The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1901-05-18 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

HORRIBLE DISCOVERY BY A SERVANT.  INQUEST ON WEDNESDAY.  On Wednesday morning Mr. Cecil Holden (borough coroner) opened an inquest upon the body of Mrs. Clarke, wife of Richard Charles Clarke, of 26, Shrewsbury-road- The Coroner in opening said the deceased lady, during the absence of her husband on Tuesday morning, at about 7-35, told one of the servants to go for Dr. Jones as she did not feel well. Shortly afterwards she missed her mistress from the bedroom and found her in a front bedraom with her head in a howl, and apparently dead. Her throat was out, he understood, from ear to ear, and a razor was found near. He believed she had for some time been suffering from hytterioal Ste. After the body had been viewed by the jury, Dr. T. swinald Jones was called as a wjk, nets, and stated that he was, and had been for some years. the medical adviser of Mr. Clarke and his family. Some years ago he had attended Mrs. Clarke for a serious illness, but recently he had not been in regular attendance upon her. On the 7th inst. she accompanied her son to a boarding school at Colwyn Bay, and returned the same day. Next day she sent for him and informed him she was feeling ill, owing, she thought, to having run from the school to the station, a distance of about a mile, to catch a train. He prescribed for her, and next day when he visited her she had quito recovered. About hald-pest seven on Tuesday morning did not feel well and wanted to Dee him. Clarke, the servant informing him that she did not feel weil and wanted to see hen. He at once visited her, and on reaching the house he was told by the servant that somenhing had happened. He wentr upstairs, and on reaching a smell front bedroom, found deceased on her knees before a washbowl, the bowl was half-full of blood, and her throat was out from ear to ear. In answer to a question by a juror, wit rites said it must have been a sudden paroxysm of insanity which caused deceased to commit suicide. Lenora Tunley, a housemaid-waitress at 26, Shrewsbury-road, stated that on Monday evening, Mrs. Clarke was unwell and vomited esveral times. She would not let her go for a doctor, although she suggested that that should be done. On Tuesday morning shortly after half-past seven, the bell from Mrs. Clarke's room was rung, and she, on answering it, found her mistress in bed. She asked her to go for a doctor, and have a glass of milk brought up to her. At that time she complained of feeling unwell. On going downstairs she told the cook to procure the milk, and she then went out to fetch the doctor. On her return ette missed her mistress from her bedroom end searched for her in the others. In a front bedroom she found  her kneeling before a wash-bowl with her head in the bowl. There was blood in the twit, and there WM no sign of life in her then. Thanking she was too faint to speak, she obtained assistance, and immediately afterwards the doctor arrived. Deceased had beau nether despondent for the tact two or three weeks, but bad never threatened to take her life.  Police-Inspector Farlam stated that he received a telephone message. and went up to Shrewsbury-read where he saw Mrs. Clarke. She wee lying in another bedroom. He made an examination of the premises. and found the razor mute lying open on the dressing-table and the razor at the bottom of the bowl. Deceased was wearing • nightgown and a drafting-gown. The jury returned a verdict to the effect that "Death woe due to exhaustion consequent on lose of blood by decieased having cut her throat." and added a rider to the effect that when deceased committed the act she was in a date of temporary insanity.