A Coroner’s Inquest.
The Inquest Is Held and the Verdict of the Jury as Rendered.

On Sunday last news was brought to town that an old colored woman living on Dr. Felton’s premises had died in the morning under circumstances that required the services of a coroner.  It so happened that Hon. D. B. Mull, our worthy coroner, was in town spending the day, and he at once called upon Dr. Baker and summoned a jury to make the proper examination of the case.

It appears from the testimony of the witness that some time during the early part of the present month a difficulty happened between Parthenia Felton and her daughter-in-law, Missouri Felton, formerly known as Missouri Stubbs.  They had a fight, during which Missouri struck Parthenia Felton a severe blow with a rock in her hand.  In a day or so the wounded woman took her bed and Dr. Leake was called to attend her, and found the deceased suffering from erysipelas originating from the wound and several contusions upon the crown of the head--the face and scalp somewhat swollen—had some fever.  The swelling continued for a day or two afterwards, terminating in exhaustive suppuration and irritating fever, from which she died on Sunday morning.

The deceased was prepared for burial, but the service was properly delayed in order that the services of the coroner should be brought into requisition that the cause of death might be ascertained.  After dark Coroner Mull and his jury reached the grave yard near Dr. Felton’s and proceeded to an investigation, and Dr. Baker gave it as his opinion that deceased’s death was caused from the effects of the wounds on the head, after which the jury rendered the following verdict:

“We, the coroner’s jury, chosen and sworn, find that the deceased, Parthenia Felton, came to her death from the effect of certain wounds or injuries inflicted on her head at the hands of Missouri Felton with a rock, or some other blunt instrument, about the first of this month.”

The deceased is represented to have been a good old servant, and was about fifty years old.  She and her husband were old servants of Dr. Felton’s father, and the Doctor had given them a tract of land rent free, where they resided.

Missouri Felton left this community some days ago, and the last heard of her she was about Dalton.  A warrant has been issued for her arrest.