Widnes Examiner. — 1899-11-24 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

THE NAME PROVES THE VALUE,  ***-* *   * * * TELLS THE PRICE. *  REMARKABLE FATALITY, A SERVANT'S SAD DEATH AT GRAPPEN HALL.  AN 18 FEET FALL INTO A RAIN-TUB.  Mr. H. C. Yates, coroner, conducted an inquiry a the " Ram's Head" Inn, Grappenhall, last Tnursday into the circumstances attending the death of Harriet Jeffs, a domestic servant, in the employ of Mr. James Benworthy Grappenhall, who was found drowned in a rain-tub on Wednesiay morning. The first witness was  Edward Jeffs, Lumb Brock, Appleton, who said deceased was his daughter. Sto was 22 years of age, and was a servant to Mr. Kenworthy, in whose employ she had been for a long time. She was engaged to be married to a man named Ernest Summers. There was no unpleasantness between them. Deceased was subject to walking in her sleep some years ago, but he had not heard of her doing so lately. He last saw her alive on Tuesday morning at eight o'clock, when she was quite well. James Kenworthy, , Dunmore, Grappenhall, said deceased was a domestic servant in his employ. On Tuesday night she seemed quite bright and happy. She was a little bit excited if anything. She had talked I about the meteoric display but did not say she was ' going to sit up to watch it. She went to bed about nine o'clock. Witness did not hear any noise during the night. The re xt morning thinking that deceased would have ; got up he got at 7.15 up half-an-hour later than usual. He I had since formed the opinion that it was through not hearing deceased mov:ng about that he o:erslept himself. He went to the bath room and whilst there, heard someone knocking at the back door. He looked through the window and saw it was the gardener. He went to his wife and told her that the gardener had knocked and Harriet (deceased) did not seem to be about. Deceased's bedroom door was closed His wife went into the bedroom and came back saying that deceased had got up and had thrown her bedroom window open. The bed had been slept in. She then went downstairs cud finding the place in darkness called to him to look through the window es deceased had not been downstairs. He went into the bedroom and on looking through the window saw the deceased below in a small rain-tub. He called to the gardener to jump over the wall, and he hastened downstairs. When he got down be found that the gardener had got deceased out of the tub but she was quite cold and stiff. She must have been in for some time. When witness saw her in the tub her legs were projecting from the top of the tub, and the head and trunk were evidently quite straight. The tub was about half full of water. Deceased was in her nightdress. The window was only open about fifteen inchee. The window sill was a rather low one but he did not think anyone straining to look out could have overbalanced themselves. He had never known deceased to walk in her sleep and she had never complained of giddiness. Her sister told him that previous to being in his employ deceased often talked in her sleep and sometimes got up in her sleep. The window was fastened the previous night. In answer to a juryman, witness said that deceased would have fallen a distance of seventeen or eighteen feet. The tub was nineteen inches across the top. Ernest Summers, boot and shoe maker, residing at Stockton Heath, sail he had known deceased for about eight years, and was engaged to be married to her. He last saw her alive on Sunday night, and she was then in the best of spirits. Shelalways seemed to be in good spirits. She had talked to him about the meteoric display on Sunday night, but she did not say she was going to look out for it. She had never expres.ed any intention of taking her life. It would be tee last thing in the world she would think of.  The Coroner: lam sure we are all very sorry for you. The Coroner, in summing up said it was a very extraordinary case. The deceased appeared to have been unusually cheerful on Tuesday night. Sbe went to bed shortly after 8 o'clock in the best of spirits. It had been suggested that she might have been looking out for the metegorie display but they had no evidence of that. The cause of death was perfectly apparent. Deceased died from the effects of drowning. The question was, how did she get in th? tub? Mr. Kenworthy lrod said that the bedroom window was tastened on the previous night, so the only person., who could have unfastened it must have been the deceased. The window was only open about fifteen inches, so that she must have been determined to get out,or she must have been straining to look at some object. They had no evidence that she wanted to take her life. It would apparently be the last thing she would do. They had no evidence of her baying walked in her sleep since she went to Mr. Kenwortby's. The evidence was very unsatisfactory, and they would never know what was the reason of her getting through the window. He thought they would agree with him that suicide was out of the question. There was no evidence to point to, suicide. The only thing was whether she had been looking out that night when they were supposed to see a grand display of meteors. The only thing for them to do was to return the open verdict of " Found Drowned" it they were not satisfied on that point. A verdict of " Found Drowned " was returned, thejury passing a vote of sympathy with deceased's father.  _. _ --•-..,:,--r--,_,-,4-• ' -----'2' •''''''‘. .v, r,\!7„. \0,„„„,..,,,,,./,,,,,,, p ..!..„....‘,.,,,,,,, \\..,..A ,_,„ • , REG! TRADE MARK - - • . * THE LABEL * * Ix Ik - lk, Illx -*2IP- -...A.. 3eZ At * -* •