The Daily Times. — 1860-06-20 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

THE SUICIDE IN THE MERSEY.  THE INQUEST.  Mr. Churton, the coroner for the district, held an inquest yesterday at the New Ferry Hotel on the body of Elizabeth Hannah Neild, wife of Mr. Henry Neild, cotton-spinner, of Ashton-under-Lyne, and daughter of Mr. John Gibson, a retired gentleman, living at Egremont. _  James Smith, warehouseman, residing at Birkenhead, deposed that whilst fishing iu a boat near New Ferry, about four o'clock on Sunday afternoon, he received information from a young man that the body of a woman lay near Bromborougla Pool. He immediately took his boat to the spot, and conveyed the body to the New Ferry Hotel, and, by the direction of the landlord, placed it in the stable. There were found on her person a gold watch and chain, a brooch containing the portrait of her husband, a five pound note, one sovereign, a shilling, and a penny. There were on her finger two rings. The body appeared fresh, with the exception of the face, which was greatly disfigured. The witness gave it as his opinion that the body had not been in the water many days.  George Pearce, boatman, living at New Ferry, saw the deceased lady between two and three o'clock on Thursday last. She was then walking hurriedly along the river side, in the direction of Bromborough Pool. She appeared rather excited, and she turned her head round three times to see whether any persons were following. "Witness feared that there might be something wrong, and continued looking after her until she disappeared in a turning in the rocks, at a distance of about 400 yards from New Ferry Hotel. In answer to a question by the Coroner, the first witness replied that the deceased's watch stopped at about a quarter to three o'clock. Mr. J. H. S. Gibson, sou of Mr. John Gibson, of Port-view, and brother of the deceased, said that she was thirty-two years of age. She had been on a visit to his father for a month or five weeks. He left the house on Thursday morning, leaving the deceased at home, and returned about eight o'clock in the evening, when he heard that his sister was missing, and that his father and sister were gone in search of her. A telegram was despatched to the husband, who arrived next morning. Information was also given to the police h aut .._olll,lea Iu 1-•.—„Donl. and in New Brighton; and every means were used to recover ner. wrivil over from Ashton-under-Lyne, she was in tolerably good bodily health ; but she appeared rather depressed in spirits. Her mind had been affected for about eighteen months. She had never attempted suicide, but she had now and then wished she was drowned, without, however, assigning any cause for doing so. She was under constant supervision, and had been under medical treatment.  In answer to a juryman, the father stated that the cause of her indisposition was absence of mind and mental aberration. He further explained that on Thursday morning the deceased and her sister went to Liverpool to buy some gloves and other things, but the deceased was missed. Mr. Nield, the husband, who appeared very depressed, affirmed that he was aware of the mental indisposition of his wife ; and he had heard her expressing a wish, now and again, that she were dead. He- had obtained all the medical skill in his power, and had allowed her to visit Cheshire, thinking the change of air might act beneficially. Mr. Superintendent M'Dermot, on the part of the Cheshire police, stated that no information had been given to them of the deceased's absence from her friends. The Coroner summed up the evidence briefly, and explained that it was competent for the jury to return an open verdict of found drowned, or that of suicide whilst labouring under temporary insanity. After a few minutes' consultation the jury brought in a verdict of " Suicide whilst labouring under temporary  insanity." [From motives of delicacy we abstained from publishing the particulars of this melancholy affair until the inquest had taken place. The account given of it by one of our contemporaries was inaccurate in several respects.]