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HINTS AND COMMENTS.I

JfijxriljaXX ntdligcna.

------------------------------DENBIGH.…

| RUTHIN.

BRYMBO AND BROUGHTCIT.

CAEEGWBLE.

CORWEN.

HOLYWELL.

LLANGOLLEN.

- NORTHOP.

i———— RHYL.

* ST. ASAPH.

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ST. ASAPH. CONCERT.—On Tuesday next the Lay Clerks of the Cathedral give their annual concert under most distinguished patromsge. A splendid programme has been provided, and the ticket-takers may anticipate a rich treat. SUDDEN DEATH OF A CHILD.—On Sunday the sudden death of a child named Anne Walsh, aged 15 weeks, was reported to Sergeant Parry. It seems that the parents live ia Irish Square, the father being John Walsh. On Saturday -evening the child was put to bed in its usual health, aud about midnight the mother went to bed also. Between two and three o'clock she woke, and fouud the child dead by her side. Sergt. Parry com- municated thp. facts to the coroner, Mr. W. Davieo, who, having considered the case, decided no inquest was necessary. BOARD OF GUARDIANS. Thursday Present Mr. W. Brownlow Wynne, chair- man, Major Conwy and Mr. W. M. Clarke, vice-chair- men, Captain P. P. Pennant, Mr. T. G. Dixon, Mr. W. Price Jones, Rev. E. Jones, Blychau, Messrs. Robert Davies, John Knowles, T. Matthews, Joseph Lloyd, T. Oldfield, John Lloyd, Melidan, E. Vaughan, Llannefydd, and Rev. W. H. Williams. THE NURSE. Mrs. Mary Jones; Gyffylliog, who was appointed last Board as nurse subject to bringing testimonials, now appeared before the Board and was appointed a month on trial, the testimony received by another guardian from Mr. Roberts, Gienas, being highly favourable. STATISTICS. Numbers in the house 119, against 117 last year, vagrants relieved 114. against 110 during previous fort- night. Out relief ;t2.,)3 15s. 2d., cheques £247, balance J1,Ú38 9s. 6d. THE HOUSE, &C. The medical officer reported the condition of the inmates satisfactory. In reference to the subject or salaries it was stated that the report thereon would be produced next Board meeting and a special meeting called to discuss it. A DENBIGH CASE. Mr. Gold Edwards wrote as to the case of John Davies, Denbigh, recently sent to gaol twice by the Board for neglecting his family. He said that the children were much neglected and suggested that the guardians take the children to the house. The Denbigh guardians recommended, considering the character of the man, and the state of the children that they be admitted to the house (five of them) and that the man be made to pay towards them. There was no ether business of interest. CORONER'S IN QUE ST. — A SEXTON'S VIVID IMAGINATION CONDEMNED. On Wednesday morning Mr. Wm. Davies, coroner for Flintshire, held an inquest at the Court House, St. Asaph, on the body of a young child. A large and exceptionally intelligent jury was summoned, Mr. Ken wor thy being foreman. The affair had been made rather sensational as will be seen below, and hence some excitement was caused. The inquiry had been previously opened and ad- journed, it being held in consequence of some state- ment made by the parish sexton as to the disposal of the body of the child. On the names of the jury bein"' called, it was found that one of them. Mr. Mose^ Roberts, was absent, and on being sent for, it was said he was gone to London. The Coroner commented on his conduct in thus absenting himself, and said he should have to report the fact to the Court of Quarter Sessions, thart he failed to appear in pursuance "of his recognisances. The following is the evidence of Samuel Vaughan, the St. Asaph sexton, who had been the cause of the inquestOn Sunday, September 28th, I was in the churchyard at St. Asaph, when Robert Foulkes, of SaJer, came and asked me if I would bury a child on the sly, and I said I would. He said "It is my aunt's child, and we want to bury it as sly as we possibly can because she has bsen in bed so many years, and so many carriages going there, it will harm us for our lifetime if found out! Asked when he could bring it, and he said "I'll see you to-morrow." He then asked me to the White Horse. I went, asked for a private room, and got one. He called for ale, which was brought, T didn't touch my ale, but went to put the gas nut at the church, and we went out together. After I had put the gas out I went home, but afterwards went and told Sergeant Parry what had happened, and I then went back to the White Horse and drank my beer. After being home I went up to Robert Foulkes' house and saw his wife. This was about 10.30 at night. I asked if he was at home, and she said she had not seen him since he came to see me. I then said I wanted to see him particularly and that I must have a certificate from Denbigh before I could bury the child. On the Tuesday afterwards, Robert Foulkes came again to the Hand Tavern at 20 minutes to ten at night. He asked me to go as soon as I could as his mother and wife, had gone up with the child. I said I would meet them there, I went there and stood by the cemetery wall. A woman come up to the right hand side wall of the cemetery yard. I being in the cemetery yard. I said "Where is the child?" At the time Foulkes and his wife were standing close to the woman. She replied "There it is," and handed me over the wall a^ box, and asked me to open the gate. I asked Foulkes had he a certificate and he said "no." I said I could not bury it and locked it up in the chapel. When I returned I saw nothing of Foulkes, his wife, nor mother. I went to Sergeant Parry and he returned with me to the cemetery. We opened the box and found that it contained a child. Left it there and locked it up. Next morning I went