The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1894-07-21 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

SAD DROWNING CASE AT NEW BRIGHTON.  On Tuesday, at the Boathouse Hotel, Magazines, New Brighton, Mr. Churton held an inquest on the R body of Ellen obinson, wife of James Robinson, of the Mariners' Home, Egremont, who was drowned at New Brighton on Sunday morning. The first witness called was a young woman named Bertha Brown, of Sew Brighton, who said that she first saw the deceased woman at 8-30 on Sunday morning. She was then walking to and fro along the shore near to the Perch Rock Battery. The water MIA right round the rocks, it being then high tide. The woman stood on the edge of the rock, and about twenty minutes after witness first saw her she threw herself into the water. Witness then went on to the beach and saw the woman floating in the water. Witness saw no signs of life the head being under water. She then went and informed Sergeant Powell, and assistance:being procured the body was recovered in about half an hour and taken to the mortuary. In answer to a juryman witness could not say whether she slipped from the rocks or not. It was on the green part of the rocks where it was slippery. The wind was blowing very hard at the time, the wind blowing towards the river. She threw her arms out, but whether it was us if to save hake* or not witness could. not tell..  James Rolanson,an inmate of the Mariner's Home, Egremont, said he was 71 years of ago, and tip deceased wan his wife. She wan aged 67, and dilly had been 43 years married. She had been in good health for a long while but about six years ago had an accident, and after that walked a little limp and she had been very bad with rheumatics since and rather feeble and weak. He last saw her alive on Sunday morning, when she got up as usual about 7 o'clock,. She dressed but did not speak. He went to sleep again, and about 9 o'clock, not having been called by his wife to breakfast as was her usual practice, he went downstairs and found that she was not there. He made inquiries, and later on in the day he heard that a body had been picked up, and identified it as that of his wife. She had never Sweetened to do anything to herself to his knowledge. Asked by the Coroner whether the deceased had had any trouble or anxiety of late, the witness said she had fretted herself about her won being out of employment, and had been in very poor health. If she went into the water herself her mind must have been upset. She was not in the lial•it of going out so early in the morning. The Coroner said the verdict would suggest itself. They had no positive proof that the woman intended to commit suicide, although there were circumstances of some suspicion. In the einem* of such proof their verdict would bc that she wax found drowned Is tft river Mersey. The foreman of the Jury said their real opinion was that she was accidentally drowned. The Coroner amid that was nob a legal verdiat because there was no proof that it was a case of accidental drowning. The jury then returned an open verdict, as suggested by the Coroner. gcholefield informed the Ceroner that a very good attempt was made by a man named Albert Smith to rescue the woman, but there Wfts a strong current running, and though he swam out thirty yards, and was in the water about twenty minutes, lie had to turn back again. The Coroner: Very praiseworthy indeed.