Alston Herald, and East Cumberland Advertiser. — 1875-03-13 (Alston, Cumbria, England)

LOCAL NOTES.  What are the power; and duties of a coroner? are questions which have given rise to considerable discussion in this neighbourhood during the past week or so. It has hitherto been understood that the duty of a coroner is to Investigate the circumstances connected will deaths by violence, more especially when such deaths cannot be attributed to accident, and the public were completely taken by surprise on hearing that there was to be no inquest on the body of Mary Armstrong, who committed suicide on the 2nd inst. We have no reason to think otherwise than that the wound was self-inflicted, but the bare fact of the razor being found within reach of the injured woman was not of itself sufficient proof that such was the case, and should the same mode of procedure on the part of coroners become general, murder will be made both easy and safe, and life will be bereft of one of its safeguards. In such cases an official investigation ought to made imperative ; in the case above referred to an inquiry might have brought out some facts as to the mental and physical condition of deceased prior to the mournful event. We have just been informed that the account in the newspapers of last week is sheer nonsense, so far as despondency and a weak state of health is concerned. An official enquiry might also have settled the point whether she died from the effects of the wound or from the effects of it and exposure to the cold combined. It must be borne in mind that the 2nd inst was a bitter cold day. So far as can be ascertained deceased went to the privy where the rash act was committed at about half-past eight a.m., and that she was probably there an hour before any search was made. On the discovery being made, a neighbouring woman ran for aid; a brother-in-law of deceased and another man, who has long been an invalid, was shortly on the premises. The brother-in-law looked at the body and pronounced it to be quite dead, and went off to his work without assisting to take his sister-in-law into the house. After about an hour from the time of her being found assistance was obtained. She was taken into the house when she was found to be alive, and afterwards slightly revived ; she appeared quite conscious, but never spoke, and died at about 10 o'elock p.m. Dr Carson was sent for, and was on his way to the place when he was informed by one of the men who was sent for him that the woman was dead when found, and he (the doctor) went no further. The injuries were doubtless self-inflicted, and in all probability she would have died had she been taken into the house and attended to when found. The question at issue is, what constitutes an official inquiry necessary, and in future will the fact of a pistol, a razor, or any similar instrument with which the deed may have been corn, mitted being found neeide a person dead or dying through an act of violence be deemed sufficient evidence of the injuries being self-inflicted, if so the expense of reporting such cases by telegraph or otherwise might be avoided, and persons acquainted with the circustauces of finding the body, &c., need not be put to the inconvenience of holding themselves in readiness for an inquiry. For the public convenience it is necessary that the law or mode of procedure bearing on such cases ought to be more clearly defined. A local celebrity who thinks that he could make our columns a little more lively if we would only yield to his oft-repeated solicitation to be allowed to appear in print, has furnished us with the following literary curiosity. A verse containing every letter of the alphabet except "E," which he says is the letter most used in composition. Although we have a respectable looking signature, the writer does not either claim or disown the originality of the verse, but he thinks it will be a poser for some who try to put him down in literary equables, and he wishes it inserted as a challenge for the production of a similar verse— A jovial swain may rack his brain, And tax his fancy might, To quiz is vain, for 'tis most plain That what I say is right. —Contributed under the signature of Dr Goodfellow, champion athlete, Alston.