Fatal Affray at Blarney

The Coroner on Friday 26 July 1867, held an inquest at the South Infirmary to enquire into the death of John McCarthy who died in the institution on Thursday.
Three young men were in custody on suspicion of connection with the outrage.
A jury of 12 men was sworn in with Mr. St. Leger, S.I. Blarney also in attendance.

John Meany of Waterloo deposed that the deceased was in his public house on Sunday last with some other men and left somewhat under the influence of drink. A man named Shea, with whom the deceased had a dispute some time before was also in the house and left soon after him. Catherine Flynn deposed that she saw the deceased in her house on Sunday night, bleeding from a wound in the head; the persons with him said he had been struck by a person not then present.

Dr. William J. Sandham, physician and surgeon in temporary charge of the Blarney Dispensary District, stated that the deceased was brought to him, having a wound in the head, which he was requested to dress. He dressed the wound without probing it and sent the man away, telling him to keep quiet. The next day the man was brought to him again, showing dangerous symptoms, and he gave an order to have him taken to the South Infirmary. In twenty minutes afterwards the man was brought back by the police, unconscious. Did not then probe the wound which appeared to have been caused by a blow from a stone, but ordered the man to the South Infirmary and assisted at the post-mortem examination and found that the skull was fractured under the wound, which was the cause of death.

Juror: Is it usual to treat patients carelessly? Witness: Of course not.

Juror: Do you think you treated this poor man properly in not examining his head on either of the three occasions he was with you? Witness: I did not think it necessary. We see such wounds every day and never examine them

Juror: Do you think a fall on the road would inflict the wound? Witness: It may but is more likely to be a blow of a stone. The cut was about an inch in the centre of the fracture. I do not think it would have saved the man’s life to have sent him to the Infirmary at first
Sub-Inspector St. Leger said he had no further evidence.

The jury retired to consider the verdict and after about a quarter of an hour’s consideration, returned a verdict, “That the deceased died of a fracture of the skull, by whom inflicted, they had no evidence.”

The three men in custody were detained by the police.

Published: Cork Examiner 27th July 1867