The Sun.
London, England, 1860-06-02 00:00:00

THE SUICIDE AT PLYOiTUTH.

An inquest was held yesterday afternoon, at the
Guildhall, Plymra th, before Mr. John Edmonds,
the coroner for the borough, to inquire into the cir-
cumstances attending the death of Mary Aune
Luke, who died on Wednesday evening from in-
juries she sustained by jumping out of a window
on the previous afternoon.
The case having been much talked about during
the day, there was a very large crowd in and
around the Guildhall; The hall itself was com-
pletely filled, as were also its approaches, and there
were hundreds in the street who could not get in.
The Coroner addressed the jury, and said they
were called together for the purpose of inquiring
into the circumstances attending the death of Mary
Anne Luke. This investigation was of considerable
importance, not only on account of the station of
the deceased, but also as to how far the fatal occur-
rence was attributable to the conduct of the father.
By the rule of the law, a parent might chastise his
child properly, but that must not be done violently.
It seemed, from what he had heard—but they
would have the evidence by and by—that this
young woman, the deceased, was violently beaten
with a rope, and that she fled in consequence
from her father, and jumped out of a window.
By law, if one person, under a well-grounded
apprehension of violence from another, had to
resort to such means as that by which this young
woman met her death, he who had caused it was
held responsible.
The jury then adjourned to the house to view the
body.
When Thomas Luke, the father of the unfortu-
nate girl, came into court, he was received with
yells from the assembled crowd.
Mary Abbott, the first witness called, was exa-
mined, and said—l am a widow and reside at Mr.
Thomas Luke's house, 30, Union-street, Mr. Luke
and all his family reside there. Ima employed
by him as housekeeper. The deceased was his
daughter, and was single ; her age was 18, and
she was a healthy girl, except during the last few
months. Her employment was keeping her father's
business and selling boots and shoes. Mr. Luke
has a wife and five and other children, the deceased
being the eldest. All the family lived in the house,
with the exception of Mr. Luke and the eldest son,
who took their meals at one of the other shops, Mr.
Luke having four in different parts of the town.
All the family slept at the house in Union-street.
At two minutes to nine, on Tuesday night last,
Miss Luke came home to he shop with her mother,
having been at the establishment in Bedford-street
all the afternoon, where she went with her father.
They appeared to be good friends. She went up
to her bedroom, which was two stories high,
to take off her bonnet and shawl. She came
down again on her sister calling her, and went
into the kitchen. Her father was there, and
insisted on an explanation, which she said she
could not give, and he then slapped her face with
his hand. He might have given her two or three
slaps, but I cannot say. She cried, but said she
could not give any explanation. Her father then
took a piece of line and struck her. (The " line" was
handed to the coroner. It was apparently a piece
of clothes-line, about the thickness of a small finger.
As it was exhibited a roar of execration burst forth
from the densely.crowded court, which the coroner
appeased by requesting the crowd to desist from
anyiexhibition of feeling, whatever:their thoughts
might be.) Her father went into the yard and
cut it from a clothes-line. He held it in his right
hand when he came in, and the deceased was
standing up. No one had hold of her. I think

the line was once doubled, and her father struck
her with it on the arm. Ido not think more than
two or three blows were struck. She held up her
arm, receiving the stripes on it, and said, "Don't,
father." He ordered her to bed, and she went.
That was instantly after he struck her the last blow.
She was crying then, but not much, and left the
room quickly. No one followed her. The kitchen
door was then shut. When Mr. Luke ordered his
daughter to bed he threw the rope down on the
floor. He did not threaten to beat her again, but
sat down, and she ran up stairs, and I stood at the
kitchen table. We heard deceased's window thrown
open, and her sister Emily screaming that deceased
was out of window. I ran into the court with Mr.
Luke, and there we found her on the ground quite
insensible. She was lying on her back, with her
head thrown on one side. She was removed in-
doors, and I went for a surgeon, Mr. Whipple.
Deceased died at 10 minutes after eight o'clock
last night. Deceased spoke yesterday, and she
was attended by Mr. Whipple and Mr. Square.
Confirmatory evidence having been given, the
jury returned the following verdict :—" That on
the 27th of May, in the year of our Lord, 186(
the said Mary Ann Luke, having been severely
beaten by her father, Thomas Luke, of Ply-
mouth, at No. 30, Union-street, within the
borough, became excited, and, while labouring
under temporary derangement, jumped from the
bedroom window of her father's premises and fell
on the ground below, whereby her skull was frac-
tured and brain lacerated. That she languished
therefrom, at 30, Union-street aforesaid, until the
30th day of the said month of May, and then and
there died of the said fracture of the skull and
laceration of the brain, and the jury further say
that her said father's conduct towards the deceased

was marked by undue severity."
During the time the foreman was reading the
decision of the jury, Luke made use of some inco-
herent expressions, and then sank forward on the
desk weeping like a-child.