The Kenilworth Advertiser. — 1898-07-16 (Kenilworth, Warwickshire, England)

DROWNING CASE—On Saturday, while some men were engaged in haymaking close to the river at King's Newnham, one of their number discovered the body of • woman named Horsman in the water. The deceased had acted as housekeeper to a farmer in the village, but, it is stated, was discharged some weeks ago. She went to live at Rugby, and her former employer wrote her asking her to fetch her i belongings away. She was seen n the village on Saturday week, but since then had been lost sight of.—At the inquest held at the White Lion-inn on Monday afternoon, before Mr. J. J. Willington Wilmshurst and a jury, some remarkable evidence was given. Mr. Thomas Riddell, farmer, The Grange, Church Lswford, said the deceased was his housekeeper for about eight months and during the latter part of that time she was addicted to drinking. On the 28th June last she left the house, witness paying her 255. due to her as wages. He never saw her again, but on the Ist July he received a letter from her from Rugby, to which he replied, asking her to fetch her things away. On the 6th July he wrote again to deceased, as she had not sent for her things. —ln answer to the foreman, witness said deceased appeared somewhat strange at times, but she had not threatened to commit suicide on any occasion.— Mrs. Mary Ferguson, of 6, Pennington-street, Rugby, said that about five o'clock on the afternoon of the 28th deceased came to her house. She was very anxious to see • Roman Catholic priest, and seemed strange in her manner. She said she was in correspondence with Mr. Chamberlain and other members of Parliament, and that if Mr. Gladstone had not died he would have helped her through. Witness asked her if she was going about her boxes. She did not answer, but walked straight out, and witness did not see her again. That was • little after eleven on the morning of the 2nd of July.—John Dumbleton, a youth living at Bretford, said he was raking some hay in a field at Kings Newnham by the river side, when he saw a body in the water. He told the men who were in the field, and they sent him to tell Mr. Brierly, his master.—P.c. Chas. Long said the body when found appeared to have been in the water several days. A handbag and an umbrella were picked up on the bank near the place where the body was found. The bag contained a letter from Mr. Riddell, a purse with Rl Bs. 10d. in it, some bills with the name"/Ars. Horsman " upon them, and a few small articles.—Mr. E. Riley, one of the jurymen, said he saw deceased about a quarter to one on Saturday.—Supt. Wilson, of Rugby, said an aunt of the deceased's, who lived in Birmingham, had written, stating that Mrs. Hemmen had been three months in the asylum in Birmingham. The Coroner, in summing-up, said the case was • very sad one. It was very clear from the evidence that deceased's mind was in a peculiar state. The jury returned a verdict that "Deceased committed suicide whilst in a state of temporary insanity, and that no blame was attached to anyone." .  Leamington. The Coventry Standard can be obtained every Saturday morning of Mr. J. Collier, 15, Bath-street, Leamington.