The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1901-02-09 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

SENSATIONAL SUIOIDE  AT THORNTON HOUGH.  AN EXTRAORDTN AR T LETTER.  In the Clatterbridge Workhouse Mr. J. C. Bate, West Cheshire coroner, held an inquest respecting the death of Mary Bird, aged 20, who committed suicide in the Thornton Hough Poe Office. The last address where the deceased was known was in Oxton, where she had held a situation. She was a sister of the wife of P.C. Diskin, stationed at Thornton Hough. The Coroner said the case was of a very strange character, and it had been reported to him that on oae occasion, about bIS months ago, the deceased was charged with attempting to take he; life, and that she had been an inmate of the Upton Lunatis Asylum. Those cirournstancea pointed to a somewhat week state of mind. There could be no doubt the deceased administered carbolic acid to herself.  It appeared that Miss Bock, a young lady employed as a teacher at the Thornton Hough National Schools, entered the Post Office, and found it empty with the exception of a female attired in deep mourning. The latter etood in a oorner with her face to the wall, in a crouching attitude, and was moaning as if in pain. When Mite hock entered she turned her head and gave her a sharp glance, but made no remark. Thinking the lady was in mental distrait owing to some recent bereavement, Miss Rock felt reluctant to intrude upon her appamnt grief, and prsoeeiled to the counter. She afterwards turned to clove the door, when the female again glanced at her, and a second ,ter fell heavitfr to the floor. Miss :lock at •)e, called for assistance, and Mr. Egerton, .ne postmaster, ran into the office. He at onct divined the true state of affairs, ano, unbuttoning the lady's collar, called for salt and water to be used as an emetic. M 6613while Mice Rock called in the assistance of Constable Diskin, and one of Mr. Egerton's assistants ran for Dr. VC hipp. The latter happened to be passing at the moment, and at once hurried in. Despite every attent:on, the sufferer died shoot eight o'clock. 'There was a strong smell of carbolic acid, and as an empty caroolie acid bottle ,as since been found in the rear of the Post Dike, there can be no doubt as to the nature of the rash act. The id:owing letter iwilich was 'found among the tiecearo's clothing by a nurse when examined at the workhouae) was read to the jury 'fly the Coroner, and was as totlows:—" Dear Sister,—Just a line to sav when you receive this I shall be no more. I fully intend doing this, for your hushaud has driven me to do this. If I taker drink I am not a harlot, as he says. If such was the case, I should not be in service. I have worked hard for my living, but still I will say nothing. He will suffer more than your brokenhearted sister, Poll."—The Coroner remarked that the letter was written in pencil, and from the somewhat indistinct writing it was evidently not written under ordinary circumstances.  in answer to the Coroner, said he had had no words with the deceased since she left his house in July last, when she was going to a situation at Hoylake. She had been in about a dozen situations as cook and housemaid in three months; his opinion was that it was through drink that she was unable to keep them, andAilso that she would not be spoken to by her master or mistress. She did not come to his house on the day of her death. In July, 1897, while in a situation at Birkenhead, she appeared before the magistrates on a charge of attempting to oom.mit suicide by taking laudanum, and lafter being medically examined the was sent ,to Upton Aeylum.—The Coroner: Da you know whether her state of mind was the result of drink t—Witness I could not say.— How long did she stt-v in Upton Asylum? Four moreths.—When ;id she attempt te te,re her life again?—ln February last year, at New Ferry.--Waa she in n cituetion then' Yes, sir. She woe ',sought before trate., and discharged with a caution.—What did she attempt to take her His roil! i'les • Laudanum. The cause of bet act was that she was much upset on receiving a letter from her father to say that her brother ha,' died. There was no chemist's shop or other place in the district of Thornton where deceased conld have obtained carbolis The Coroner, in summing up, remerked that the note, which was addressed to deceased's sister, Mrs. Diekin, was wri'ten as a paper which seemed to have come from a eohool, because it was headed with the words "head teacher." Where the note had been written it was impossible to say, but it had evidently been written under peculiar circumstances. It WAS quite within the power of the jury to say the deceased ...as of nn sound mind at the time she cor,:nitted ellicide. Her letter was quite sufficient to account for her not being able to keep her situations, and probably the drink might have beau the cause of her attempts at gnioide.—The jury found that deceased had committed suicide while of unsound mind.  Wear them &Iwo" your walk they'll quicken. Our Box Calf Boots et } a thick Hackett and l'aes, bl, Dale-street. alota, Lime-etreot. Urerpdol. Telephone ) • strill Magma Pswito_ams Saw JAM aW, I, Mortise Tows SAL D •iidele, hairs weltursaill= *woo, variously oltustod is Birkenhead sad Trunnion. now reedy far iromediate occupation st very moderate rents. •