The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-05-03 00:00:00

TEE LATE LORD DELAWARR.

The inquest on the body of Charles Pichard, Earl
Delawarr, commenced at Cambridge, on Friday after.
non, at the anchor HoteL Silver.street, before Mr.
H. Getobed, borough coroner, Mr. J. A. M. Coope, of
the firm of Messrs. Coops and Co., of 26, Great George-
street, Westminster, appeared on behalf of the family
of the deceased Earl. Mr. S. Pee I represented Lord
Buckhurst. who, with several other members of the
deceased Earl's family, was present.
William Woodard, waiter at the Bull Hotel, deposed
that h. knew the deceased by sight as Earl Delaware.
Ile arrived at the Bud on Monday night at A quarter
toll in a fly which met him at the railway. He had
engaged s sitting-room and bedroom. Witness went
upstairs to him with the candles, taking him a cup of
tea. He asked for some bread and butter and a second
cup of tea. Witness was standing in the hall at about
a quarter past 11, when the deceased called over the
balustrade that he need not wait to put out the candles
—he would put them out himself. Witness never saw
him again. He had seen him before. Ile did not ob-
serve anything different from his usual appearance.
Replying to Mr. Peed, witness said he did not notice
the ch ceased particularly.
Thomas Robert Etherilg.e, page at the " Bull'
Hotel, said that on Tuesday morning last, at five
minutes past seven, he went to the sitting-room of the
deceased to answer the bed. The deceased, who was
standing against the table, asked for some paper. Ile
afterwards told witness there were two notes for Mr.
Harradine. Wines s never saw him again. He was
sitting against the table writing. He had not a
dusk,.

Police-constable Itayment, of 29, Bradmore-Ftreet,
deposed he di I not know Lord Deliwarr. Last Mon-
day night, while on duty in Trumpington-street, he saw
a gentleman in a room at the " Bull" all night. The
window was wide open, and a light was burning. It.
appeared to be reading or Writing. There was only
one window in the room. After half-past one he got up
and walked about the room with his hands in his
pockets till about half-past three. Wtness then spoke.
lie put his head nut-of the window. Witness sail,
"Good morning, Sir." lie replied, "Good morning,
policeman; is it raining now?" \Vainest; said, "Yes,
Sir." He then turned from the window and began to
walk about the room again.

By the Foreman: Witness (lid not ire anythiag ex.
cited in hie manner.

By Mr. Fred: He held his head down as he walked.
Georse Sexton, gardener to Hills and Sanders, of
Little St. Mary's-lane, said he did not know the EarL
Last Tuesday morning, between seven and half-past,
he went to the river which runs behind Mr. Foster'
mills. It was in a garden on an island. He saw a
gentleman on the Sheep's-green side of the river bank,
going towards the bathing-place. He saw him look
behind, and then into the water. He was by the side
of the water, on the mill aids of the garden. He
stopped opposite witness and looked at him, but
did not speak. He did not stop a minute, and
witness saw no more of him. He identified the
body chiefly by the thick moustache. The features
were altered. Witness discerned nothing singular in
his manner on Tuesday morning. He thomht he was
waiting for some friend. There was nobody else in
sight at the time. It was a very cold morning, and he
did not think anybody was bathiog.
By the Foreman: Witness thought it was about
half-past seven. The gentleman had on a watchguard,
and war dressed in dark clothes.
_ . _

By the : He had on a hat and frock coat.
It was a hi,ll hat. .

-
Isabella Blow, chambtrm aid at he " Bull " Hotel, de-
posed that she had seen L od Delaware at the "Bull
on other occasions, She 41 not see him this time at
all. She knew that No. 9 bedroom waa taken f
Lord Delawarr on Monday night, and also No. 3 sit-
ting room. She went into the bedroom at nine o'clock
on Tuesday morning. The bed had not been slept in.
The pillars had been placed one on the other, atal the
bedclothes thrown back. She did not leave them en.
The sitting-room candles had been taken into the bed-
room and placed on the dressing-table. She was told
to prepare the bedroom for Lord Delaware.
By Mr. Coops: Witness did not go into the sitting-
room. The bedroom candle was burnt out, and the
sitting-room candle. were within an inch of the
bottom. . .

Charles Thwradine, f Bourn, said he wan agtntAit
the deceased EarL He looked after his Lord.hiffilf
property at Bourn. He had a telegram on Monday
from the deceased. It was as follows :

" From Earl Delaware to Mr. Ilerradine, Boom, I yston
Meet me at the " Bull' Uotul, Cambridge, to marrow, be-
tween ten and eleven Lm."

