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Sad Result of a New Year's…

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Sad Result of a New Year's Drinking Bout at Rhyl. Deplorable Drinking Amongst Women. Serving Drunken Persons. Jury and the Publicans. AT the Council Chamber, Town Hall, on Wed- nesday afternoon, the County Coronier (Mr F. Llewelyn Jones) held an inquest concerning the death of Elizabeth WaLriiams, widow, of 4, South Kinmel-street, Rhyl. The jury were as follows:—Messrs J. Owen (foreman), Charles Hubbard, Hugh Hughes, Albert Walker James (Grosvenior Hotel), D. W. Hughes (clolduer), T. J. Edwards (Compton House), Moses E,v,ans (confectioner)., Thomas Belts (Queen-street), Charies Cook, W. E. Repper (greengrocer), T. E. Jones (buitcher), j. S. Fletcher, Joseph Turner grocer), Henry Jones (caiicr), and J. W. Roose (grocer). Mary Ellen Williams, 14, West-parade, said she was the daughter of the deceased, who was 56 years ot age, and lodged at South Kirumel- street. Mrs M'ary Edwards, 4, South Kinirnei-sitreet, said the deceased had lodged with her for .the last two ,and a half years. She had been in very good health. On Friday, the 1st .inst., she went ouit albaut eight o'clock in the morning, and returned heavily 'in drink. Witness heard a crash, and went into the deceased's bedroom. Deceased s'aid she had fallen against the fender. Witness helped her back into bed. She had a black eye, and a hrullsle on the chin. She got better in the course of the afternoon, and went out again and had more diiink. She had more drink again on Saturday, fault on Monday she was. very much better, and when she went to bed at 10.30 she appeared allrignt. On Tuesday morning she heard deceased moaning. Witness calied:, but .got no answer. Witness s'enit for her husband, and he and a neighbour burst open the door. They found the deceased uncon- scious. Dr Suimmerhiill was serut for, and at- tended the deceased up to the time of her death, which took place at nine o'clock on Tuesday evening. A Heavy Drinker. On New Year's Eve she dtrank three half-pints of whiskey, and when she went out at eight o'clock on Friday morning. she was heavy in drink. Mr T. E. Jones (a juror) Do you know where she golt the drrnk from? Witness No. The Coroner: She went out in the morning in drink, and got more &ink? Witness Yes., and went out again in the' after- noon, and got more drink. Dr T. PI. Summer hill gaid deceased was suf- fering from compression of 'the brain, and was quite unoonsc'jo'us. There was a bruise on the left aide of the forehead, which would account for her cohditioin, and which would have been accelerated by her drmking haihits. He knew she had suffered from alcobol-sm, and that would undoubtedly accelerate her death. The Coroner's Strictures. The Coroner, in summing up, said thus was one of those sad cases, where they would wisti that it would have been possible to avoid hold- ing an inquest. During the last few momitns the conviction had been more than ever borne o;n his mmd that something must be done in view of the deplorable orankm.g habits among women. Only las): Saturday he held an inquest at Flint on the faody of a woman who had died from the etfect of burns, but whose death was undoubt- edly due to her drinking habits. Last year hie had-held two or three inquests in the town of Rhyl upon the bodies of women whose deaths were due to thear excessive drinking habits. From ail parts of the country Ila-ey heard, the same complaint that drinking and drunkenness was increasing with depl oral hue rapidity amongst women. It was a sad look 014L for our country unless something took place which would sup- ply a remedy for this. What was to !be done, it was difficult to know. It was perfectly scan- dalous that a woman could go from puiblic- house to public-house and obtain drink there, and be permitted to take more home wtith ner, and practically kill herself in this .way. The Police and Detection. One might be inclined ito blame the police for not exercising more vigilance in cases of thiis kind, but it was almost impossible for them to detect every case where persons were supplied with drink whilst in an intoxicated state. But this was certainly a case in which some piuiblican or other had been guilty of neglecting his duty. One of the jury had asked whether the landlady knew where she had been served. Unfortunate- ly, she did not, although even if the informa- tron had faeen forthcoming, he did not know whether anything co'uld be. id one. At the same time, he thought the jury would agree with him that something should be done to prevent per- sons who were in drink, as this woman was, being served with more drink. The Coroner and Justice Grantham. One could very well sympathise with the sen- timents of Mr Justice Grantham, who expressed himself so strongly on the evils of drunkenness at the Durham Assizes a few weeks ago. In this case, concluded the Coroner, the medical evidence was clear that the deceased had died e v,. I from compression of 'the brain, brought about by the fall, and that her death, was accelerated by her drinking habits, and he advised the juiry to fairing in a verdict to that effect. Mr T. E. Jones Would it be wise or practical to do something to give effect to whait you have said? The Coroner: That is for you to consider. If you wish to add a, rider to your verdict, it is a matter for your discretion, but the rider can- not be inoorpocrated in the verdict. The Jury's Verdict and Rider. The jury then retired, and, on their return, gave a verdict in. accordance with the medical evidence, and added the following rider: "We, as a jury, deplore the fact that people of known intemperate habits are served with drink while in a state of intoxication, and wish to draw the attention of the police authorities to the fadt." The Coroner said he thought the police offi- cersin Rhyl were as vigilant as they possibly could be. Unfortunately their powers were very limited, but he thought they might be depended upon to do everything that was possible to put a stop to persons in drink being servled. He thought that the numlber of prosecutions, by the .police showed thalt they were alive to the. im- port an ce. of attention in this respect.

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