The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-04-11 00:00:00

MYSTERIOUS SUICIDE 01? A WOMAN.

On Wednesday night an inquest was held before Mr.
Taylor, coroner, at Bolton, touching the death of a woman
named Leah Hodgin, or Perkin, aged 35, who was found
dead in her bedroom the day previous. It appeared, from
the evidence of Wm. Perkin, aged 35, machine joiner, that
he married the deeeased on the 31st of !at month, at
Bispham, having been keeping company with her at Preston
for about seven months, she having been in service about
eight years in a gentleman's family at Preston. Since their
marriage they had been residing at 79, Bark street; Little
Bolton. Witness was a married man, but his Wife left him
about three years ago, with three children, since which time
he had not seen her, nor did he know whether she was
living. According to his statement, he toll her of this
circumstance about a month after he began to keep
company with her, and she made no objection to marry
him, nor had she said anything about it since their
marriage, and neither before marriage or since had they
had any disagreement. Witness was out of employment,
and on Tuesday morning he left Balton, and went to
Oldham, in search of work at Messrs. Hibbert and Platt's,
leaving his wife in good health, although she complained
of not beir,g so well. He returned by the eight o'clock
train at night ; on arriving at home, he found his children
playing in the street., and one of them told him his mother
was laid on the floor upstairs, and on going upstairs
h 5 found her as described, and a chair upon her;
she appeared, as if she had. fallen off, the chair, and
the chair followed her. He saw no bottle or pot that
she had been using. She was dead, and appeared to have
been so several hours, as she was cold and stiff. He
alarmed the' neighbours and obtained assistance. He
could for.n no opinion of the cause of death, and he was
not aware of her being in possession of oil of bitter
almonds, as he never seen her with anything of the sort.
John Edward ,'Perkin, eight years of age, son of last
witness, said he saw his mother go upstairs with a jug
before dinner, and she never came down again, and
when he went up he saw her laid on the floor as described.
Sarah Caton, mother of deceased, said she resides
at Blaekpools, and about three o'clock on• Tuesday
afternoon, her daughner, who resides at, home with
her, received a letter by railway, from Bolton,
requesting her to come immediately to 70, Bark street,
Little Balton; this Ic:ter was frona the deceased. . Mrs
Caton lett Poulton Station by the quarter to six train
.that
evening for Bolton, in consequence, and on utilising at
Bolton about nine o'cleCk found her daughter dead. Mr.
Bilsborow, druggist, St, George's Road, recollected' selling
a pennyworth of the essence of bitter almonds to a servant
girl, either on Monday. or Tuesday, but he had 'seen
deceased, and it was not her. The quantity would not
contain more than four eir five drops, it being diluted in
spirits of. wine, one part to seven of spirits. It was com-
monly sold for cooking purposes under the name of ratitee, or
essence Of oil of almonds. D:. Levy said he made a post mor-
tens examination of the body of decesed. It had a healthy
appearance outwardly, and was free from marks of external
violence ; on examining the chest, he found the heart
and twigs in a healthy c3ndition, hut on opening the abdomen
perceived a strong odour of oil of almonds. The abdominal
viscera were in aihealthy condition. The stomach had •an
inflammatory redness, and contained about two ounces of fluid
'appearing like milk. .ITe'thought this was the cause of death.
(The contents of the stomach were produced to 'the jury, and
it had a very strong odour.)—ln his opinion, death must
have taken place in a few minutes after taking the
dose, not more than five or ten. minutes, from the
quantity taken. The . quantity described . by Mr.
Bilsborow would not have been sufficient ; she must have
had near ' a teafipoPhiul. Deceased was not pregusnt,
and died from' the effects of oil of almonds. Deceased
had 23s in her pocket when found, and the police had
made a most minute search of the premises, but nothing
was found disturbed, nor was there any bottle or vessel
which .appearedlo have contained the poison, nor could
it be ascertained the reason of her destroying herself.
It appeared the letter sent to her mother was to apprise
them of.ber death; and,' after the coroner charging the
jury, they returned a verdict, " That deceased destroyed
herself by taking essential oil of almonds ; but there was
no evidence as to the state of her mind at the time ;"
thereby avoiding a verdict of fele de se.

HARVEST PROSPECTS IN SOUTHERN EUROPE.— vr uea. iS
:failing •in the • Marseilles marker. The lieSt arrivals
amount to 80,000 hectolitres. A further fall appears to
be inevitable,- in consequence of the accounts received of
the fine appearance of the crops in Provence, Languedoc,
Spain, Italy, and Algeria.
A royal proclamation has been issued enjoining all
Danish civil and military authorities, in all parts of the
world, not ,only to observe the strictest neutrality towards
the Austrian frigate Novara, on her approaching scientific
voyage round the globe, but to afford her, when needful,.
all assistance in their power. Austria has requested from
all the maritime States of Europe a declaration of neu-
trality under all circumstances in favour of the above
scientific expedition,