The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette. — 1876-06-20 (Dorchester, Dorset, England)

SUICIDE OF A MARRIED WOMAN AT FORDINGTON._ _  On Wednesday ifie;;;;;ii;e-Wife of Mr. William Payne, wheelwright, committed suicide by hanging herself to a bed post whilst in a desponding state of mind.  An Inquest was held at the house of deceased the same evening, before Mr. IL Lock, depuV-coroner, and the following jury :—Messrs. J. R. Taylor (foreman), U. Hayman, L. Tilley C. Parsons, IL White, G. Pitfield, J. Voss, J. Wefober, W. Bartlett, W. Cottman, Phillips, and F. W. Seward. The first witness called was William Payne, deceased's husband. He deposed: The &weeded was his wife, and aged about 58 years. He last sew her about quarter-past four that afternoon in their sitting room, and she then appeared to be pretty middling, and walking about the room. Witness put his hand on her shoulder, and asked her bow she felt. She said something strange in reply; he did not know whnt. She had been rather strange for several days ; there had been no rest with her. Dr. Aldridge had been attending her for about six weeks. Yesterday morning she told witness that il she could get near any water she should drown herself, and he replied, "Oh, nonsense about drowning younmelf." For the past fortnight witness had been constantly In and out of the house watching her to see what she was doing. Did not then think she was out of her mind. Had only been uneasy about her. He might have stayed with her about five minutes when he came in at four o'clock. He then went back to his shop, leaving her alone in the house. He saw no more of her till a quarter or ten minutes to five, when he came in and then noticing that there was a abutter opened in an unused store-room, which was very unusual, the thought struck him that something was wrong. The stair door was shut. Witness went upstairs and found deceased hung to the bed-poet, with the piece of rope poduced twice round her neck. She was quite dead. Witham on first seeing her ran back downstairs, but Immediately returned and unfastened the cord from the post, and laid deceased on her back on the floor. He then called Mr. Masters, a neighbour, who went for Dr. Aldridge, and that gentleman came very quißlite Coroner: She was quite cold when he unhung her.  --Dr. Aldridge said he had occasienally seen deceased for the peat mix weeks. About six weeks ago he found her labouring under a little depression through having been dismissed from her service as she thought without cause. On every occasion he saw her she wee dwelling on this—there wee very little derangement of the system. He never saw any sympton approaching to insanity during the time he attended her, neither had he heard of her having saidanything about drowning herself. He last saw her about ten days ago. She then. seemed it a little. better state of mind.  --(Tice—dootor lieu explained that a few years ago deceased on coming home from her emplusent met with a severe accident to one of her legs. He attended her for it, but ever since that time she had had a stiff knee joint. This made her walk a little lame, and would occasionally cause her to trip and fall, when she would be powerless to get up again, and thus persons would be led to think she was Intoxicated. She appeared to have fallen one evening when returning from the boom (where she used to go occasion. ally), and receiving • notice a day or two after that her services would not again be required, she had thought they had considered her intoxicated on the oarsn, and this had been continually dwelling on her mind, and she had given way to despondency. But be bad know her for socual: years, and known her to be the worse for liquor, and generally gave her a good character for ▪ ,and industry.) The medical gentleman continued that he had seen deceased four or five times during the past six weeks, and aithought she was depressed in spirits he had seen no 'lens of By the Coroner: There was no doubt she committed suicide when in a state of temporary A woman named Lester wee called, she had seen deceased frequently, and had notice• d that she did not seem "right "—she looked rather "wild." She considered she was not in her right mind. The husband re-celled, in answer to a juryman, could not say what reply his wife made to him when be came in at four o'clock. Her manner had been strange and she had talked • lot of nonsense. In answer to a further question he said she remarked, "You won't want me now, for you don't want two women." He did not know what she meant by that. The Coroner briefly gummed up the evidence. The questions for them to consider were how dammed came by her death; there was no doubt this was caused by hanging, and it was pretty clear this was her own act, as there was no one in the house at the time. The nut question that arose Was what was the state of her mind when she committed the act. He thought it was • pity that Payne had not had some one to watch deceased continually, knowing the state she was In. If he had done that her life might have been spared. The deceased had been laid out by a woman before the police arrived at the house, and the Coroner had ' leaked Superintendent Coward what were his Instructions in cases like these, and the Superintendent explained their printed Instructions were posted at the station for constables to go to the places, get all Information, and inform the The Coroner thought the body should not have been touched until after the inquiet. Dr. Aldridge explained that the blame if any, for that rested on him, as the body was getting cold and stiff, and the woman in the house sake,' him if deceased had not better be laid out, and he replied he should think there would be no harm in do&nu so. There would have been great difficulty in doing it at • later thae. This explantion was deemed by the "woner and Jury as satisfactory, and the Latter tah, returned a verdict that "Deceased committed suici& whilst in a state of temporary insanity.'