The Haslingden Gazette. — 1910-02-05 (Haslingden, Lancashire, England)

ACCRINGTON WOMAN'S  SAD DEATH  AT THE WORKHOUSE.  • REMARKABLE COMPLICATIONS - FRET. TING, INSOMNIA, ATTEMPTED SUICIDE, PREM &TUBE CONFINEMENT, COLLAPSE.  The sad death of Mary Ellen Hayearth, aged 37, wife of Christopher Haygarth, of 7, Bradshawstreet. Accrington, was inquired into at the Haw lingden Union Workhouse on Thursday. The Coroner said the deceased appeared to hare fretted a good deal because she regarded herself as nobody's child. She was brought up in ye- v poor circumerancee and did not know who she belonged to. She had one child about eight years of age. She suffered from insomnia, and ,the circumstances to be put before the jury were very complicated.  Christopher liaygarth, husband of deceased, said he wBB a labourer at Bullough's, Accrington. Peoeased had lately been low spirited and unable to sleep at nights. She troubled about hating no relations. She never stooge to him about being. pregnant, and he believed that she herself did not, know that was her condition. A fortnight ago. the previous night, on the 19th ult. she went to bed as usual. Just before twelve o'clock she got up. saving she could not sleep. She had suffered from insomnia for a while and as she had often got up bemuse she could not sleep he did not on this occasion think anything more .bout the matter and went to sleep.  ----. • Next morning about half-past seven the called hoc to get up. On going into the kitchen he PAW some blood on the floor and he also saw that his wifh was bleeding at the neck. He got a neighhour in and sent for the doctor. He afterwards saw that deceased had cut her throat with a knife he used for cutting leather. Next day his wife was removed to the Accrington Cottage Hospital. She stayed there until last Monday, the list ult., when she was taken before the Accrington magistrates on a charge of attempting suicide and was let off on condition that she would go to the workhouse infirmary. Witness brought his wife to the workhouse in a cab the same day. She was very poorly at that time. He did not see her alive after leaving her at the workhouse. By Chief C,onstablo Sinclair: Everything was done for deceased at Accrington that could be done.  Mrs. Bradshaw, 5, Bradshaw-street, Accrington. the neighbour the first witness called in, said she asked deceased what she had cut her throat for. Deceased did not answer. She fainted away on the floor. Deceased was very low spirited. She often talked to witness, but witness could not make anything of the things deceased said. Deceased had been very oomfortable at home. Dr. Stewart, medical officer of the workhouse said he saw deceased immediately after her arrival at the workhouse, about five on Monday afternoon. The woman was at once put to bed. About eight 'o'clock he was sent for again to see the women. She had then been prematurely confined by about , five months, and the child had been dead ten or , eleven days. The woman died about 10-50 on Tuesday morning. Death was from loss of blood 'from her wound and from the shock of confinenient.  The Coroner: Can there be any reason for a:sinning that the hospital authorities let her out too soon? Of course if they did not know her oondition they could not be to blame so far as that was concerned.  The Doctor: Deceased admitted to the superintendent nurse that she did not know her condition.  In reply to the Coroner, the doctor said it would no doubt be a trying day for a woman in a weak state to be brought before the magistratee and taken to the workhouse. Still the hospital authori ties would have reason for feeling justified in permitting these things at the time.  In reply to the Chief C.;nsi:,6l-e, the doctor said the death of the child could I ave had nothing to do with the exciting day. Premature birth must have followed the death of the child In any event. He had not sefficient knowledge of the case to say that the Werll4ll.B condition was suoh that if there had been no excitement she would have had great difficulty in getting over her confinement, or even tx the contrary. The Chief Constable said he would like to make a statement to the jury on this point. On the Saturday previous to the removal of deceased to the workhouse deceased ..vas certified to be fit for removal. and before that removal she had been I sitting up for the greater part of four or five days. She told him that she felt better than she had done for weeks He made 'nquiries as to the wortian's home, and it was becaune she needed attention and nourishment her husband would be unable to provide that he arranged for her removal to the workhouse. She was taken to the Court on Monday in a cab for which he arranged. She was never in the cells. Pending being brought before the magistrates she was in the office. The Court proceedings slid not last five minutes. The Bench discharged the woman on his application. and she was as kindly treated as she powibly could be all through. Tim authorities at the Accrington hospital did not know her condition. The case was a typical one for the workhouse infirmary, and so far as could be seen she was perfectly fit for removal there.  The doctor, in answer to a question. said probably the woolen's attempt on her own life led to the death of the child. She was in a poor condition when she arrived at the workhouse, but that might easily arise from her travelling. Nurse Charlton said the deceased was very weak when brought to the workhouse about five o'clock on Mondsy afternoon, but, was all right up to half-past seven. The child was born about ten  niinutes to eight. Deceased did not know she was in that condition.  A Juryman asked why the woman was not taken from the Coart to the Acoringwm hospital, where she bad been before, instead of being taken all the way to the workhouse infirmary, five or six miles. The Chief Constable said the woman was admitted to the Accrington hospital for treatment of the wound in her throat, and she had recovered from that.  The Coroner: The hospital is for accidents. The jury returned a verdict that on January 19th deceased inflicted a wound upon her neck with a knife and lost a large quantity of blood, that she was prematurely confined on the 31st. and died on Fel.ruary Ist from loss of blood and -corn the shock from confrsnient, and that when she cut her throat she we, rot of sound mind.