The Sun. — 1860-01-06 (London, England)

THE SUICIDE IN WOLVERH AMPTON.  An inquest was held yesterday, before T. M. Phillips, Esq., coroner, on the body of Phcebe Davis, a young woman, 18 years of age, who committed suicide on Tuesday last by precipitating herself down an old coal-shaft, in one of Messrs. Dodd and Williams's fields, Bilston-road, Wolverhampton. The jury first proceeded to view the body, which lay at the publichouse at which the inquest was held. It presented a frightful appearance ; the neck and back were broken, and there were several severe cuts and bruises, caused by striking against the sides of the shaft.  The first witness-Called was Thomas Pritchard, who deposed that he was returning from Bilston, along Rough-hills-lane, about two o'clock on Tuesday afternoon, he saw the deceased walking across the field. She stopped at a hovel near a pit mouth, and spoke to an old woman who lives there, and then she walked straight up to the pit, which is only about five or six yards distant, leaned over the fencing which serves to protect the shaft, and threw herself headlong down the pit. Witness ran towards the pit, but finding he could render no assistance, he gave information to the police. Margaret Erie, the old woman who lives at the hovel spoken of, said that deceased called her out and said, " Tell Jack Harris to give that handkerchief to my mother ; but don't let mother know what lam going to do." Harris is the young man who kept company with her. She then walked briskly towards the pit's mouth and leaped down it. (This witness fainted while giving her evidence.) George Russell, miner, the man who succeeded in getting the body up, said, that when he went down several attempts had been made, but the men told him they could not get more than five yards on account of the damp. He passed through about 50 yards of damp, and when he reached the bottom his candle went out, and he became insensible. He took some tackling with him to fasten to the body, and he succeeded in bringing it up with him, but he could not tell how, as he remembered no more after his light was extinguished. Ann Sweet, mother of the deceased, said that deceased called at her house about two o'clock on Tuesday afternoon.. She appeared to be in good health and spirits, and she partook heartily of dinner. She went away and returned again in about ten minutes and complained that the woman with whom she lodged would not let her have her clothes. She then threw a handkerchief on the chair and said, "If you see Harris go down the lane, give him this handkerchief, mother." Witness replied, " You see him oftener than I do give it him yourself." She appeared to be quite rational, and again left the house, saying that she would be back in a few minutes, and went across the field. Almost immediately afterwards witness's daughter, Sarah, who was standing at the window, where she could see the pit mouth, exclaimed, "Oh, Lord, Phoebe has thrown herself down the pit." Sarah Davis, deceased's sister, confirmed the statement of the previous witness, and also stated that when the deceased left she appeared perfectly rational. Neither of the last two witnesses could assign any cause for the commission of the rash act, but it appeared from the evidence of the mother that the deceased had led a somewhat dissolute life. The jury at once returned a verdict offele de se. We understand it is the intention of the coroner and the chief constable to represent Russell's intrepid conduct to the Royal Humane Society, with . a view, possible, to procure for him some reward. After being brought up out of the pit he remained in a state of insensibility for nearly an hour, and he is still suffering from the effects of the gap, and ie unable to resume his work.