Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1890-07-05 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

THE SUICIDE OF A LADY'S MAID  AT DARLINGTON.  PATHETIC LETTERS.  On Thursday at Hurworth an inquest was held on the body of Elizabeth Shield (291, who disappeared on the night of March 19th, and whose body was recovered from the Tees at Hurworth on the let inst. Evidence of the finding of the body having been given, John Thompson Shield, the father, of Murton Colliery, gave evidence of identification, and said the following letter was in hie daughter's handwriting  Woodburn, March, 1890. Madam,—l now write a few lines only to say goodbye, and hope I will be forgiven both by my Heavenly Father in Heaven and you all. I feel I can live no longer in this state. I went and spoke kindly to her tonight when your dress arrived from Miss Dixon's, and asked where to put it. She would not speak. I only hope she will get some one she will like better than me. lam awfully sorry to leave you all. Until Buckhardt arrived I felt very happy, but shall never be happy with such a cruel WOMUIL So I now say goodbye.—l remain, yours obediently, H. Sulam,.  He also received a letter from his daughter, which was as follows :  Woodburn, Wednesday, March 19, 1890. My dear Father and Mother-1 write a line to say good-bye. A new maid has arrived a week ago, and has treated me like a dog. With a cruel woman like her I oansot live, so I do this rash act, hoping my Heavenly Father will forgive me, also my dear tether, mother, brother., and sisters. lam net insane; • let I teel life air it le with this terrible woman a trouble, ois I now say good-bye. I would bke to nave men you aIL--Your very affectionate danghker, Fthiseenen barman. P.E.—MI my other partners are exceedingly nice and kind.  He bail received a letter earlier in March, whic# was destroyed heroie this even. karrenad, la which deceased mentioned she had suffered from pains in her head. He never had any idea she , would commit suicide, Replying to a question by the Coroner, witness said there I was a body found in the river at Middlesbrough, near Conners Wharf, and the description having been published in the papers he and his daughter went to Middlesbrough, getting there after the inquest. They never saw the body, but from what was told them they believed it was the body of his daughter Elizabeth, and his daughter who was with him placed some flowerson the grave of the woman who was found at Middlesbrough.—Mr Shield, junr., said Dr. Ellerton told them that they might go home satisfied that it was Elizabeth Shield who had been buried. That was why his sister placed the flowers on the grave. If the body of his lister had not been found at Hurworth they would have continued to think, from what Dr, Ellerton said, that she had been buried at Middlesbrough.—Mr Shield, senr., said he was quite certain the body lying there, and which he had seen, was that of his daughter Elisabeth. —Ellen Chambers, laundress at Woodburn, and Adam Waite, footman, having identified the body as being that of Elizabeth Shield, being sworn, in answer to Mr Clayhills said they knew of no jealousy or love affair in the matter, but there was a difference between the deceased and Miss Buckhardt, who had been at Woodburn a week as sewing mistress. W.ite said that on the evening of her disappearance deceased called him into her room, and said, "1 must get away to-night; I cannot bear Miss Buckhardt's face again," and he noticed tears in her , eyes. Witnesses said deceased had had fairly good health with the exception of an attack of influenza. —The Coroner, in charging the jury, said the letters, in her own handwriting, seemed to convey that she contemplated the rash act, and they must consider whether her mind had its proper balance at the time. It appeared, he mid, that her mind had been much disturbed since the time of Miss Buckhardt's arrival.--The jury, after a brief consultation, were unanimous in a verdict of " Suicide by drowning whilst in a state of temporary in sanity.  A marriage has DOM maimed between Mr William Graham Menzies, of liallyburton, Forfarshire, and Miss Cecilia Clementinn Wombwell, youngest daughter of Sir 4 ieorge and Lady Julia Wombwell