The Haslingden Gazette. — 1913-03-15 (Haslingden, Lancashire, England)

NOTHING TO LIVE FOR."  The death was reportea on Monday of Mrs. Winifred Atkinson (52), widow, of 7, High Riley Cetta.ges, Accrington. It appears from the report sent to the Coroner. that the deceased, who had had -fairly good health all her life, had been upSet by the death of her husband about six months- ago, 'and had fretted a great deal. She was last seen alive—she lived alone—about half-past nino on -Sunday night, and at that time appeared to -be in her .usual health. .When a call was made at her house about eleven o'clock on Monday morning, however, by/ Henry R. -Wilkinson., of High Riley. Farm, he found the blinds drawn and the door locked. Becoming suspicious, he looked-through a bedrocao window, 1 and saw the clecea.sed dead in bed. On the table . close to the bed was a cup which had contained ' salts of lemon. A few days ago deceased told a neighbour, named Mrs. Black, that if she found the door locked at ten o'clock any morning She must break into the house and she -Would find her in bed. On .the table near the bed was a letter left by the-deceased', her Will and other articles. Mr.. Coroner Robinson held an inquest touching the death of deceased in the Council Chamber of' the Town Hall on Wednesday inoraing. • Mrs. Margaret Rothwell, of Well-ternace, Clitheroe, said deceased was her sister-in-law. She I w4s the widow of James AtkinSon, a labourer. I She was 52 years of age, and lived alone at :High Riley,, Accrington. Her husband died last Octobez, and since then she had been very depressed at times. The letter produced was in the handwriting of the deceased. Doris Yates, young girl living at 5, High Riley Cottages, said she last saw Mrs. Atkinson at 9-30 Sunday- night, when she was in her own house. Henry' Rirycrat Wilkinson, a Youth living at high Riley Farm, Accrington, deposed that at eleven o'clock on Monday 'morning he called at deceased's house, and found -the blinds down and I the door fast. On looking threug,h the bedroom: window he saw the deceased lying in bed dead. Mrs. Black, 3, High Riley, stated, in reply to the Coroner, that deceased had been very down spirited lately. The Coroner:. Did she ever say she would do anything at herself? Witness She has said many times that she wanted to go to her husband. The Coroner And did she tell you that. if you found the house shut up at any time you were to break in? ' • Witness: Yes. Detective Greenwood said that he visited deceased's house at three o'clock on Monday afternoon. She was lying in bed undressed, quite !dead and cold. • Ho found the cup and spoon Iproduced on a. table close' to the bedside. •_ It contained- crystals like salts of lemon. The letter produced, was pinned on to a. bag which was also on the table; and- deceased's -money, watch and chain, and, will were on a table as welL. The Coroner read the following extracts .from the Pathetic letter which was found by the side of the bed: "I- cannot. live any longer. have tried hardto work my trouble off; but it overpowers me. there is nothing -to live for. Night after night I have laid awake crying and -no one to speak to. I have spent a long-, lonely winter by myself Hoping the Loki will forgive me for what I have done.. Trouble is a. very serious thing. I sincerely thank all my kind' friends of 'Accrington for the generous disposition they have shown towards 'me. Hoping the Lord will reward them soine,time." The Coroner observed that in facie of' the letter and What the witness 'Mrs. Blake had said, the only conclusion they could come to was that the deceased had got very low spirited since her husband died, .and that she killed herself whilst of unsound 'mind. The, jury returned a verdict that deceased Committed suicide by taking Salts of lemon, and- that at the time She was of unsound mind.