The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1882-03-04 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.  AT the Borough Police Court, ori Monday, before Mr. Preston, Hanson, the wife of a storekeeper, living in Back Beckwith-street, was charged with attempting to commit suicide by taking a quantity of laudanum on the previous day. William Hanson, husband of the prisoner, stated that he was in the house with his wife on Sunday. night at about a quarter to ten, and they were having a few words when she took a bottle of laudanum from her pocket and put it to her mouth. He struck it out of her hand. He took her at once to the hospital, when she stated in the presence of the doctor that she took the laudanum on purpose. The cause to which he attributed the act was a difference that arose between them on Saturday night, owing to her having lost his money. The purse containing it was Wound by a neighbour, and given to him, and she afterwards declared, when he taxed her with having lost it, that he had never given her any money. She was in drink both Saturday and Sunday nights. She had on previous occasions taken laudanum. She was in the habit of taking drink when he was away, but not in his presence. The bottle .containing lastdanum was labelled "Wilkinson, Watson. street."  P.C. 24 (Challoner) said that on Sunday night he was on duty in Hamilton-street, when Hanson and his wife came to him, and the former stated that the latter and taken a quantity of laudanum. She said she had done so, and, would do it again. She had some from Snow and Borne from Wilkinson. Witness tharged her with attempting to commit suicide, when she said she would sooner be in bridewell than out. Her husband was a storc. keeper to Messrs. Gatehouse and Yates, under the Market.'  The prisoner said that on Saturday night her husband came home drank. In fact, he  was never sober. Owing to there being a hole in her pocket she had lost her purse, but she did not then know it. He asked her if she had got her purse, and she said she had, but when she felt for it she found it was gone. He took her by the throat, and was going to choke her. She got away, when he knocked her down on the flags. He then took up their little boy, seven years of age and smashed him down on the flags, nearly killing him. On Sunday night he went out and had some beer, and came in with two bottles of porter, out of which he gave her half a glass. He then went out and some time after came in again, when he picked up a jngfnl of starch and threw it over her and the baby. Only three weeks ago he had given her two black eyes, and cut her lip. The husband said that three weeks ago she was drunk and fell down stairs and so got the injuries she spoke of. What she said about him was untrue. He had done his best for her in every way. He had bought clothes for her and her children. The only trouble she had was the trouble of taking his-clothes to the pawnshop to pledge them for drink. P.C. 41 stated that on Sunday night Mr. Wilkinson, chemist, of Watson-street, came to him and said that a woman had come to him for a penny-worth of laudanum for toothache. Shortly after a little girl came for one pennyworth of laudanum with a botal labelled "Snow." She said some woman had sent her and on going outside he saw the prisoner. 1 tahandtedinithuieriepo hrismoinger till m Tuesday, ho On Tuesday, Mr. Preston, on her promising never to repeat the attempt, gave her up to her d theelnt'il order hospital.remanded husband.