The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1894-07-18 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

SAD DROWNING CASE AT NEW BRIGHTON.  Yesterday, a the Boathouse Hotel, Magazines, New Brigidon, Mr. Churton held an inquest on the body of Ellen Robinson, wife of James Robinson, of the Mariners' Home, Egremont, who MIS drowned at New Brighton on Sunday morning. The first witness called was a young woman named Bertha Brown, of New Brighton, who said that she first saw the deceased woman at 8-30 on Sunday morning. She was then walking to and fro along the shore near to the Perch Rock Battery. The water was right round the rocks, it being then high tide. The woman stood on the edge of the rook, and about twenty minutes after witness first saw her she threw herself into the water. Witness then went on to the Leach and saw the woman flosthg in the water. Witness saw no signs of life the head being under water. She then went and informed Sergeant Powell, and assistance:being procured the body was recovered in about half an hour and taken to the mortuary. .  In answer to a juryman witness could not say whether she slipped from the rocks or not. It was on the green part of the rocks where it wasolippery. The wind was blowing very hard at the time, the wind blowing towards the river. She threw her arms out, but whether it was as if to save herself or not witness could not tell. _ _  James RoLinson,an inmate of the Mariner's Home, Egremont, said he was 71 years of age, and the deceased was his wife. She was aged 67 and they had been 43 years married. She had been in good health for . long while but about six years ago had an accident, and after that walked a little limp and she had been very bad with rheumatics since and rather feeble and weak. He last saw her alive on Sunday morning, when she got up as usual about 7 o'clock,. She dressed but did not speak. He went to sleep again, and about 9 o'clock, not having been called by his wife to breakfast as was her usual practice, he went downstairs and found that she was not there. He made inquiries, and later on in the day he heard that a body had been picked up, and identified it as that of his wife. She had never threatened to do anything to herself to his knowledge. Asked by the Coroner whether the deceased had had any trouble or anxiety of late, the witness said she had fretted herself about her 8011 being out of employment, and had been in very poor health. If she went into the water herself her mind must have been upset. She was not in the habit of going out so early in the morning. The Coroner said the verdict would suggest itself. They had no positive proof that the woman intended to commit suicide, although there were circumstances of some suspicion. In the absence of such proof their verdict would be that she was found drowned in the river Mersey. The foreman of the Jury said their real opinion was that she was accidentally drowned. The Coroner said that was not a legal verdict because there was no proof that it was a caw of accidental drowning. . . .  The jury then returned an open verdict, as suggested by the Coroner. Schole6eld informed the Coroner that a very good attempt was made by a man named Albert Smith to rescue the woman, but there was a strong current running, and though he swam out thirty yards, and was in the water about twenty minutes, he had to turn back again. The Coroner: Very praiseworthy indeed.