The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1876-06-20 00:00:00

SUICIDE OF A MARRIED WOMAN AT
FORDINGTON._ _

On Wednesday ifie;;;;;ii;e-Wife of Mr. William
Payne, wheelwright, committed suicide by hanging
herself to a bed post whilst in a desponding state of
mind.

An Inquest was held at the house of deceased the
same evening, before Mr. IL Lock, depuV-coroner,
and the following jury :—Messrs. J. R. Taylor
(foreman), U. Hayman, L. Tilley C. Parsons, IL
White, G. Pitfield, J. Voss, J. Wefober, W. Bartlett,
W. Cottman, Phillips, and F. W. Seward.
The first witness called was William Payne,
deceased's husband. He deposed: The &weeded was
his wife, and aged about 58 years. He last sew her
about quarter-past four that afternoon in their sitting
room, and she then appeared to be pretty middling,
and walking about the room. Witness put his hand
on her shoulder, and asked her bow she felt. She
said something strange in reply; he did not know
whnt. She had been rather strange for several days ;
there had been no rest with her. Dr. Aldridge had
been attending her for about six weeks. Yesterday
morning she told witness that il she could get near
any water she should drown herself, and he replied,
"Oh, nonsense about drowning younmelf." For the
past fortnight witness had been constantly In and out
of the house watching her to see what she was doing.
Did not then think she was out of her mind. Had only
been uneasy about her. He might have stayed with
her about five minutes when he came in at four
o'clock. He then went back to his shop, leaving her
alone in the house. He saw no more of her till a
quarter or ten minutes to five, when he came in and
then noticing that there was a abutter opened in an
unused store-room, which was very unusual, the
thought struck him that something was wrong. The
stair door was shut. Witness went upstairs and found
deceased hung to the bed-poet, with the piece of rope
poduced twice round her neck. She was quite dead.
Witham on first seeing her ran back downstairs, but
Immediately returned and unfastened the cord from
the post, and laid deceased on her back on the floor.
He then called Mr. Masters, a neighbour, who went
for Dr. Aldridge, and that gentleman came very
quißlite Coroner: She was quite cold when he unhung
her.

--Dr. Aldridge said he had occasienally seen deceased
for the peat mix weeks. About six weeks ago he found
her labouring under a little depression through having
been dismissed from her service as she thought with-
out cause. On every occasion he saw her she wee
dwelling on this—there wee very little derangement of
the system. He never saw any sympton approaching
to insanity during the time he attended her, neither
had he heard of her having saidanything about drown-
ing herself. He last saw her about ten days ago.
She then. seemed it a little. better state of mind.

--
-(Tice—dootor lieu explained that a few years ago
deceased on coming home from her emplusent met
with a severe accident to one of her legs. He attended
her for it, but ever since that time she had had a stiff
knee joint. This made her walk a little lame, and
would occasionally cause her to trip and fall, when she
would be powerless to get up again, and thus persons
would be led to think she was Intoxicated. She
appeared to have fallen one evening when returning
from the boom (where she used to go occasion.
ally), and receiving • notice a day or two after that
her services would not again be required, she had
thought they had considered her intoxicated on the
oarsn, and this had been continually dwelling on
her mind, and she had given way to despondency.
But be bad know her for socual: years, and
known her to be the worse for liquor, and generally
gave her a good character for ▪ ,and industry.)
The medical gentleman continued that he had seen
deceased four or five times during the past six weeks,
and aithought she was depressed in spirits he had seen
no 'lens of
By the Coroner: There was no doubt she committed
suicide when in a state of temporary
A woman named Lester wee called, she had
seen deceased frequently, and had notice• d
that she did
not seem "right "—she looked rather "wild." She
considered she was not in her right mind.
The husband re-celled, in answer to a juryman,
could not say what reply his wife made to him when
be came in at four o'clock. Her manner had been
strange and she had talked • lot of nonsense. In
answer to a further question he said she remarked,
"You won't want me now, for you don't want two
women." He did not know what she meant by that.
The Coroner briefly gummed up the evidence. The
questions for them to consider were how dammed
came by her death; there was no doubt this was
caused by hanging, and it was pretty clear this was
her own act, as there was no one in the house at the
time. The nut question that arose Was what was
the state of her mind when she committed the act.
He thought it was • pity that Payne had not had some
one to watch deceased continually, knowing the state
she was In. If he had done that her life might have
been spared.
The deceased had been laid out by a woman before
the police arrived at the house, and the Coroner had '
leaked Superintendent Coward what were his Instruc-
tions in cases like these, and the Superintendent
explained their printed Instructions were posted at
the station for constables to go to the places, get all
Information, and inform the
The Coroner thought the body should not have
been touched until after the inquiet.
Dr. Aldridge explained that the blame if any, for
that rested on him, as the body was getting cold and
stiff, and the woman in the house sake,' him if
deceased had not better be laid out, and he replied he
should think there would be no harm in do&nu so.
There would have been great difficulty in doing it at
• later thae.
This explantion was deemed by the "woner and
Jury as satisfactory, and the Latter tah,
returned a verdict that "Deceased committed suici&
whilst in a state of temporary insanity.'