The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1859-02-15 00:00:00

SUSPECTED DICRDEIt AT DARLINGTON.

On Monday afternoon week • young woman, named
Elizabeth Hall, about 24 years of age, died at the house
of her uncle' in WM:sae-street, Darlington ; and the
result of a post-mortem examination, together with the
contents of several letters which have been found, lead
to the belief that her death has been caused by internal
violence or the administration of poisonous drugs, for
the purpose of procuring abortion.
An inquest was held on Wednesday at Darlington,
before W. Trotter, Esq., coroner, and from the evidence
it appears that the parents of the deceased reside at
Winlaton, near Newcastle, and that FO far back as
October suspicions were rife in the village of an im-
proper intimacy between the unfortunate girl and
Gloster Smith, • married man, who is national school-
master and °mauled at Winiaton. Subsequent circum-
stances tended to confirm this conviction, and the
parents of the girl charged her with being enceinte, but
she indignantly denied that such was the we, and
attenipted to leave her home. In order to break off the
connexion—the girl's mind being constantly excited—the
parents induced her to go and stays few weeks at Dar-
lington with an aunt. This was on the fifth of last
month, and since that time she has made three visits to
Newcastle, twit* without her parents' knowledge. On
the last occasion of her returning from there, a fortnight
last Monday week, she complained of fatigue, and next
day became seriously ill. Cp to Sunday she persisted in
not having a doctor, but on that day Dr. Fothergill
was callen in, and he was given to understand she had
hail a miscarriage. Notwithstanding his efforts to rally
her, she died on Monday week. The day previously •
sealed packet of letters was found in a work box, on
which was written in pencil, " These are only to be
opened by one person in the world upon my death."
Only one of the letters bears a signature, that being
" Gr. Sib.," but the jury thought the others were in
the same handwriting, although disguised. One letter
particularly, which can be distinctly traced to Smith
says, " It is utterly impossible for rue to go with you
to-night, but don't fail in going yourself. . . . Do
implicitly as lie tells you, and then all will go right.
. . . . . I have no tin by me to-day, but whatever
it costs you at It— I will pay you again." The other
letters tend to prove the suspicion* lung entertained of
an improper connexion existing between the deceased
and Smith. It was in consequence of the contents of
these letters that the post- morre re examination was
made, and Dr. Fothergill stated at the inquest that be
was firmly of opinion death bad been caused by inter-
nal violence. Ile had found mortification, which could
not be accounted for in any other way than by the intro-
duction of instruments. He thought medicines could
not have produced the appearances lie saw, but, at the
suggestion of the coroner, in order to exhaust every
other possible cause of death, he promised to inspect the
stomach.

The intimation was edjoumed for a week.
The schoolmaster was arrested on Wednesday, and
was brought in custody to Darlington the nest day. He
was remanded by the magistrates.