The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1867-04-23 00:00:00

W INTERBORN E W HITCHURCH.
DISTRESSING SUICIDE: DEATH FROM
STRYCHNINE.

Os Tuesday last an inquest was bald in this village,
before W. H. Atkinson. Seq.. coroner, at the boom
of lame. Shave, no the body of Mary Coward, whose
death took plasm the same morning from the effects
of poison. The jar, having chasm Mr. Henry
Fookes as their foreman, the following evidence was
taken;—
Henri Coward disposed : The dammed was my
wits, and was 40 yean of age. This morning I
woke about five minutes to six o'clock. My wife
was then in bed. She had been out of bed before
that. I got tip loon after, but before I had got my
clothes on she WAS out Of bed and down stairs again
befole me. I went nut of doors and saw her stand•
lag outside. She asked me where I was going, and
if I wee goiog to Miss Cole& I told her Iwu going
to Mr. Shave's: She said,. "Don't go, my deer,
°owe and stay with me while I di.." I asked her
what was the matter. She mid, "Oh, I'm going to
die. Do mane upstairs." We went upstairs, and
she seemed to bare • fit directly; she was convulsed
in every joint, and it was as mach as oould do to
hold her. I said, 'You've taken something." She
simmered, "I have, mv dear. I have had that bit
of poison down in the coal-hole in • dsop of water.'
I asked her when, end she answered, 'Now." I
told her to pray to God directly for her poor soul,
as she WU sore to die, as I knew there was not time
for Mr. Swans to come. I then called my children.
They called a neighbour named Louisa Hannam, who
came in. My wife had another convulsive tit, and
then another attar • abort time, and she died soon
after the third attack. My wife was confined three
weeks ago lest Friday. the was the moth-, of nine
children. The last three years she ham been given to
take too much liquor at times. We had not had any
noplemantness. lam not aware that she had any.
thing on her mind except that she was • little down
in the world. I have recently left my place. My
wife died about • quarter past seven.
Louisa Hannam, wife of Albert Hamm, deposed:
Henry Coward's daughter celled we • little after
six o'clock this morning. I went, and Henry
Coward asked me to call some nue, as his wife had
taken some poison. I saw his wife laid on the bed
in a very heavy fit, moralised so that her husband
could warmly hold her. I came down and emit aPer
William Shave to send for the doctor. There was
no one present but she and her husband when I went
in. I did not bear her speak when I was in the
room. .

Mr. John Ermine, surgeon, deposed : I am a
medical man re.eding or Milton Abbas. I was mot
for this morning a little alter 0r.., o'cl.ok to see the
deceased. I got there a little before eight. I found
the deomeed quite dead lying on the bed, her body
Warmly cold, perfectly rigid all over, arms and loge
&o. I heard tbe ciretimetanoes of her taking poienn,
and the symptoms, and I at onoe came to the con.
elusion that she had taken strychnine, end died from
the effects of that poison. I had not attended her
for a long time.
This being the whole of the evidence, the ooroner
briefly summed up, and the jury returned as their
verdict that. "The deemed committed suicide by
taking • certain poison called strychnine, from the
effects of which ebe died, and that at the time of her
taking such poison she wee in an unsound state of
mind.'