The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette. — 1869-10-12 (Dorchester, Dorset, England)

SUICIDE FROII GRIEF AND LONELINESS. The inhabitants of Wyke Regis were deeply widened on Thursdsy last, on finding that Mrs. Elisabeth Whitby, wife of a wok on board the Achilles, and who bee been in a melancholy frame of triind for months peek bad succeeded in destroying herself In • most determinod way. The facts will be ptbered from the evidence at the inquest. This took places! sin o'clock in the evening at the Sun Inn, before H. Lock, Esq., deputy-coroner, and • jury of whom Mr. Wm. Barbidge  was foreman. William Lovell. • carpenter, said he was nephew of deceased. That morning he went into the house where she lived, about eight o'clock, and she appeared to be very well, and talked reasonably. lie stayed about five minutes, and left her with her little boy. She was getting breakfast. and her other boy was upstairs. About eleven be went again. bat found the front door locked. lie went round to the back door, which was unlocked, awl went in. Not seeing lits aunt downstairs, he called oat at the foot of the stairs, lie received no answer, buil went to his work again. At twelve o'clock he went :titan. The front door was still locked, and the key inside. This made Lint afraid something was the matt. r. and he went down again, and called at Mr. Edwards'is for • ladder. This being lent, he went op to the bedroom window and looked in, end saw doces,edi hanging to the will by • rope. On this he went down and told Id:. Edwards, who was at the foot of the ladder, and went to call lrs, Talbot, his mistress, She borrowed ft knife of Mr. Edwards, and when they had gone up and burst i.pen the door, Mrs. Talbot out the rope, but deceased was onite dead. She had been living in the same house ILI witness for tWo or three days, end on Wednselay night et:reeved to the Louse where the event cmourreil. Deceased had been about two months in the workhouse and was taken from there on Monday last. On Tu. ;lay Idle wined in a sery 'twilit° slate. and talked and worked well all day; hot on Wednesday morning she was sullen and low, and did not seem to care abent wark till she was ai.ked. She had beer: living at Weymouth with her snottier, before she went into the workhouse. Witness did not know of his own knowledge that she had attempted before to destroy herself ; but had heard so, and had seen her put her bands behind her ueek, and apparently try to strangle herself. William Edwards said deceased went into his house three times that morning, after ten o'cloek, to ask time time. After that he did not WO her again, till the was feund In her room dead. She scorned vet y well, and told his wife ohs hoped she should be better. Anthoey Whitby, cook on bortrd the Achilles. and husband of deceased, said his wife was In lieland in June last, at a pier* en the Shannon, called Toyno. She Was there confined, and the child dicd when forr days old. At that time witness was at home; but be kit about •we kilter. The lows of the child appeared to press heavily on Ler mind; Wituese was away six weeks, widen his return found her not so well. There WY nothing the matter with her beyond being nervous and low-spirited. The loss of her child and being so much alone were the imolo nausea of her affliotion. Shortly afterwards he brought her to England, and she lived at Weymouth with her mother and aiaterdn-law, while witness was at Portamouth. She became worse, and he was sent for, and put her into the Union, and be went before the Beard of Guardians, and had to pay so much per week for her maiatenatme. flis sister told him that she had attempted to strangle herself. and be noticed that she was very strange aud low, and very different from what she used to be. Hs came down again about three weeks ego, and saw Dr. Griffin. who said she was not in her right mind, and ought to go where she °paid be taken care of. This was before she was put in. When she had been in the house • fortnight or three weeks, he sew her stain, and thought she was getting Letter. At different times since he saw her, and she wished to emus out, and on Monday teat he took her nut. Dr. Reginald Filigrees Simpson said he was* medical officer of the Wevmouth Union. Resew deceased first on her admiesion to the workhouse, on August 17. She had been takeu into the house tori months trial, pre. dons to being sent to an asylum. She was suffering from great depression of spirits, and melancholy; but began at once to improve, becoming more cheerful, talking with the other patients, and busying with sewing. and other employment. For • month she improved, rind was put to herder work, which she most cheerfully performed. Then she had rare of • ward under the nurse, end performed her deities very well. She answered all questions in a perfectly rational manner, and he promised that if she sontinued improving, she should go oat in • fortnight. She never, to his knowledge, showed any symptom, of • suieridal tendency. He had dot seen her since her removal that morning. The Jury retuned • verdict of "Temporary Insanity." The Coroner expressed an opinion that it was not the proper course to reeeive lunatic patients into a Union Workhouse. At an asylum everything was provided for their treatment, and that was the proper place to send them to. Dr. Simpson and the Jury, however, agreed that before sending pauper lunatics to an asylum, it was the rule to send them on trial to the workhouse.