The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1907-01-12 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

TRAGIC SUICIDE  PAINFUL EVIDENCE AT THE , INQUEST.  A sad event occurred at Ellesmere Port on Tuesday night, and the distressing circumstance:, connected with it have been the subject of much conversation. A woman named Alice Sandbatch, aged 33, who had been in service at Capenhurst, jumped into the Ship Canal during a fit of depression brought about by losing her situation, under circumstances which are detailed below, and was drowned. _ . _  Mr. J. C. Bate (coroner for West Cheshire) 'held an inquest on the case at the Institute, on Thursday evening. Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Bandies, 45, Queen. street, Ellesmere Port, stated that deceased was her sister, a single woman, and had been a domestic servant in the employ of a Mr. Charles Maddooks, farmer, Gaiienhurst. Her duties were in the household. On the 2nd of January she oame on a holiday to witness's house, and stayed till the following Wednesday, when she returned to her employer's house. She returned in very good spirits, and did not complain of any trouble. In fact she seemed jolly and light hearted. Witness did not see her again till last Tuesday afternoon, when she came from Capenhurst by the 1.15 train. Witness was surprised to see her again so soon, and said "Hello! What are you doing here? Are you bad?" Her sister replied No; I've been bundled off from my place." Witness asked her what was the cause, and she said that there had been some "jangle" with some other servant. "They had told tales of her during the Christmas week." That was all that witness could get to know. Deceased seemed depressed, and all that she ate was a piece of toasted bread with a cup of tea. Deceased, continued witness, sat in the house till 6 o'clock, and she then went out, without either a hat or coat on. She passed witness as she was going through the kitchen door into the back yard, but she did not speak to her. Nothing further was seen or heard of her, although they had searched for her. They were under the impression that she had gone to some friends, but no trace of her could be found there. They were kicking for dier till 12.30 at night. The Coroner handed Mrs. Bandies a note which had been found in a skirt on the bank of the canal the following morning. Witness recognised the writing as that of deceased, and said the note had not been written in her house. Winn deceased went out of the house it was quite evident that she was in a very depressed condition. She had previously told witness that she asked Mr. Maddock's forgiveness for something that she said about , his son, but he refused to forgive her. In reply to a juror, witness said that as far as she knew there was nothing between deceased and her employer's son. Mr. Maddocks simply told her to "bundle up her clothes." lie did not give her any money when she left. The Coroner said the note was written upon the back of an envelope and read as follows . .  "My Dear Sister,—Juet a few lines to let you know my life is a bad one. I have gat myself into trouble, so I am going. Your 'loving and affectionate sister, Alice Sandbatch. Will you fetch my box from the station." Annie Mason, wife of James Mason, 45, Queen-street, said that the previous witness was her mother. She remembered deceased coming home, and witness asked her if she was ill. Deceased replied "No, I have been bundled off," and she then sat down. After a while she said "I am very nearly ready to do something." Deceased said no more to her except that her trouble was through another servant telling tales to Mr. Maddock& She was in a very depressed state of mind. Edward Garfield, flatrnan, 26, Enfie!droad, Whitby, stated that at 6 o'clock on Wednesday morning he was going to work along the north wall to the pier head, on the Side of the Ship Canal, when he found a woman's skirt. He immediately took it to the police station. Thomas Barker, captain of the barge Wales, unloading grain in Ellesmere Port, stated that he assisted in grappling for the body of the deceased. He recovered it about 11 o'clock cm Wednesday morning. P.C. Wilding (s.s)—the acting sergeant— said be was present when the body was recovered. He searched the clothing on the body, and afterwards examined the skirt, and in it he found a purse containing Is. OW. Charles Maddock, deceased's employer, said he lived at "Church Farm," Capenburet. Deceased had been in his employ about twelve monthS, and oho left on Pwcsday morning because he had had some conversation with her. He had spoken to her concerning something which one of the servants had told him about deceased and his son, and a statement that she had made concerning his son. When he spoke to deceased she denied that there had ever been any intercourse between himself and his son, and admitted that the statement she had made to the o"her servant was utterly Untrue. She then boke down, crying, and asked him to forgive her. He refused, however, to do so, and told her that he vvonld place the matter in the hands of a solicitor. He would not forgive her until his son's name was cleared. He told her to go, and he also requested his wife to give her some food before she went, which ehe did. Deceased was of a very excitable nature. He knew that Ghe had made similar accusations to those concerning his son in other houses in which she had worked. She had been a very good servant, however, as regarded her duties, and he was satisfied with her.  _ In reply to the Coroner, witness said that he knew she was very excitable before he snoke to her about going, but a charge like the one she had made against his son was serious, and he thought he was instilled in saying what he did. She told him that what she had said was "a parcel of lies, and there was no truth in it. She added that "she did not know what she had done it for." She said that in the presence of his daughter and his wife, but they knew nothing of what had transpired previously. The Coroner, in summing up, said the deceased was no doubt in a very depressed condition at the time she got into the canal, caused no doubt by what had taken place at her employer's house. He thought that Mr. Maddocks had been a little hasty in threatening proceedings. A verdict was returned of "Suicide whilst of unsound mind."