The Sun.
London, England, 1858-09-25 00:00:00

LOVE AND SUICIDE.

(From the Manchester Guardian)
Yesterday afternoon, Mr. W. S. Rutter held an
inquest at the White Horse Inn, Longsight, Man-
chester, upon a girl, aged 18, named Mary Ann
Keighley, the daughter of an omnibus driver, who
poisoned herself on Tuesday night with strych-
nine, contained in rat poison (flux vonzica). It
appeared that the girl had lived 11 months as do-
mestic servant with Mrs. Roscoe, lodging-house
keeper, and was in the habit Of waiting upon
the lodgers, amongst. whom was a Mr. May, whom he appears, by her letters, to have
conceived a strong attachment. She was a
light-hearted and high-spirited girl and of
a quick temper. In accordance with notice
given her by her mistress, with whom she did not
very well agree, she left her service on Monday,
and returned home. No change was perceived in
her manner up to the time that she took the poison.
On Tuesday night, when her parents went to bed,
they left her downstairs writing letters ; but they
had been in bed scarcely half-an-hour when she
called out, " Mother, come down stairs ; I'm ill."
Her mother went to her and found her in bed. She
said she had taken rat poison, and threw her arms
around her mother's neck, and clung so tightly to
her that it was with difficulty her mother could re-
lease herself to call for assistance. A neighbour,
named Barnes, having been called in, medical aid
was sent for; and in about half an hour Mr. Bil-
ling, surgeon, arrived ; but the girl had just died
in gretit agony. She gave no reason why she had
taken the poison ; but she requested that Mr. May
might be sent for, and said that when the surgeon
arrived she would confess all. After her death,
three twopenny packets of " Hunter's infallible
vermin and insect destroyer" were found in the bed ;
and under her pillow were three letters which she
had written. The first was addressed to her
mother, father, brothers, and sisters; and read
thus :

" When you read this I shall be dead. Blame
no one but Mrs. Roscoe ; she is the
you
of my
doing so. Good-bye, God bless you all. llm t
him not; I forbid it. I loved him to the last,
God bless him. It is for his sake lam dying. As
soon as you find it outs send for him. God bless
you, Mr. May. MOther, give him my likeness, if
he will have it. * * Tell him tiot to refuse it.
Tell Mrs. Roscoe I forgive her ; but it is her who
is to blame.

The second letter was addressed to Mr. May :
"Dearest Mr. May—You asked me to bless yon.
I do bless you and forgive you, as I hope to be for-
given for what I am doing now. When this
reaches your hand I shall he dead. Do not make

yourself unhappy dearest, at all. Be sure I love you
to the last moment of my life. Will you visit my
grave sometimes ? Please do ; and will you look
after my mother ; and I will bless you for all. I
forgive all my enemies, and Mr. Cornea for his
harshness to me. So good bye. May God pour
down blessings upon your head, and all your under-
takings. See me when lam dead. Bless you, my
only love. Blame no one for my death. You might
have kissed me, when you left.'
The third letter was to Mr. 11. G. Bowker
Liverpool, asking forgiveness for all the trouble she
had given him ; telling him not to weep for her ;
and saying she could not love him as she loved the
one she was dying for.
A post mortem examination, made by Mr.
Billing, showed that the girl died from poisoning by
strychnine, of which, it was supposed, there was
about a grain in each of the three packets of rat
poison.
Mrs. Roscoe said that the girl left her house in
high spirits, and only said that she had a better
situation in view. _ _ .

This was explained by the girl's mother, who
stated that something had been said about her 17( n
houeliccper for :Jr. May and Mr. Comes (another
of Mrs. Roscoe's lodgerss, who were about to leave
Mrs. Roscoe's. _

Several jurymen said a rumour had prevailed
Mrs. Roscoe had charged the girl with being in,
such a condition as would be brought about by itn.
proper conduct ; but

Mr. Billing, the surgeon, said there was not the
slightest foundation for such a charge, and the
girl's mother stated that Mr. May had told her
that she was a good servant, and a very prudent
girl,

The jury, in accordance with the coroner's sug-
gestions, took a charitable view of the girPs conduct,
on account of her age, and returned a verdict of
" Temporary insanity." - -