Blandford, Wimborne and Poole Telegram. — 1876-06-16 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

SUICIDE OF A MARRIED WO3IAN AT FORDINGTOS.  On Wednesday afternoon the wife of Mr. William Payne, wheelwright, committed suicide by hanging herself to a bed post whilst in a desponding state of mind.  ..... „.. An inquest was held at the house of deceased the same evening' before Mr. H. Lock, deputy-coroner, and the following jury :--Messrs. J. Rip Taylor (foreman), G. Hayman, L. Tilley, C. Parsons, H. White G. Pittield, Voss, J. Webber, W. Bartlett, W. Ci;ttman, Phillips, and F. W. Seward. The first witness called was William Payne, deceased's husband. He deposed : The deceased was his wife, and aged about :it; years. He last saw her about quarter-past four that afternoon in their sitting room, and she then appeared to be pretty middling, and walking about the room. Witness put his hand on her shoulder, and asked her how she felt. She nal(' something strange in reply; he did not know what. She had been rather strange for several days; there had been no rest with her. Dr. Aldridge had been attending her for about six weeks. Yesterday morning she told witness that if she could get near any water she should drown herself, and he replied, Oh, nonsense about drowning yourself." For the past fortnight witness hail been constantly in and out of the house watching her to see what she was doing. Did not then think she was out of her mind. Had only been uneasy about her. He might have stayed with her about five minutes when he came in at four o'clock. He then went back to his shop, leaving her alone in the house. He saw no more of her till a quarter or ten minutes to five, when he Caine in, and then noticing that there was a shutter opened in an unused store-room, which was very unusual, the thought struck him that something was wrong. The stair door was shut. Witness went upstairs and found deceased hung to the bed-post, with the piece of rope produced twice round her neck. She WAS quite dead. Witness on first seeing her ran back downstairs, but immediately returned and unfastened the cord from the post, and laid deceased on her back on the floor. He then called Mr. Masters, a neighbour, who went for Dr. Aldridge, and that gentleman came very quicklyBy the Coroner: She was quite cold when he unhung her.  Dr. Aldridge said he had occasionally seen deceased Tor the past six weeks. About six weeks ago he found her labouring under a little depression through having been dismissed from her service as she thought without cause. On every occasion he saw her,she was dwelling on this—there was very little derangement of the system. He never saw any sympton approaching to insanity during the time he attended her, neither had he heard of her having said anything about drowning herself. He last saw her about ten days ago. She then seemed it a little better state of mind.  [The doctor her. explained that a few years ago deceased on coming home from her employment met with a severe accident to one of her legs. He attended her for it, but ever since that time she hail hail a stiff knee joint. This made her walk a little lame, awl would occasionally cause her to trip and fall, when she would be powerless to get up again, awl thus persons would be led to think she was intoxicated. She appeared to have fallen one evening when returning from the house (where she used to go oceaslintally), and reeeivin; a notice a day or two after that her services would not again be required, she had thought they ha •I considered her hub ixicated on the occasion, and thi, had been continually dwelling (.11 her mind, awl she ha, 1 given way to despondency. But he had know h. riv s.ane years, and hair never kit INVII her to he the tiiia for liquor, awl generally gave her a ..111 •• t a rat t• r fir cleanliness, and industry.] The medical gentlem.in continued that he hail seen deceased fimr or five times during the past six weeks, and althonght she was depressed in spirits he had seen Ito signs of insanity. _ _  By the ',ironer : 'II ii' NV:I 4 Ito doulit she committed suicide when in a state id temporary hisanity. A woman named Lester was called, and said she had seen deceased frequently. and had noticed that she did not seem "right she looked rather " wild." She considered she was not in her right mind. The husband rr-callcil, in answer to a juryman, ciiuld not say what reply his wife made to him when he came in at four clock. Her manner had been strange and she hail talked a lot of nonsense. In answer to a further question he said she remarked, " VI Al won't want Tne now, for you don't want two women." Ile did wit know what she meant by that. The Coroner briefly slimmed up the e vidence. The questions for them to consider were how deceased came by her death ; there was no doubt this NVINS caused by hanging, and it was pretty clear this was her own act, as there was no one in the house at the time. The next question that arose was what was the state of her mind when she conunitted the act. He thought it was a pity that Payne hail not hail some one to watch deceased continually, knowing the state she was in. If he had done that her life might have been spared. The deceased had been laid out by a WI quail before the police arrived at the house, and the Coroner had asked Superintendent Coward what were his instructions in cases like these, and the Superintendent explained their printed instructions were posted at the station for constables to go to the places, get all information, and inform the Coroner. The Coroner thought the body should not have been touched until after the inquest. Dr. Aldridge explained that the Warne, if any, for that rested on him, as the body was getting cold and stiff, and the woman in the house asked him if deceased had not better be laid out, and he replied he should think there would be no harm in doing so. There would have been great difficulty in doing it at a later time.  This explantion was deemed by the Coroner and Jury as satisfactory, and the latter immediately returned a verdict that "Deceased committed suicide whilst in a state of temporary insanity?'