The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1919-12-31 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

WOMEN'S TRAGIC ACTS.  Wife Distraught by Husbtald's  - Absence. LEFT WITH -FOUR LOVELY  Two women, -14.-u-ffici-entiy .recovered. under hospital treatment to appear at the Court, were brought before two borough justices— Aid. E. G. Atgeon (chairman) and Mr. W. W. Kelly--on Monday morning, each charged with an attempt upon their life. The alleged attempts were curiously enough, made upon the same date—December 20th Julia Darner, of 18. St. Paul'sroad, was the first accused, being charged with attempted suicide by drinkigg salts of lemon.  —I-s-aTieTfa Murphy, who lived in apart meets at prisoner's house, said that on December 11th, prisoner's husband left the house to go for his pension, and he never returned. Mrs. Garner got very distressed about it during the night, and very strange in her manner. 'rho depression continued the next morning, and for several days afterwards, and once she told witness she was going to commit suicide. Witness said: "Such noulense! Think about the little children.",Rrisoner said: Oh !,I must do somethinglll tannot stand this! He has taken my jewels, and also my money—CM 109." That evening prisoner went to the Post Office to get some , money, and then she, returned and had , gone into her room, witness heard the quick stirring of a spoon in a glass. She hurried into prisoner's room, and as she went in prisoner said: "Too later" She had a small tumbler (now produced in. mart). in her hand. "Done what?" witness ' .ked, and she replied'. "Poisoned myself." The chairman asked witness how many children prisoner had, and she replied: "She has four beautiful children, sir. They are lovely little children." Inspector Birch here produced a letter ! (covering three or four open sheets of !paper), which the witness said she saw prisoner writing on the morning of the 20th, and prisoner admitted writing it. It was to the coroner. The magistrates perused the letter, and the chairman remarked: "It is a very sad letter." Dr. Wadia, House-Surgeon at the Borough Hospital, deposed to the woman be, ing brought in on the 90th suffering from shock, and that after a.stomach wash had been used she began hr improve. She was. still in a depressed condition—quite sensible, but he thought she ought to remain under observation for two og three weeks. Questioned by the Court, tllie doctor said he thought that if she was at liberty, she would be a danger to herself. In order to enable the justices to remand her to the Union Institution to be under observation, the charge of , being not of sound mind was added, and read to ' prisoner, who immediately said, speaking quite coherently—"Oh, Yes ; I am perfectly sane: I am quite sound in my mind, but I have been very badly de!pressed." She made certain statements about her husband's conduct, and added— " There is no insanity attached to me, whatever." She repeated two or three times—"l am quite sane." , P.C. Robinson (20C), who on the 20th took prisoner to the Borough Hospital in an ambulance, said that morning (the 20th) he charged her with attempting to commit suicide, and in answer to the charge, she said:—"l was depressed, and I thought I had a right to die; and I wish I had done" (meaning, it was understood, "wished she had died"). Upon this evidence the magistrates adjourned the case for a fortnight, prisoner to be meanwhile under observation in the Union Institution.