Limerick, Monday – In a sombre turn of events, Mr J. F. Barry, City Coroner, presided over an inquest on Monday concerning the tragic death of John, whose lifeless body was discovered hanging by a rope in his residence on Market Alley the previous evening.

Patrick Earls, the son-in-law of the deceased, provided a heartbreaking account, stating that around 6:35 p.m. the evening before, he was sitting by the fire with John. Unexpectedly, John got up, shook hands with Patrick, and expressed his intention to bid farewell to Michael Liddy. John then retrieved a rope, referred to as a “holdfast,” from the wall, and also said his goodbyes to his faithful dog. Patrick Earls left the house briefly around 6:45 p.m. When he returned, he discovered his father-in-law lifeless.

Sarah Earls, the wife of Patrick Earls and the daughter of the deceased, recounted that at approximately 8 o’clock that night, she was in bed, and her father was in the kitchen. At some point, her daughter, aged 8, alerted her, informing her that her father was hanging. Rushing to the scene, Sarah cut the rope and took her father down, but, regrettably, he was already lifeless.

Dr Graham, who examined the deceased, testified that he was called to see John around 8:30 p.m. the previous night. Upon examination, he determined that death had occurred. The presence of marks around the neck consistent with those produced by a rope led Dr Graham to conclude that death resulted from suffocation due to hanging.

In light of the medical evidence presented, the jury returned a verdict in accordance with the findings, acknowledging the tragic nature of John’s death as suicide by hanging. The community mourns the loss, grappling with the devastating aftermath of this heartbreaking incident.

Weekly Freeman’s Journal – Saturday 06 January 1912