The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-02-01 00:00:00

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A SAD STORY !

On Saturday an inquiry was held at Shadwell
(year London). relati eto the suicide, through poverty,
of }Mary Yems, aged thirty years.

_
Charles Verne, a gaunt and poverty-stricken man, deposed
that he was a general dealer, awl that the deceased was his
Wife, lie last saw her on Monday, at noon. He had gone
Li' market at eight o'clock in the morning, and he had stayed
there till twelve o'clock in the morning, but he had so little
money—ls. hid—and things were so dear that he could not
find anything cheap enoug to buy. Ile came home, and
when his wife saw he had nothing, she said, " You have
bought nothing?" Ile said, "My money would not allow
me" She cried, "Oh ! what will become of us?" and went
away, and he never saw her again. He was sure she had
&owned herself through poverty. They had gone through
great distress. They had four children, and for the last
six mouths he could not make more than Os. a week. Out of

the to. they had to pay le 8.1. a week rent, and le. 3d. for
the hire of a barrow. They could not have lived only that
two ladies were very good to them.
A juror said that he knew the man Yenta, and all he said
• . .

was gluts true. The family was very hardworkmg and well
conducted.

Mary Yeats, a little girl of great intelligence, said that her
mother returned to the house at half-roast ten o'clock on
Monday night, and made the hell end suckled the baby. She
asked whether the rout and the barrow-loan were paid. She
then said she would go and get some fancy shirts and would
sit up all night to make them. She went Ina and never came
back. She used to work at making slop shirts for a 1,1 a
eh rt. For the better sort of shirts she used to get lid.,
and even 2d. She had .to find her crest needles and thread.
She could make about three or four shirts in a day.
Richard Howell proved that he found the body of the de-
ceased inn rho Thames near tins entrance to tha L 011,14411
Docks 011 Tuesdsy morning. She was dressed in clothes that
denoted great destitution.
TliC coroner, in anointing up, remarked that the story as
told by the witnesses was -Me of the saddest of the many
sad ones he had to hear from time to time. The life of the
poor woman, as she tried to eke out her husband's scanty
earnings by making shirts at a penny a piece, finding her
own needles and thread, was such as well might upset-her
reason, and cause her in a moment of despair to throw her-
self into the river. Ile was informed that the testimony of
the furor as to the good character and industry of the family
wee borne out by that of the district visitor.
. . . .

While in a state of
unsound mind through distress." . . .
• •

The man Tema was recalled, and asked what he had had
to eat that day. Ile replied, "We have not had a bit to eat
to-day It was then half-past two o'clock). If you go to my
place you will find that we had nothing all day."
The little girl was recalled and asked the same question.
She said that she had now been taken by a lady as a servant,
and she had enough to eat, but her sisters had only a bit of
dry bread and her father had nothing. The coroner and the
jury made up a small subscription for the family.