In 1883, Patrick Connors’ widow was convicted for the murder of her lodger.
“THE SUSPICIOUS DEATH AT NEWPORT.
Mr. W. H. Brewer, the district coroner, opened an inquiry at the Tredegar Arms Inn, Pillgwenlly, on Saturday, touching the death of Catherine Regan, who expired at 42. Q>net Woman’s Row, on the preceding Thursday night, under circumstances which led to a woman named Honora Connor, with whom the de. ceased lodged, being taken into custody on the charge of murder. The jury were sworn and viewed the body, but no evidence was taken, the inquest being adjourned until Thursday. On the resumption of the inquiry yesterday, a young woman named Johanna Duggan, living at Quiet Woman’s Row, was the first witness examined. She de- posed that on the night of the 31st ult. she beard the deceased screaming, and said to Honora Connor that it was a shame to ill-treat the deceased that was after she saw Mrs. Connor hold the deceased by the hair and kick her in the stomach. Witness told P.C. James what h id- taken place, and they went into the house. Regan was lying on the floor in a partially nude state, and wet from water being thrown over her. From what witness was told she believed Connor wanted to get rid of the deceased, and therefore illused her. She (Regan) had lodged with Connor for a fortnight or so. The deceased was a quiet person, but Connor would quarrel with anyone. The husband of deceased lives at Cardiff, and is named Vickery. Regan was the deceased’s maiden name Hannah Duggan, wife of John Duggan, partially corroborated the evidence of the previous witness, her sister-in-law. She did not see the deceased ill used. David John Davies, a lad, deposed that about 10 p m. on the 31st ult. he saw Connor dragging the deceased across the door by her head. P.C. James described the condition in which he found the deceasednearly naked, drenched with water and evidently very illand said that when he asked her questions she replied” They have been beating me.” The woman Connor begged him not to send for a doctor, as it would cause an inquest. He went for Mr. Cooke, surgeon, and when they came back Regan was dead.P.S. Winmill stated that the deceased died in his presence a few minutes after midnight. When Connor found the woman was dead she ex-claimed “Oh Lord, what will become of me.” He took her into custody. Both women were given to drinking. Mr. Robert Cooke, M. R.C.S., who made a post mortem examination of the deceased’s body on the 3rd inst., stated that it was covered with bruises externally on the right side. On opening the body he found the heart very much enlarged with a clot of fibrine in each ventricle. The stomach contained a little milky fluid, and the intestines were nearly empty. He attributed death to syncope, or sudden stoppage of the heart’s action. From the internal appearances, and the external marks, he believed the deceased’s death was accelerated by the ill-treatment she had received.—This was the whole of the evidence, and after a few minutes’ deliberation the jury returned a verdict of manslaughter against Honora Connor.”
Monmouthshire Merlin 8th June 1883
“THE NEWPORT MANSLAUGHTER CASE.
“Honora Connors, 47, described as a knitter, was indicted for killing and slaying Catherine Regan, at Newport, on the 31st of May. Mr. David prosecuted, and Mr. Nash defended. The prosecution detailed to the jury an outline of the evidence. For some time the prisoner had lived in a house in Quiet Woman’s Row, and a week or two before the 31st of May the deceased went to lodge at her house. Shortly after Regan went to live with Connors the latter got tired of her lodger, and desired her to leave. The unfortunate creature had no other place to go to except the union workhouse, and because she would not go there on the evening of the 31st she was subjected to gross and cruel treatment which resulted in her death. Johanna Duggan. a single woman, residing in the same thoroughfare, said the deceased was beating Regan from half-past eight to 1030 p.m, She went to the house after the screams had been going on for some time, and through the window saw prisoner holding Regan I by the hair of the head, and kicking her in the stomach. Prisoner then threw two buckets of water over her as she lay on the ground in a semi-nude condition. After hearing the evidence, which has already appeared in these columns, the jury found the prisoner guilty, and his Lordship, telling the prisoner she had committed a violent and cruel assault on the deceased, for which alone he should punish her, sentenced her to six months’ hard labour.”
Weekly Mail, 11th August 1883.
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