-
Witness went in consequence, arriving at the "Bull"
at half-past ten on Tuesday murning. He did not find
the Eat l there. 'llls waiter said he was staying there,
nit ill not know whet her he was in. Hu went to the
E irl's room, and when he can., back he said he was
it in. Witness asked if his luggage WWI there. He
said, "Yet,." Witness cxiii, "ni wait; he will be in
shortly." He waited till twenty minutes to one o'clock,
when, thinking Lord Delaware must have gone to
Haslingtiehl, be drove there. The Earl had property
at Haslingheld, and had made an appointment to meet
the school committee there and become president.
Witness stayed till past five, and, being very anxious,
returned to Cambridge. He reached the "Bull" at
seven, and asked the waiter if Lord Delaware had been
in. He said " No." \Vanes!' asked if anything had
been left for him. The waiter said there were two
notes. These were addressed to witness. They were
in the Earl's handwriting. The first was written on
the back of a receipt of the London Gas Company, ad.
dressed to Ein Delaware, 61, Little Cadogam place.
The letter, which was not in an envelope, was ad.
dressed to Mr. Charles Harradine, Bourn, and was as
follows :

" Aprl 122.
ilarradine,—My body will be found in the river at the
nearest point 'row the Bull" Hotel after turning t, no Ihe
loft hum the door. " DELAWARR "
The other letter, which was enclosed In a "Bull "
Hotel envelope, and addressed Jlr the other, was
written on a " Hotel sheet of note paper, as fol.
lows :

"Ilarritilbie,-1 have been the cause of the death of Miss
Annie Nethercote, who was living under ruy protection. I
could not survive this Indeed, the law would not allow it,
no libel be found in the river. " DKLAWAHR.
"Send word to llanithgttld; 1 shall not be there."

The letters were both much blurred and blotted.
Witness, continuing, said Lord Delemur lived at 16,
Pall Mali. Witness did not know anything about
Cadogan-place. He hail never seen the person men-
tioned, nor had he heard of her. He had known the
Earl for a long tine— for many year& He was a coldier
and woe in the Sutlej campaign in India. Witness
never heard that he received any injuries. there. He
had roticed his "twitching " of late. Ile new him
three weeks ago, and for the first time noticed greater
nery -usness in him than usual. That was at Pall
MalL NVitness never heard that he contemplated aid.
cide. It was the tint telegram he had ever received
from him on business. Ile was very regular in busi-
ness. Unlike his usual correspondence, the letters in
question showed hurry.
By Mr. l'eed : Witness never heard of his Lordship
going to Newmarket. He was not a racing or a bet-
ting man.
By the Foreman: Lord Delawarr was very punc-
tual. _

Arthur Pileon, labourer, said he did not know Lord
Delaware. He was employed by Mr. Jarvis on Wed.
ne.day with Mr. Johnson to try to find a gentleman
in the river. He searched from giteen's to Trinity.
bridge till 6 25, but to n purpose. The next morning
they searched the same place from G till 8 IS. About
9 he was going out again, when a mall told him that
what had been found above the mill. Ile went with
another man by direction of Johnson to the bathing
place. Asout 10 5 he'recovered the body which was
lying face nowarcla in the water, about 7k deep, al-
most in the middle of the river. With Johnson's as-
sistance witness brought it out. there wps no hat on
the head. Mr. Tunell came up at once and searched
the body._

Ily the Foreman: The bands were clinched, and the
arms were curved inwards.

William Garnharn Turn-11, superintendent of police,
said he was sent fur on Tuesday night, and shown the
letters produced. He took what he considered the us-
corsary steps under the circumstances. Yesterday
morning, a few minutes after ten o'clock, he went to
Sheep's-green, and there found the body. It was on
the bank, just as it had been taken out of the water.
It was brought to that house, and witness searched the
body without stripping it. He found on it a gold
watch ard chain. The watch had stopped at two mi-
nutes to seven. (On examination by one of the jury
it was found to have run down.) The papers found on
him were cuttings from newspapers about a School
Board at Southampton, and such matters. There was
in the pocket half a return ticket between Cambridge
and King's-cross, dated April 21. There was a purse
in which were four half-sovereigns, Is. GI in silver,
esid. in copper, and • variety of articles. The white
handkerchief produced bore the initials "C. R. W."
There were no letters. The search was made on ac-
count of the latent.

Mr. George Wallis, surgeon, said that he had ex-
amined the body externedly. With the exception of a
slight abrasion of the left elbow there were no ex-
ternal injuries. There were no marks of violence on
the body at all. The free was faintly livid. There
was nothing in the state of the body inconsistent
with the the supixisition that he bad died by drown-
ing.

