The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-08-13 00:00:00

THE SUICIDE AND INFANTICIDE IT

BRIE RLEY HILL.

On Monday morning, the District Coroner (Mr.
W. H. Phillips) held an inquest at the Old Bush
Inn, Moor Lane, Brierley llill, on the bodies of
Martha Eeans (32) and Henry Evans, aged 17 days,
respectvely the wife and infant son of Henry
Evans, blast fnanace-man, Moor-Lane,,whoee dead
bodies were found in the Stourbridge Canal on
Saturday morning. '
Sarah Hxlgetts, a Widow, and who lived near to
the deceased woman, said the latter was confined of
a male child on the 28th of July. Previous to her
confinement she had seemee to be in a low and
weak state, as if her mind was affected. Witness
had never beard her speak of death. She had been
up since her confinement, and on the three subse-
quent occasions upon which witness saw her,
deceased complained of being low and ill, and hav-
ing no appetite. Witness assisted to lay the bodies
out after they were recovered from the canal, and
the mother was then attired in a skirt, dress, stays,
and shawl. The child was fastened to her side. It
was her first child. There were no marks or in-
juries on either of the bodies.
William Hill, blacksmith, and father of the
deceased, said she and her husband lived with him.
During the time his daughter was pregnant witness
noticed noting wrong in her manner, but on the
night before her death she appeared very strange
and incoherent in her talk, and witness did not con-
sider she was then in her right mind. She had her
supper with witness and her husband, and then
went to bed with the latter, taking her baby with
her. Witness heard nothing of his daughter during
the night, but as day was breaking his son-in law
rattle I his bedroom door and said, "Oh dear, do
come. I have missed Martha out of bed, and
cannot find her." Witness then went downstairs
and found the house door open. As deceased cou!d
not bs. found anywhere about, witness's suspitions
were aroused that his daughter bad "made away"
with herself. About five o'clock that (Saturday)
inorMng the dead bodies of his daughter and her
infant were found in the canal, about a hundred
yards from the house. He had never heard her
threaten to destroy herself. Witness had no reason
to blame anyone for want of care or inattention to
h.s daughter, who, so far as her husband's means
permuted, received proper care and attention. He
was perfectly satisfied that she met her death at her
own hands, and that no violence had been used
towards her.
William Longinoor, brother-in-law to the de-
ceased woman, stated that when he saw the latter
on the previous Thursday he then considered her in
a Iv_ ak state of mind. She seemed kind and affec-
tionate towards her child. Witness assisted in the
search for the deceased on Saturday morning, and
alter some time he pulled their dead bodies out of
the water with a rake. .I.lhe infant was tied to the
mother's breast with a handkerchief. Witness
had no reason to blame anyone with regard to her
death.
By a juryman: The deceased and her husband
lived together comfortably.
Mary Maria Longiaore, si,ter to the deceased
woman, spoke to having noticed a strangenesa in
her sister's manner on the Thursday and Friday
prior to her death. On the latter day she insisted
upon sitting with the doors of the house open, and
exposing herself and baby to the draughts.
By Police-sergeant Salt: It was not me to whom
she said that her heart was nearly broken.
By the Coroner: She had things on her mind
wh ch sne was not able to bear, and was not able
to meet them.
The Goroner : If there is any fact which you can
explain away, it is only right you should do so.
\N itness . I am not bound to expose her in every
way.
On being further pressed witness declined to
diseose a matter which she said she did not think
was of sufficient moment to prompt her sister to
take away her life. Deceased and her husband
lived very comfortably together.
Mr. H. D'Arcy Ellis, surgeon, gave evidence as to
his visits to the deceased. He said on Thursday he
found her sitting up when he called, and remon
strated with her, as on the Tuesday he had ordered
her to keep her bed. Deceased sail she felt much
better, and appeared perfectly rational. He
thought in this case, that the woman being some
d..bilitated in consequence of the circumstances
attending her confinement, and then having some
slig,lt feverish symptoms a day or so before her
death, would lead him to suppose that it was most
ditely a case of puerperal insanity.
The Coroner, in directing the jury, said had the
woman been gut out of tae water alive and the child
deall, their verdict would have had to have been
one of weful murder against the mother, and
,uother tribbnal would have had to decide what was
her state of mind. After being further directed,
the room was cleared, and the jury, having shortly
deliberated, returned a vet dict to the effect "That
Henry Evans was wilfully murdered by his mother,
and that the latter drowned herself whilst suffering
front temporary insanity."
The Coroner remarked that the fact of the
woman having tied her infant to her was strong
presumptive evidence that she threw herself into
the canal purposely.