Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1874-08-22 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

SCENE AT AN IRISH  INQUEST.  A most extraordinary scene took place at a coroner's inquest in Dublin on Friday last. The inquest was an adjourned one on the bodyof a pauper named Donegan, who died in the Holyhead boat while being removed from Liverpool to Ireland under an order ot the Brownlow Hill Guardians. On the first day of the inquest some of the jury censured the coroner, Dr. White, his son (who had held the p6st martens examination), and Mr Seaton, the retneving officer —who, the Foreman said, ought to be charged with murder. Yesterday only ten jurors attended. Scarcely had the jurors taken their places in the box, when the Forman, Patrick Murphy, addressing the Coroner, inquired if there were any representatives of the press present. The Coroner: Yes. The Foreman: I want to ask you, Mr Coroner, is it proper that a communication should be carried on between a representative of the press and a pevon who will probably be charged with the murder of deceased? (No answer.) The Foreman: Because if there are, I shall ask them to take down verbatim et liberatim everything that occurs. Mr Kean, solicitor, for Mr Seaton, removing 'officer— You must not dictate to the gentlemen of the press. The Foreman—l am not dictating. I was requesting them to do it; and if they don't, we shall take down every word that is uttered ourselves. The ' Coroner—Unless this enquiry is conducted with more decency than on the previous day, I shall feel it toy duty to adjourn. The Foreman—With more decency than you manifested. After some further conversation with the Jury, the Foreman asked why they were not pro offing with the inquiry. The Corouer—Because you are not a jury. There are two men wanting to complete your number. The Foreman—We do not know by whose influence those men were kept away. Ds you know their addresses? (No answer.) A Juror What are your powers, Mr Coroner, in case those men do not attend? The Coroner—l know that myself. The Foreman—We want to know it too. (No answer.) The Coroner handed Mr Seaton the informations which he had given on the previous day, that he might read them over before signing them. The Foreman: You said that the proceedings had not commenced. Have you any power to carry on the busineo,-; in the way you are doing? The Coroner: I shoo; now adjourn this legal rv. Several jurors : Till when? (Nu anefiver.) A juror: Won't ou tell us till whea the inquiry is to toe adjourned, and are the public te hear no more of this important matter? You had plenty of time to conclude the investigation on th.o previous day, but you did not choose to apply yourselves to your duty. The Foreman: Do you know the adiress of the jurors? The Coroner inquired of the constable in attendance, who stated that he did not know where the absent jurors resided. [Here the foreman whistled significantly.] The Foreman: We were a properly constituted jury to condtict the investigation. We want to know when this inquiry is to be resumed? The coroner—l shall tell you nothing, but that I now adjourn this inquiry. The Foreman—lf we are net told when the inquiry is to be resumed, we will ontleaving this proceed to some place where we will draw up a full statement of the case, which we will circulate in the papers. Several Jurors—We will.— The Foreman —We do not think the coroner is in any shape or form acting as he ought. The other jurors unanimously agree with me that this is the most disgracetul transaction that ever occurred in a civil country, and is a disgrace to the country to which it could occur. We think that this is the last time that you (the coroner) should occupy the chair. Both you and your son are a disgrace to the profession that you occupy, and you have acted disgracefully in interfering with a regular jury sworn to inquire into the circumstances of this case. Mr Kane, solicitor :—Summon him for that language. The proeeedines then terminated, and the jury withdrew, headed by the foreman, still loudly abusing the coroner.