Er. Charlee Kirby, physician and surgeon, of is,
Cambridge-terrace, Hyde Park, London, deposed that
he knew the late Earl llelawarr, but was not his phy-
sician. He knew Miss Ann Nethethote, who lived at
41, Cambridge-street, Hyde Palk. Ile was sent for
In September last by the Earl to see her. Witness did
not know him, and asked him who he was, He said,
"Major-General Wed." Witness knew the next time
he went that he was Earl Delawarr. Ile was sent for
originally to see Mrs. West, Lord Delawarr explained
to witness that she was living under his protection.
He said that she had been ill for some time, but he had
great difficulty In getting her to let him send for •
physician. Witness attended her from that time till
her death, which occurred on Sunday, April 6. He
saw her nearly every day from September ti the day of
her death. He saw the Earl then very frequently in-
deed. She suffewd from irritation of the stomach, and
died from syncope. When he was first called to see her
she could scarcely eat anything. She then got a little
better, but during the laet month of her life she was not
able to take any food except a little milk. She was in
the constfuff habit of taking stimulants all that
time, contrary to witness's directions. Ile thought it
was the ha itmal use of stimulants that laid the founda-
tion of the state of the stomach. The Earl blamed
her to witness for using spirits, but not in her presence.
He said he felt much grieved, and asked witness if he
could do anything to prevent her indulging in this
habit. Witness did not think he was aware of the
extent to which she drank. On makinv an examina-
tion witness found that she suffered from ulceration of
the womb and inflammation. She never complained
of the Earl's condo. t to her in any way. The Earl
seenisd very much distressed after her death, although
he tried to disguise it. He had seen her eight or ten
days before her death. Witness saw him two or three
timer; after her death. Witnese could understand him
in his grief writing the first part of the letter.
13y the Foreman: The Earl asked him about the
cause of her dying so suddenly. Witness explained
that it was from exhaustion and the inflammation. She
was thoroughly well attended to. She was about 30
years of age.

By Mr. Coope : They were on very affectionate
terms. Witness never knew of anything that would
cause any difference between them. The Earl we
afraid to trust her with money lest it should go for
drink. He entrusted the woman in charge of the house
with the money.
By the Jury : Witness last saw the Earl on the 15th
of ApriL He seemed very much agitated.
By the Coroner: That was at 41, Cambridge-street.
Heaient for witness.

By Mr, Coope : Witness Paw a great change in him
manner, and was not surprised at it. He went to the
funeral. The Earl was also pi esent. Before the funeral
witness saw him at the house. He manifested gre st
sorrow, and seemed to think she had not had sufficient
food. Witness mowed him she could not take food.
owing to the disease. She had not been so well fir
three or four days before her death. Witness saw him
on the Moudey after her death, lie was not very much
excited, hut seemed a good deal agitated. When wit-
rafts saw him on the 15th about the inscription on her
tomb, he was more excited than he was before. Be
did not know how to write it out. He said he wanted
to have pot on the atone, "One loved much." He
began, and then asked witness to write it. Ile said it
would do, and sent it to the mason. The statement in
the letter as to his having done anything to her to
render him amenable to the law was not correct, It
had no foundation as matter of fact. He could not be
made answerable for her death. It was a mistake on
hie part.
By the Coroner: U p to her death he expected her
to recover. He expressed a wish to that effect. He
raid if she could only be spared for a few years he
should be glad, lie was at the funeral, and stood on
one side of the porch, asking witness to stand on the
other DA the coffin war brought in. Then he followed
her to the grave, stood with bin hat off for some time,
and would not leave till the coffin was covered up.
By the jury: Witness thought Ike grief affected
his mind.
. .

Replying to the Coroner, witnera said when he went
upstairs on the Monday after her death he found Lord
Delamer In the room by himself with the body. He
more than once expressed his fears that the people of
the house had nit given her Platient food, but after
wituese hail spoken to him he called the woman up
aad told her he um satisfied. Ile told witness she
had 4:5 a week for the last four weeks for her food
and necessaries only.
By a Juryman —Witness saw her mother there
once, and at the Earl's request went to the police to
forbid her the house. The Earl also went to the
police Mice. The reason that he gave AM that she
need to drink en. She had thrown a atone an i broken
the window, end the Earl said he had given the-cruse-
ing sweeper fir. to find out for him where ehe was,
that he might summons her. Witness never saw her
at the house, but the Earl told Lim she had been
there once.

