**SPOILERS** Ellen Corcoran is the wife of Detective Kevin Corky Corcoran. Irish born, Ellen disappears when her husband returns from fighting in the Civil War. The two have a daughter who died under mysterious circumstances and a grieving Corky not only searches for his wife, but for answers as well. After finding her missing locket, Corky discovers his wife living in a mental hospital where she is known as Mrs. Maguire , the last name of Kevin's best friend, Frances. Ellen is in a catatonic state and gives very few answers until she is confronted about her affair with Frances and having aborted his child. She finally admits, she accidentally smothered her and Kevin's daughter, Maggie to death in order to quiet her. Kevin is horrified and all but abandons his wife. While she tries to get on with her life, her task is made harder when Kevin all but ignores her, spending all of his time at the precinct or in the company of the local madam, Eva Heissen. One night, Ellen and Kevin make love, but he goes back to ignoring her, leaving her in charge of Annie Reilly, a girl Kevin has taken to heart. But Annie resents Ellen and makes life at home unbearable until Ellen finally kicks her out. Later, Ellen tries to find Kevin after she learns she is pregnant with his child, but he avoids her. She learns that Eva is pregnant as well and accuses her of carrying Kevin's child, a false charge that Eva does not deny. Feeling alone and in despair, only Sara Freeman, the wife of Dr. Matthew Freeman senses her desperation and tries to get her husband to intervene, which he refuses, citing that the matter is none of their affair. Back at the Precinct, Ellen learns that Corky has been spending all of his time there, and not at Eva's. As she leaves, a worried Frances watches her go. At the Corcoran residence, Ellen frantically cleans house and dresses herself in her best clothes. Sara confronts Kevin at the Precinct and tells him that Ellen is pregnant. Infuriated, Kevin attacks Frances, accusing him of getting Ellen pregnant again, a charge Frances flatly denies. Believing him, Kevin races home to confront his wife, only to find Ellen dead, swinging from a rope in their kitchen. Later, Kevin holds a traditional Irish wake for his wife and his friends rally to support him. He contacts a local priest, who tells Kevin that Ellen can only be buried next to their daughter if she is cremated. After the wake, Frances arrives and tells Kevin that he loved Ellen, and loves him as well. He sings an Irish melody to her and later he and Kevin set fire to Ellen's coffin. Show less «