Denton and Haughton Examiner, etc. — 1878-08-17 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

HILL. THE INQUEST  An inquest was held at the 110%1413 of MI William Suthertou, the Olive Tree Inn, Godley, a Monday afternoon, before Mr F. W. ioh n son, °urea r, on the body of Sarah Oldham, wife d John Oldham, hatter, Godley Hill, who coin. witted suicide on Saturday morning by hangiu: herself. 'The following evidence was given:— John °Wham said : I live at Godley Hill,and sin a hatter. The deceased, Sarah Oldham, was iny wife, and was 52 years td age I left home at a quarter to nine o'clock on Saturday morning to go to my work at Denton, leaving 101 wife (the deceased) and my son's wife in On house. About eleven o'clock the saute forenoon my son met me in Kingston Brow an' told us that his mother had hanged herself. I went straight home aid found her dead. For some time -he bad been low in spirits and queer— especially so this last fortnight. She never threatened, to my knowledge, to commit suicide .tad I never thought that she would do any thing of the kind. She woo s-ea by Dr Cooper about a mouth ago, and he said she would be all right in time . . .  -Elizabeth Oldham said: I am the wife of Samuel Oldham, and live at Godley Hill, Labil loor to the house in which the deceasvd lived. She was my mother•in-law. I was in the house with her when her husband left on Saturday to go to Denton I stopped with her in the house about all hour, and she seemed more cheerful tinall she had been for some time. When I leas leaving her she said she would go and wash her hands at the slopstone in the back kitchen. I then left her arid went into my own house, anti begau my work. About five minutes afterward, sLe iollowe I me and said 00, Lizzie, I wish I could work like you." She stopped for a shoo time, took tiyethe scissors, and helped ale to cut. or tried to do so. She then lett awl went int, her own house. I sent in, little girl after het to keep her company. She soon sent Ilia litth girl back, curl I siren went into the house an. taint "Sarah, what is there to do?" I went lot, the kitchen, and then into the hat shop, but lid not find her. I then went upstairs. Abov. tilo I:wdroom there is a room where my heehaw keeps pireune. There inn "clap" door up to this room and underneath the "clap' is a stepladder I went up this ladder and sac her hauging from a beam in the roof. tat otici 4ave an alar o to Thomas Shawcross, and part,es Caine cud cut her clown. I don't know where die rope came from. Constable Dirties here produced the piece, rope, and it sopeared they were part of a clothes line, but whose line it was nowely knew. John Sellars said : lilt. at Godley Hill, da an co4iimer. About twenty minutes pas, Lea O'clock on Saturday morning I was cornim., round the corner sear the house f deceased, and saw a crowd. tasked what was up, awl the) said deceased had hanged herself. I went hit. die house and up the stepladder, and saw he, hanging from the roof, and I cut her down the rope had not a noose on, but it was tie,, round her neck. Dceased'a feet were about 20 Mellen from the Boor. .  By a Juror I cannot say she wee quite dead at the time, but I think she was. The Coroner said there was no doubt from thy evidence that drceaved hanged herself, aua the next question for the jury was her state of mill., at the time. It appeared that 81145 was aufferius from a constitutionsl ailment, and was not, in consequence, ins sound state of mind. The Jury retained a verdict that deceased committed suicide while in a state of temporary tnesuity.  The Sheriff of Argylehire bee fired the 20th in for the nomination sod the 27th for the ballot the county is divided into eight polling districts.  Mr William Ha (C). innkeeper, Wigan, was on Tuesday returned unopposed a. the represents tine of St. George's ward in the Wigan Town Council, in the room of the late Mr John Lamb (C) auctioneer.