Coroners Inquisitions

Coroners Inquisitions are investigations into the deaths of individuals who died by a sudden, violent, unnatural, or suspicious manner, or who died without medical attendance. The coroner would summon a jury of twelve white men, usually prominent citizens of that locality, to assist him in determining cause of death.

Additional information may be found in Judgment records [Book 21].

Unknown Man - at C&O Canal, Lock #44
- 11 Jul 1859 
- Death by unknown causes.
  [Book 1, 33-34]

Unknown Male Child 
- 25 Nov 1860  
- Death by hands of the mother or some other unknown person.
  [Book 1, 3-4]

Unknown Infant, stillborn - at house of Peter EICHELBERGER
- 27 Dec 1860 - at Funkstown
- Death by premature birth at 6 months, stillborn; mother unknown.
  [Book 1, 42-43]

Unknown Man - found at Slack Water, Dam #4 
- 11 Aug 1861 
- Death by drowning from several days ago.
  [Book 1, 44-45]

Unknown Soldier - Federal Soldier from Telegraphic Dispatch 
- 12 May 1862 - directed to Col. D. S. MILES from Major B. F. CHAMBERLAIN
- Death by accidental drowning.
 [Book 1, 89-90]


BANNER, Marcus - at west end of Hagerstown
- 7 Feb 1860  
- Death from pistol by his own hand.
  [Book 1, 7-8]

BARBER, Nancy
- 3 May 1861 - at Funkstown
- Death by hanging herself.
  [Book 1, 40-41]

BARNES, Daniel - at his house in Hagerstown
- 24 Sep 1859 
- Death by a blow on the head by Solomon HARRIS.
  [Book 1, 35-37]

BARR, Lewis - at his house
- 28 May 1862 - in Hagers Town
- Death by the act of God and not by his own hand or of another.
 [Book 1, 87-88]

BIGGS, Elizabeth - on land of Susan MARK
- 3 Aug 1860 - found in waters of Antietam Creek
- Death by voluntarily drowning herself.
  [Book 1, 50-51]

BROOKS, Lee, colored, (or Lee BROOT), slave of Mr BENTAN
- 4 Oct 1859 - in Sharpsburg
- Death by hanging himself.
  [Book 1, 38-39]

BROSIUS, Daniel - at his house 
- 23 Oct 1859 
- Death by his own hand.
  [Book 1, 29-30]

BROWN, Abraham, coloured slave - property of Simon LONG
- 20 Feb 1860 - at house of Simon LONG
- Death by knife-inflicted wound at hands of Samuel W. BOYERS.
  [Book 1, 13-15]

BUCKLES, Henry - a native of Jefferson Co, VA (WV)
- 22 Apr 1861 - on Chesapeake & Ohio Canal at Lift Lock 
  near Harpers Ferry, VA (WV)
- Death by accidental drowning in the canal.
  [Book 1, 62-64]

CARINER, Michael 
- 19 Jun 1861 - at Dam #5
- Death by accidental drowning.
  [Book 1, 59-61]

COUGHLIN, John
- 5 Oct 1859 - at Sandy Hook
- Death by willful murder at hands of William L. CAROTHRON 
  and Jacob GROVE.  
  [Book 1, 25-28]

COYLE, Edward 
- 17 Apr 1861 - at H. N. HARNE's saw mill
- Death by accident by being caught between the iron arm of 
  the drum wheel of saw mill and thrust between the arm of the 
  wheel and an upright post which appears to have broken in his 
  breast.  They believed the wheel was put in motion by filling 
  of the buckets and started when he was greasing the gearing of 
  the saw mill.
  [Book 1, 57-58]

DITMAN, Mr - at residence of Mrs Ellen PICKER(?)
- 30 Nov 1861  
- Death from intemperance and exposure.
  [Book 1, 5-6]

GALLIGHER, John
- 22 Apr 1860 - on bank of canal near the 4 Locks
- Death from violence inflicted by some unknown person or persons.
  [Book 1, 11-12]

HELLAM, John - at house of Martin CHRISSINGER
- 23 Nov 1861 - in Hagerstown
- Death by wound inflicted by knife at hands of David RIFE.
  [Book 1, 52-53]