to the Rev. Mr. Sturkey and told him all that had happened. On Wednesday night Mrs. Foulkes came to the parish church about 7.30 and asked "Why have you not buried the child yet?" I said did I not tell you that I could not do so with- out a certificate," I shewed her the sort of certificate I must have and said I would bury it in a minute if she brought one. Asked her who the midwife was and she said Ann Pierce. Sergeant Parry asked her if she con- veyed it from Pontyddol to St. Asaph without any body knowing, and she replied that she did. Sergeant Parry told her to be careful, she had that child in her house two days without burying it. Samuel Vaughan now wanted to add something to his evidence but both coroner and jury agreed that it was unnecessary. Ann Pierce, Pontyddol, near Llannefydd, said that Sarah Foulkes, who was living with an invalid aunt, was taken ill a week last Saturday morning. She came out of the house and called upon witness's daughter to come to her in a minute, and she did so. Witness also went there immediately, and found Sarah Foulkes had given birth to a child. She attended to both to the best of her ability. The child was born alive. She nursed it, and her daughter attended to the mother. Sent to St. Asaph for Sarah Foulkes' mother, who came soon afterwards. The child was born at eight o'clock on the morning of Saturday, and she nursed it till night; the child suffering from severe convulsions, and having fits. and in one of the fits the child, which was a boy, died. The child was very black all over, except his face and neck. She remained there all night. The girl's mother (Eliza Foulkes) said she would take the child to St. Asaph to have it buried in their own burial ground, and she took the child away with her. The child had been dead in the house from Saturday night till Sunday night. The Jury expressed the opinion that the witness had given her evidence in a very straightforward manner. Sergeant Parry Did anything take place between you and Eliza Foulkes before the removal of the child? Witness Yes; this much. I told her that it was necessary to have a certificate from Denbigh, and she said that she would see Mr. S. Vaughan about that. From the birth to the death, the child was not out of her hands. Thomas Llewelyn Browne, surgeon, St. Asaph, said on the morning of October 3rd, I conducted a post mortem examination upon a. male child. The child was evidently of premature birth, and bore the marks of being born alive, and properly attended to. Upon making an examination of the internal organs, the lungs showed evidence that it had lived some hours; stomach contained a trace of a fluid, which may be food. The child was from a six to seven months' child, and in my opinion it died from inanition. The jury said they wished to hear no further evidence. The Coroner said he was very glad, indeed, that the affair had taken the course it had, and pleased at the kind of testimony the woman Ann Pierce had given, and agreed with the jury that she gave it fairly and un- reservedly. He was sorry that he could not say the same of the evidence given by Samuel Vaughan, the sexton, both at the opening of the inquiry and his attempt to add to it now. He certainly did not then, nor did he even now feel satisfied with the way he gave his evidence, and he was glad that the evidence that day quite did away with any impression that of Vaughan's may have caused. He felt very strongly that Vaughan wished and tried to colour what took place between himself and the Foulkses. The jury here said they quite agreed with the Coroner that Vaughan's evidence was both unsatisfactory and very curious. The Coroner said they had the evidence of Ann Pierce that she took charge of the child at its birth, and that it was not out of her care until it died, and then to strengthen that they had the evidence of the doctor that had made a post mortem, examination. On that account he was glad that the jury considered with him that it was necessary to have a post mortem examination, because now they were in a better position to come to a satisfactory conclusion, for the doctor's evidence fully confirmed that of Ann Pierce, the midwife. The Foreman said that as the man Ffoulkes was alleged to have played a prominent part in the matt er perhaps it would have been as well if he had been tbere: l The Coroner said it was not necessary. They had to inquire as to the cause of death it did not so much matter to them as to the body after death, and Foulkes was only said to have been mixed up in it after the death of the child. Mr. Powell said that the only good Foulkes' evidence would have done would have been to have cleared up or rebutted the clumsy evidence, of Samuel Vaughan, the sexton. TIW Coroner said the only good feature lie could attach to Vaughan's evidence was that it led to the inquiry, which had cleared up the whole matter, and, perhaps, if the inquest had not been held, all sorts of surmises would have gone out. The jury* immediately returned a verdict that the child died from natural causes, adding that they believed it had proper attention. In thanking the jury for their attendance, the Coroner mentioned as a pleasing, and, at the same time, a some- what unusual circumstance, that the jurors were all able to readily write their own names. It rarely happened, for generally some of the jurors had to sign with a cross. He took it as an indication that the jury was composed of jurors of more than ordinary intelligence and education. This was the first inquest held in the city by the new Coroner, and it was remarked that it was conducted with exceptional ability.

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