showed signs of deirium; ho was removed TO
Providence hospital Thursday morning, where
he died shortly after noon from coma by COM
preston of the brain; deceased told witness
that he had fuss with his wife and son
James, and had been roughly handled, but
did not want anything said about it as he
would be all right in few days
Tho next witness was Mrs. Catherine Lynch,
wiro of the deceased She states that deceased
came home Monday night and began breaking
things, when she left to avoid trouble; she
went to her sisters house and stayed all night;
did not know how tho injury was inflicted;
she was alone when her husband came in, but
her son came in aftcrward and ate his supper;
did not hear him or his father quarreling;
when she loft her husband struck her with q
brick; aitorward saw her son at her sisters
house, but he said nothing about a difficulty
with his father.
Mary Lynch, q daughter of the deceased,
testified that she was in the kitchen when her
father came home; her mother told her to go
into the front room and cat her supper, and
soon after sho went out on tho street
with little niece about ten minutes after
her mother ran out of tho house, but
her father remained in tho area; witness
became scared and ran up 10 heraunts, whore
she remained about fifteen minutes, aud then
returned home; her mother and brother were
then in the alley back of the house, aud her
father was sitting on a chair in the kitchen;
did not notice anything unusual about his
appearance except that his eyes were blood
shot; witness then went up stairs and her
father told her not to come down again; soon
after she heard her father fall and curse; he
seemed to be In PAIN witness had not seen
her brother since Monday night.
Bridget Riley, sister.in-law of the deceased
stated that she was at Lynch's house Monday
morning, aud he was cursing tho family about
something; Monday evening her niece came 10
hcr house, and said thather father had killed hoi
mother, and witness again went to tho house
she found Lynch still cursing and breaking
things there was some blood on his cheek
but he did not appear to be badly hurt; de
ceased said he had fallen and hurt himself
witness nephew, James, stayed at her houst
Monday night, but she had not seen him since
DIR. ]. +. Hartigan testified to making the
autopsy; found bruises on the left shoulder
right and left hands; those on tho hands look ed
rs though made by teeth; thoro were also SOW
eral wounds on tho forehead, the principa
one being irregular gularshapcd, an inch
long and three.quarters OF an inch wide; /
was on the left side of the forehead. about TIVE
inches above the eye; this wound was un
doubtedly the cause of death, and it was hii
opinion that it had been inflicted by dircc
| force.
The last witness was Sergeant Mulhall, wh'
stated that deceased told him he had been in
jured in family quarrel, but did not know
whether it was his wife or son that strucl
him; he would not prosecute them though
deceased thought lie would be all right in
| few days.
The jury then retired, and shortly after re
turned with a verdict that deceased came I.
his death from fracture Of the skull inhicte,
with brick in the hands of his son, Jane
Lynch, or his wife, Catherine Lynch. Tn
coroner thereupon committed Mrs. Lynch t
Jail for the action Of tho grand jury. The Sol
James is still at large.