The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1890-06-21 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

ATTEMPTED SUICIDE BY TAKING TOOTHACHE TINCTURE.  At the Birkenhead Police Court, on Tuesday morning, a young married man, named George Lawton, of 11, Camden-street, waa charged with attempting to commit suicide by swallowing a quantity of poison.—P.C. Schofield stated that at twenty to twelve on Saturday night, from information received, he went to the prisoner's house, and found him lying on the floor groaning and in great pain. The wife said he had taken poison, and there were two small bottles lying on the floor. Witness gave him an emetic of salt and water, and then took him to the hospital. The bottles on the floor had contained glycerine and toothache tincture. Dr. MoWhannel said he had received the prisoner at the hospital, bat as the bottles brought to him were empty, be could not say positively what their contents was. There appeared to be camphor and, he believed, creosote in the tincture. The man stated that it was through his wife he had attempted suicide.  ----The wife, who had a baby in her arms, was then called. She said they had been married for four years. Lately she had had her suspicions aroused ma to his oondnot, and had been told that he was keeping company with another young woman, and she had watohed him. On Saturday morning she found a letter in his pocket. She had not fallen out with him. _ _ .  Prisoner: Yes you have fallen out with me. Mr. Preston: Was there jealousy in it? The wife: No, but I found tie latter in his pocket when I looked.  Prisoner: She has been jealous of me for the last two years. Mr. Preston (after reading a letter): You found this letter.  The Wife: I went in his pocket on Saturday morning not expecting to find anything. I then went and saw the girl to see if he was the right man and afterwards on Saturday night I had Wm face to face with her in the person's house in which she is in service. He then told me I should never see his face again and went home. When I got home he went oat. He came in again and at hall past eleven be asked me if I was satisfied and when I said I was he came out with a lot of filthy language and gave me a blow across the face. Prisoner: Yon struck me.  The Wife: You did strike me. I went to the door, and when I was at the door he shouted out, " Look here." He was holding the two bottles in his month, and I then ran out for a doctor. Mr. Preston: Why did he do it? The Wife: I had threatened to bring him to I Court, and I think he thought he would do away with himself rather than face the Court.  Mr. Preston then remanded the prisoner until Thursday, and instructed that he should be examined by Dr. Cornwall, the surgeon to the police force. Dr. Cornwall was called as • witness on Thursday morning and be certified that the prisoner was sane but added that he had evidently been drinking. Sept. Clarke informed his worship that there wed a very bitter feeling between prisoner and his wife respecting the young woman with whom he had been corresponding. Prisoner handed in • written statement of his case. He said it was his wife's conduct during the past six months which had caused him to do as he had done. When he had gone home there bad always been • row until at last he got tired of life. The house was always upset and many a time he found her drunk. Then when he spoke to her she streak him. On Saturday night he had taken some rum and not being ased to it he did not know what he was doing. Mr. Preston: It was natural for your wife to quarrel with you if you were intriguing with another woman. Prisoner: I have only known her a little over a morlh. The wife was then re.called and produced a letter from Miss Pink, the young w3man with whom her husband was aorresronding. Miss Pink had shown her a number of other letters, all in her husband's handwriting and extending over the past 3 months. Since last Christmed he had never been in the house from early morning till late at night. The wife added that she now desired • separate maintenance, and, Prisoner, on agreeing to sign • separation order and allow his wife six shillings • week was discharged from custody.  THROAT iHRTTATION