HOPEWELL, David - in field of Thomas HAGERMAN
- 9 Sep 1862 
- Death from natural causes.
 [Book 1, 76-77]

KELLEY, William N. - native of Ireland 
- Govt Soldier under command of Col. HUNT at Harpers Ferry, VA (WV)
- 12 Apr 1861 - at Lock #33 of the C&O Canal (with Horatio LAMBERT)
- Death by accidental drowning while in state of intoxication.
 [Book 1, 73-75]

KENDLE, George 
- 23 Nov 1861 - at house of W. E. DOYLE in Hagerstown
- Death by pistol fired by Abraham SHANK.
  [Book 1, 48-49]

LAMBERT, Horatio - native of ENGLAND 
- Govt Soldier under command of Col. HUNT at Harpers Ferry, VA (WV)
- 12 Apr 1861 - at Lock #33 of the C&O Canal (with Wm. N. KELLEY)
- Death by accidental drowning while in state of intoxication.
 [Book 1, 73-75]

LEE, John, free negro
- 2 Feb 1862 - at Sharpsburg
- Death from effects of intemperance in the use of spirituous liquors.
 [Book 1, 81-82]

McCARRIGEN, Daniel - 1st MD Reg of Co D
- 5 Oct 1861 - in Sharpsburg
- Death by a blow to the left temple, fracturing his skull; 
  administered by hands of Charles SEDDLER.
  [Book 1, 54-56]

NOSE, Richard - at Dam #5
- 8 Nov 1859 
- Death by accidental drowning.
  [Book 1, 31-32]

REYNOLD, Samuel - at house of Daniel REYNOLD
- 29 Mar 1862 - in Smithsburg
- Death by stroke of apoplexy.
 [Book 1, 85-86]

SNYDER, John 
- 30 Nov 1861 - in yard at house of George Washington McALLISTER
- Death by rifle gunshot to right breast, passing through body to 
  left side; discharged by George W. McALLISTER on night of 29 Nov 1861.  
  - Deposition of Susan McALLISTER stated SNYDER & McALLISTER had been 
  arguing; she saw SNYDER pick up the tongs but did not see him strike
  McALLISTER.  McALLISTER told SNYDER he would give him ten minutes to 
  leave his house; SNYDER went out and held the door on McALLISTER. 
  Then McALLISTER came into the room where she was and took down his 
  gun and then went out in the other room ordered SNYDER to open the 
  door or he would shoot him, then got a stone from the fireplace and 
  broke open the door and then she heard the sound of the gun going off. 
  McALLISTER came out of the room, took the candle and went out and said 
  "there he lies, he is dead".
  - Deposition of William PENNER stated he wasn't present, but McALLISTER
  came to his house the following morning and told him he had shot John 
  SNYDER and killed him dead.  Afterwards, PENNER went to McALLISTER's 
  house and saw SNYDER lying there dead; McALLISTER claimed SNYDER had 
  hit him with the tongs.
  - Deposition of Andrew SHANK stated he came to McALLISTER's house the 
  following morning.  Further testimony was the same as PENNER.
  [Book 1, 65-72]

SPEAROW, George - at Dam #4
- 11 Aug 1861 
- Death by a ball fired from a gun by an unknown person.
  [Book 1, 46-47]

STEELE, Elizabeth - at house of Elie MOBLEY
- 21 Feb 1862 
- Death from appoplexy.
 [Book 1, 78-80]

STOOPS, George, colored 
- 1 Dec 1860 - at 4 Locks
- Death by exposure.
  [Book 1, 19-21]

TRACY, Agnes - at house of George SMITH
- 12 Feb 1862 
- Death by hands of Frederick SMITH by use of fire arms.
 [Book 1, 83-84]

VINTER, John, a/k/a John BLUE 
- 26 Apr 1860 - on Potomac River near Williamsport
- Death from accidental drowning.
  [Book 1, 9-10]

WISENBERG, Joseph
- 23 Oct 1859 - at Hancock
- Death "from a dispensatan of Devin PORMAN by cann"(?).
  [Book 1, 22-24]

 

The End of Book 2 of Washington Co, Maryland Inquisitions - 1859-1862