The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-07-31
PLAINLY AN ACCIDENT.
Close of the Inquest Touch
ing John Mu1ha1l's Death
Fell Down Stairs.

MuIhall, which was adjourned from
Monday night, was concluded last even
ing at the Court House before Coroner
Brackner. DR.. Walter Rae was the first
witness. He stated that he called Sun
day morning, July 90, to see
John Mulhau at No. 269 Monmouth
street. He found the patient
suffering from peritonitis. Examination
showed serious internal injuries. He
asked the patient il he had met with any
marked to Mrs. Mulhall, the dead mans
wife:-"I think his condition due to some
injury aud he is in a dying state" The
doctor saw him again the afternoon OF
the same day. DIR. Morris was called In TO
see Mulhall in consultation, and he came
to the conclusion that the ~periton1tls was
the result of some injurv.
II saw him again OF Monday" said the
Doctor, tat six a. m. His wife told me
that Mulhall had fallen down stairs. |
enqnired Of the patient II he remem bered
anything. He said he remembered
where. He handed S. for drinks and
only received change for So. A mar
alongside of him asked the b~artende
why he did not give the correct change
He did not remember anything more
until he woke up. He continued to sink
and died July 81"
DR.. Morris testified that he was called
in consultation with DR.. Rae. He cor
roborated the facts stated by DR.. Rae.
Patrick Conway. residence No. l5l
Wayne street. barkeeper for Sheriff. q
Fitzpatrick, No. 100 Essex street, testif1-
edit wa in the saloon when Mulhall
was carried into the rear room.
not been there over five minutes. Idid
not hear him fall downstairs. I asked
who this man was, and Hugh Shortell
told me he was his aunt's brother-in-law.
I saw Thomas Shortell taking pains TO
put him in q comfortable condition and
placing bags under his head. The man
appeared to be drunk and moaning as if
suffering from inward pain.
John Macdonald, residence No. $50
Wayne street, occupation ship carpenter,
testiied:-"T was in the saloon about
half-past six p, m. the night Mulhall waS
hurt. | heard him ask Hugh Shortell
how the old woman was. He said,I guess
l will go up and see her, We had two or
three drinks before he went UP stairs. |
think he had a little liquor in him. /
have talked to no one about this inquest.
Hugh Shortell happened to tell me last
night that he was ND here to the inquest
Monday night and did not get home IN
til eleven p. M"
DR.. Converse. County Physician, testf-
fed:-"I called at Speer's Morgue July
% and viewed the remains. Upon my
first external examination ! did not find
n bruise; but when / dissected the
body | found a bruise. three inches in
length and two inches in width. extend
ing from the upper margin of the seventh
rib TO the lower margin of the ninth rib
in the region OF the liver. On opening
the abdominal cavity l found extensive
hemorrhage. I should estimate there
was a gallon of blood. found the whole
peutoneum inflamed. There was 8 rup-
ture of the liver. The rupture caused
hemorrhage, the hemorrhage caused
p~eritonitis and the ~peritonitis caused
death. The bruise on the abdominal
region could have been caused by falling
against a STEP"
Joseph Mulhall, son of the deceased, a
lad of fifteen wears, a driver for Vessel,
residence No. 1877 Monmouth street, testi-
Aed:-"When I came home on Saturday
evening my father was not home. My
mother. asked me if / had seen him. /
told her that / saw him about half-past
six p. m. on the corner of Wayne and
Varick streets. He seemed to be in a
sober condition as far as ! could see. A
boy told me there was a fight in a saloon
or Saturday night, but when L asked him
again he said 1t was Sunday night"
Mary Mulhall, who is styled 1.-THE old
woman" in the cess, gave a sworn state
ment to Coroner Brachner which was
read as evidence. The woman Keeps
house for the three Shorten Brothers.
oyer Hugh Shorteli's saloon, No. 147
Wayne street. Mrs. Mulhall's statement
was as follows:-"I saw Mr.. John Null
hall the night of the accident. / was
standing behind him when he fell; this
was between nine and ten p. m. He
came up to my rooms about eight p. IN.
He had his supper with me. He was un-
der the influence of liquor when he came
here. He did pot say to me that he had
had a quarrel with any one previous to
his coming here. Thomas and William
Shortell were in the room when he
first came here. They both left
the rooms about one hour before
he did. William Shortell went out for
himself and Thompson went down in the
saloon to relieve his brother Hugh so he
could come up to supper. Hugh did not
come up. There was no one in the room
while we were there after Thomas and
William had left. He asked for Tom. /
said / would call Tom. but he replied
never mind. He started to go down
stairs. He fell down the stair and was
carried into the back room of the saloon
and stayed there awhile, when he went
home"
The jury, after q charge by Coroner
Brackner, deliberated about ten minutes
and at half-past four p. m. brought in a
verdict that "Mulhall came to his death
by falling down stars"