Denton and Haughton Examiner, etc. — 1889-11-23 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

ROMANTIC SUICIDE.  The district coroner has held an inquest at Thrapstun concerning the death of Miss Ada Montabella Selby, daughter of a retired tradesman of that place, who died under mysterious circumstances. Miss Louisa Selby and Mr. George Selby,siater and brother of the deceased lady, gave evidence as to her death. She was found in her bedroom in fits of convulsions, Mr. Henry H. Bletsoe, auctioneer, Thrapston, whilst Riving evidence was deeply affected. It transpired that the deceased young lady had been engaged to him for close upon 10 years. Some seven weeks ago the engagement was broken off by her. On the Iday before her death she called him in, stating that 1 she was very unhappy. He complied with her request, and sat in the sitting-room with her mother and three sisters. The conversation turned on the various suicides in the district. The sisters of Miss Ada stated the kind of death they should choose if they did away with themselves in the event of great trouble, whereupon the deceased said she should select poisoning, because she had seen dogs die very easily when poisoned. Witness remarked that it was very unwise to talk in that strain, and Mrs. Selby said she did not take any notice of the talk, as people who said such things never carried them out. Miss Ada went into the kitchen, and witness followed. Directly afterwards she threw her arms round his neck, and said, "Ma little thinks what she will find or see to-morrow." After this she became excited, and cried bitterly, and requested witness to renew the engagement. He said he would do so, and at the same time told her to banish all such nonsense from her mind. She said, "It's not nonsense, Harry." They parted on most affectionate terms, and exchanged flowers as a token of renewed affection. At this point, the witness having previously retired, Inspector Tame produced the following letter, undated, which he said' was found In the bed of the deceased lady alter death: " How matters stand at the present time. You against I.—First of all, you say I flirt ; then, again, you say I grumble at everything yc u do. Also say I shall never settle down to one man when I am married. Now, I consider these complaints are untrue, and that your love for me has ceased, and that you don't wish to make me your wifeeither now or at any future time, especially as you took no notice of my last three letters, written from the very bottom of my heart, at the time you knew I was most unhappy. I against you—First of all, your people object to me, and in no case whatever would they be agreeable to soy family. I have put up with a lot from your mother, and after all these years she does not seem to wish to be nice to me, or things might be very different. Your sister I love, and from the first introduction else has been extremely kind to me. Again, for the last 18 months I have had no pony, and you have taken me about less than ever. I want to know why. Again, if ever I want to go to an entertainment, no matter what sort, you always have some business to attend to. Then, again, ill want you to come and spend the evening with any of my friends, it is Ada, I cannot; you know they are not my style,' not thinking how hard it is for me to hear you say so. Just think how you have always disappointed washout Llandudno, and also the Windsor Show. It is not a very easy matter for me to get over these. Now, considering all these things, how can you and I expect to be happy together? Now, Harry, I love you as much as ever, but I shall be far better out of the way. It is every sad thing to think how our engagement of nine years—nearly 10—should end like this; but it is beet, for there seems no happiness for you and I together in this world, and I cannot live here without you. I cannot write any more bye, darling." Written on the envelope in which the letter was contained was the following : For Mamma to read. She will then understand everything. Also ask Harry for thethree letters I wrote to him. Be had this one 10 days ago, and thought it overdrawn, but I fail to see it. It is exactly how things stand at the present time. By I reading my last three letters to Ilarry, you will understand how very unhappy I have been." Dr. T. W. Buckley gave evidence as to the cause of death. After considerable deliberation, the jury returned a verdict that "Deceased died from convulsions produced by a deadly poison, self-administered, whilst in a state of temporary insanity." The deceased lady was well-known and highly respected in the locality.