Graves Of Tasmania

MARGARET COGHLAN  

 Inquest

Confession of the Murderess    

We would like to thank Leanne Clark for copies of convict record, inquest, “Mercury” articles etc. relating to the trial and execution of Margaret Coghlan.

 MURDER IN GOULBURN STREET

“The Mercury” 7^th January 1862

Yesterday morning a rumor prevailed in the city that an old man named John Coghlan, a lodging house keeper and milkman, had been found murdered in his house which is situated in Goulburn Street at the rear of the Baptist Chapel in Harrington Street .  The rumor turned out to be too true.  The following are some of the particulars connected with this frightful affair.

The deceased and his wife were both of dissipated habits and were drinking the whole of Sunday.  About half past three o’clock yesterday morning the wife of the deceased came out into the street, and shouting to the constable on duty, said that her husband was lying in bed with his throat cut.  On entering the house Coghlan was found lying in bed, undressed, with his throat frightfully gashed, and his head battered about. The bedclothes were saturated with blood, and there was also blood on the floor of the room.  A constable was at once placed in charge of the premises and deceased’s wife, Margaret Coghlan, whose clothes were stained with blood, and another woman, named Catherine Lowe, who was residing in the house, were taken into custody, and were brought up at the Police Office before the Right Worshipful the Mayor yesterday morning charged with the murder.  Detective Vickers stated that he had no evidence to offer against Lowe, for although there was blood on her clothes, yet she had satisfactorily accounted for its being there, and he therefore prayed that she might be discharged and she was discharged accordingly.  She is a native of the colony.  The other prisoner, Margaret Coghlan, is a grey headed old woman.  She said “I hope I shall be allowed to call witnesses for the purpose of showing how the blood came on my clothes.  God Almighty knows that I am an innocent woman, my husband used to sleep out every night.”  The Mayor said that she need not make any statement then as she was not upon her trial.  She was then remanded to the 13^th instant, awaiting the result of the coroner’s inquest.  As she was removed from the house to the watchouse she said “they have taken away the innocent one this time.”