Thomas Hill, 'if 61, Little Carlogan.place, coachman
to the deceased, deposed that Earl Delawar wee at
Bnckhurst park when he heard of the death of Mi.§
Nethercote. lie never spoke to witness about it. He
thenceforward saw a great change. He was very dif.
ferret from what he had been before. Witness had been
in his service 16 years. His lordship took him when he
was quite a boy. He slept in the room under him at
Buckhurst on Friday night, the 18th inst. His lord.
ship W 1411 walking about the g reatur part of the night. Wit-
ness woke about half-past one or two o'clock; when his
Lordship went up to bed he did not come to witness's
room. At abut a quarter to four witness woke again,
when he heard his um-ter still walking about. Tnis
continued till six o'clock on Saturday morning. Wit-
ness called liqn at eight o'clock ; his Lordship was sit-
ting up in bed and picking his linger nails with so e
scissors, lie looked very strange. Witness filled his
bath, but was not spoken to. The windows were
all open, a very unusual thing. Witness noticel that
Lord Delawarr seemed absent anti strange. On the
15th inst. his Lordship seemed quite deranged. Wit-
ness had to direct him as to the road to Buckhurst.
which he had travelled on snores of times. He
was driving the phaeton himself, and witness sat
oesole him He several timer; dropped the
reins loose, and seemed to nave lost all control
over the horses, it was quite clear that he had got
something on his mind. Witness never saw him so
strange before. Ho observed the same sort of conduct
lin Monday morning last, when his Lordship left
Ruckhurst. Witness asked him if there were any
further orders tor him. Lord Delawarr looked con.
fused, and said, ''No' there are no more orders for
you. Come up to London to-morrow." Witness did
40, driving right up to London. His Lordship told
Isles he was going to Cambridge, and should return to

London on Tnesday night. Witness was to go to 16
Pal-mall on Wednesday morning, for orders, am usual.
Lord DeJawarr was unmarried.
Mr. Coope shuilar evidence could be offered,
if necessary, by other servants and members of the
. .

lhe }iiireuisu intimated that the jury did not require
any further evidence.
The Coroner very briefly Rammed up, and the jury
at once retnnied the following verdict:—' We ai e
unanimously of opinion that Earl Delawarr dextroyed
birnsilf by drowning while suffering from temporary
insanity."
The inquiry lasted three hewn

The Daily Telegraph, in noticing the inqueet on the
above melancholy case, remarks

A verdict of '• Temporary Insanity." has been given espect
lag the melancholy death of Lord Delawarr, and the finding
of tho census r's Jury is fully justified by the facts of the case.
The sixth Lail Delaware was a distinguished officer. Ile
setved in the Stith', and took part in the eugagementa of
Sloodkee, Ferozeshah, and Subraon, and, later, he was
present In command of his regiment the 21st Fuld
tiers —at Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman, and Sebastopol.
Services so distinguished were duly recognised, and
Lord Delawarr, already decorated with the medals of
France, Turkey, Sardloia, and England, was gazatted
as a Slajornleneral, and in len was appointed ono 01
of the Commissioners for the Abolition of the Purchase
system. The family lithe of the earldom of Lehman date
back to the year 1312, when Sir Thomas West, knight, who
had married Allanore, daughter cud heiress of Sir Thomas
Caintilupe, aud become pussessed Cu her right of the man
of Sniterfield and the arms of the Centtlupe family, was sum-
moned to Parliament by writ of summons as Baron West,
The title of Delawarr was assumed in 1497 and In 1543, by
the marriage of the fifth Earl Delaware with the Baroness
Buekhurst, the title of Buckhurst was added to that of
Delaware. His military honours, his old title, his large
fortune, would seem to most men to have made
Lord Delawares lot specially enviable. But the stowed
a/nil/id—the one drop that clashes the cup—fell to
hie lot. He woe, It set rns, parish nately attached to a
certain lady, a bliss Anne Nethercote, whose death appears
to have altogether unhinged his mind. To those who love
much, much is to be forgiven ; and it would ill become us
toil well upon the nature of the relations which existed between
LordiDelawarr and the lady upon whose tomb he ordered to be
Inscribed the words, "Dec dearly loved I" The first stone is
but too ready to every hand. All we know in the present
case is that, whatever may be the faulta of inch a union, is
may be marked by sincere affection. The death of Min
Nethercote so touched Lord Ilelawarr as to create an Im-
pression in hie Mind that he WU her murderer ; and, haunted
by this terrible hallucination, he delibrately put an end to
his own existence. That there is absolutely no foundation
for the terrible fantasy which got posseasion ot him, need
hardly be pointed out.