The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-09-16 00:00:00

SUICIDE BY TAKING OXALIC ACID

On Saturday night Mr. W. J. Payne held an inquest
at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London, on the body of
Ann Hawkins, who committed suicide by taking oxalic
acid. From the evidence it appeared that the deceased
had for twenty-three years lived with a man named
Middleton, in Benjamin-street, Clerkenwell, and they
were always on good terms, and lived very comfortably
together. Since June last, however, the sister of
Middleton, who was a servant out of place, had been
living with him, and frequent quarrels ensued between
her and the deceased. On Thursday night the sister
quarrelled with the deceased about her supper, and this
feeling continued on her part after the deceased and
Middleton had gone to bed, and the deceased was abused
by ber in a most shameful manner. To such an extent
did this go, that, being unable to endure it any longer,
at about three o'clock on the Friday morning the de-
ceased and Middleton got up, went out of the house, and
walked about the streets till two o'clock in the afternoon.
The deceased then left him for the purpose of going
home, and Middleton went by invitation to a public-
house with a man to have share of a pint of beer. He
had not been there an hour, when he was requested to
go home immediately. On going into his room, he found
the deceased lying on the bed, and asking her what was
the matter, she said it was all over ; and as some of the
persons in the house said she bad taken poison, he put
her into a cab and took her to the hospital. A cup
was found on the table, which contained a small
quantity of oxalic acid. On getting to the hospital,
Mr. Newell, the house-surgeon, used the stomach-pump,
and applied other remedies, but without effect, and
the woman died in a few minutes after her admit-
tance into the hospital. The presence of oxalic acid was
clearly proved in the fluid pumped from the stomach,
and afterwards, on a post mortem examination, in the
stomach itself. In answer to the coroner, as to why
Middleton did not turn his sister out, he said that she
was so violent that she would not hesitate to run a knife
through him if he had attempted to do so, for she had
already been guilty of a serious crime. A cousin of
the deceased said she had twice before attempted self-
destruction, and had been in a desponding way ever
since the death of a son twenty years of age, about six
months ago. The jury returned a verdict of temporary
insanity.

The Piedmontese Government is about to prosecute
some incendiaries who are endeavouring to raise a sub-
scription to furnish 10,000 firelocks to that province of
It4ly which will give the signal of an insurrection against
the Austrians. . .

The Right Hon. Sir C. Wood, who returned to his official
residence at the Admiralty on Wednesday, from his annual
tour of inspection, has left town for Hickleton Hall, York-
shire. Lady Mary Wood, who accompanied the right hon.
baronet during the cruise in the Admiralty yacht, had pre-
viously joined her family at the country seat.
MURDER OF A WIFE.—A wife has been killed by her
husband at the salt works, Newside, Stoke Prior. Ben •
jamin Harper and his wife Mary, both aged about 23
years, were engaged as salt makers at the works. On
Monday last she proceeded to the works with her hus—
band's dinner, and the key of the house, as she was going
out. She found her husband drinking with some of the
other workmen, and though he is described as having
been a kind husband and a sober man, this incident
seems to have greatly excited her, and she used towards
him gross and abusive language, and threw the dinner
and the key towards him. She took hold of the hair of
his head, and would not let go, high words continuing.
Blows were struck, and the wife knocked down, and on
one of the workmen hastening up, he found the prisoner
supporting his wife's head ; and he remarked, " Oh! I
thave
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ty
then—
h" e—n wdhei
ac
dh, hbe
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abbaenudt
20a t
minutes, without uttering a word. He has been arrested.