Widnes Examiner. — 1898-08-05 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

UNHAPPY WIFE'S END.  On Saturday morning. Mr. I.E. Worsley, coroner,held an inquest touching the death of a woman named Bridget MacD nmett, wife of John MacDernett, 1, Ashworth's-row, Runcorn, which took place early on Friday morning. Mr. De Korte was the foreman of the jury, and the police were represented by P.C. Gregory. John MacDornett, chemical labourer, gave evidence of identification. Dsceased. who was his wife, died on Friday morning at abut 2 30. She had been ill for three weeks during which time she was attended by Da Robinson. The doctor had not seen her for the last fortnight. Witness asked her on Thursday if she requlrrd , anything,to w. ich sh 3 replied she did not require either a doctor or the police. She complained that day of a pain in the chest. The pain was severe for a few minutes. Altogether thei deceased was in bed about a fortnight. When he offered to go for a doctor she forbade him. For food she usually took a cup of tea and an egg. He had seen the doctor in the Square and could easily have cadsd him in if his wife would have allowed him to. She was a g iocl living woman and a total abstainer. About five or ten minutes before she died deceased took some cider. Ho (witness) was lying on the gore downstairs when his wife shouted for him. The time would be about 2 o'clock. The deceased had got out of bed,and died before he could get her back again. He then called in a neighbour. His wife was f nsured,the premium being twopencea week. Dr. Robinson said he had known the deceaseul about six weeks. She consulted him for an ailment that was not at all likely to terminate fatally. He believed she was a very good Woman, and had been a total abstainer for a number of years. She wae respectable but had disagreements with her husband. Witness knew of nothing to which he could attribute cause of death, bat was of opinion that death was due to natural caus3s accelerated by pain and anxiety consequent on her husband's conduct towards her. If the man had seat for witness, he mh,ht have averted the fatal consequences. Police-Constable Gregory stated tha3 there Was a young woman from Liverpool staying at the house of the , deceased Some short time ago. In summing up, the Coroner observed that the deceasod had led a most exemplary life. She was a Woman much advanced in yeirs, and had a husband much younger than herself. Dr. Robinson had said that the woman had died from natural causes, aggravate I by her mental trouble, and be thought the husband wag very much to b.a ne. He was to blame for his moral character, which would be a matter far his conscience ; and, independent of what the woman may have s rid, his was to blame because he did not of his own free will call in medical awistanle. There could b 3 no goestion but that it interested tie man not to get a doctor, and probably he allowed his int Test to carry him away. The jury returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidene,,, and expressed the Opinion that the man should he severely censured. The Coroner accordingly severely reprimanded the man for his conduct towards his wife.  An elderly man named Stephen Travers was mixing some quilklitne at Sunderland, when he fell haul first into the seething mass, The limepit was deep, and it was only affer great difficulty that the pxr fe:law was extricated. He died a few hours later. In one month nearly forty Austrian soldiers committed suicide. The total indebtedness of Western Australia is about seven millions and a half. Mr. Ruskin has sent £lO to the fund for buying a BorneJones picture for the nation.