Bridlington and Quay Gazette. — 1884-01-19 (Bridlington, Humberside, England)

SUICIDE.  A most extraordmary and mysterious affair on Tuesday excited the population of the village of Dayton, near Scarborough, and occupied a considerable staf of the North Riding constabulary to unravel, but from what we learn we believe their labours have proved to a certain extent successful, and will reveal some extraordinary proceedings inculpating at least a mother and daughter. From inquiries on the spot, we learn that a girl named Elizabeth Stevenson, not yet out of her teens, hal been in the service of Mr. Anderson, of Oegodby, which lies to the east of Dayton. A little over a month ago she came home to Dayton enceinte. Her parents are small farmers, and occupy a red brick horn e fronting the road leading through the village, with farm buildings. An, in the rear. When the girl came i ems arrangements were made for her to be orinfined at the house of an old couple named Atkinson, who live directly opposite. Here the girl was delivered of a male child about a month ago, Mr. William Haworth, son and assistant of Dr. Haworth, k f Filey, attending her. The child died last Saturday, and when Mr. Haworth saw it lie was asked to tarnish the usual certificate, but something excited his suspicions and he declined to do so, and told both the girl and her mother, Ann Stevenson, that an inquest would be necessary. This determination of Mr. Haworth excited the anger of both women and they " rated " him pretty soundly, but he very properly communicated with Polinemoneteble Robson, stationed in the village, and that officer informed Inspector Dove, with the result that Mr. Jennings, of Driffield, flee coroner, was also communicated with, and he directed that a post 111011011 examivation of the body should be made on Tuesday morning, and an inqueet held in the afternoon. The body of the child was in charge of Mr. and Mrs. Atkinson, and the Stevensons hail had a coffin made for it, but the body was not placed in it, as the parties were warned not to do so until the looter had made his examination. Now comes the mysterious part of the affair. On Monday 'night a little before eleven o'clock, the Slevensons invited the Atklioaons to go to their house and sit with their eon, who had to be up on amount of a horse bins all. The Atkinson@ went, securing their habitation by taking out the thumb piece of the door-sneelr, so that no one could eater without the ineertion of some similar thin mater Mi. They remained at the Stevenson's nut 1 too on Tuerday moinieg, and whin they returned to their own house they found that although the coffin woe in the place in which it had been left the body had vanirhed. This fact speedily came to the kmmladge of Superntendent Sperm end Inspector Dove, and early on Tuesday morning with other officers thy instituted a strict search iu which they were teen after joined by Dr. Haworth and his son, the former of whom had come for the exprese purpose of making the post mortem. Wells, drains, and all sorts of out of way places were carefully scrutinised without result by Soperiutenlent Spence, Inspector Dove, and Sergeant Heald. the two feral, meanwhile being wsiehed in the house by P.O. Ramo. After some time was spent, Superintendent Spence removed the ashes, An, from the fire. grate, and he so sooner proceeded to do this than there was a marked change iu the demeanour of the two e moles. A careful ezaminatii nof the ashes was made, and lir. Ha. orth took charge cf a considerable portion. Whilst this examination was going on outside at the rear of the house, the elder female asked Robson's eermission to go upstaire, which was granted, but in • few minute., bearing an extraordinary noise overheed, he rushed °peters, followed by the girl, and there found the woman had suspended herself by WADS of a roller towel to a beam in the room, and was well Mgh strangled. Robson released heist once, nil shortly after both the mother and daughier were charged on suspicion of murdering the child, and were couveyed to the police elation, at Felsgrave by Inspector Diva, accompanied by Sergeant Heald. Wnile this was beiug enacted the jay, who had been euromoned to the inquest at the Star Inn, began to assemble, and shortly before the appointed hour, three o'cloik, Mr. Trigg, deputy. coroner, also arrived, and as soon as the whole of the jury were assembled, Superintendent Spence related the fares connected with the disappearance of the body, sad, as a matter of wage, the deputyc ironer told the jury that under the circumstances he could not swear them, there being nothing before them over which to hold an inquest, end his only alternative was to discharge them. With regard to the customary fee, he coal not pay that, as they were not girder, but he would take their names and Icy the question before the proper authority. Thus the mutter concluded for the present and the two females will be brought before the North Riding justices at ence, and probably then some further particulars may be brought to light. In the meantime the excitement in the locality is molt intense, such an event as anything in the nature of murder or suspicion of murder bane unheard of there.