The Northern Daily Times. — 1857-04-11 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

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 commonly sold for cooking purposes under the name of ratitee, or essence Of oil of almonds. D:. Levy said he made a post mortens 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.