Leinster Leader 20th September 1929
DEATH IN MARYBOROUGH PRISON
A CIVIL WAR TRAGEDY RECALLED
MURDER OF A MILITARY POLICEMAN – A NATIVE OF LEIX
One of the tragedies of the Civil War period was recalled on Monday last when Mr. E. J. Conroy, M.R.C.V.S., Leix Co. Coroner, held an inquest at Maryborough Prison touching the death of a prisoner named James Murray, an ex-Captain of the Free State National Army.
The deceased was at the Central Criminal Court, Dublin, on 12th June, 1925, convicted of the murder at Kildare on 13th December 1923, of a military policeman named James Bergin, a native of Mountrath. He was sentenced to death, but the sentence was commuted to penal servitude for life.
At the inquest the following jury was sworn – Francis J. Cahill, foreman; Nicholas Fortune, John Parneil, John Tyrrell, Thomas F. Maher, Jos. Fox, Patrick Murphy, Bartholomew Shanahan.
The Governor of the Prison (Mr. L. J. Blake) identified the body, and gave evidence of the convictions and sentence in the case. The deceased, he further stated was received into his custody on the 27th July, 1925. Since the 1st November, 1928, he had been a patient in the Prison isolation hospital. He was attended throughout his illness by the medical officer and hospital staff, and frequently visited by the Chaplain. He died at 6.55 p.m. on Saturday last.
Dr. T. J. Duane, Medical Officer of the Prison, said that the health of the deceased was fair on committal, but he had a history of pulmonary tuberculosis, and had been in a sanatorium. The cause of death was pulmonary tuberculosis.
Sergeant Patrick Burke, G.S., Maryborough, deposed that he was informed by the Prison Governor of the death of James Murray. He (witness) viewed the remains and saw no external marks of violence, and there was no suspicion of foul play.
The jury found a verdict in accordance with the medical testimony.
Relatives of the deceased were at the Prison on Monday, and in the afternoon they brought the remains by motor hearse to St. Michael’s Church, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin. The funeral took place at Dean’s Grange Cemetery on Tuesday.
One of the tragedies of the Civil War period was recalled in the Leinster Leader of September 1929 concerning an inquest held at Maryborough Prison touching the death of a an ex-Captain of the Free State National Army.
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