Beverley and East Riding Telegraph. — 1896-12-19 (Beverley, Humberside, England)

THE LE CHAMPION DIVORCE CASE.  SUICIDE OF MKS. LE CHAMPION.  An inquiry was held on Monday at the Town Hall, Chelsea, respecting the death of MI s. le Champion, who recently figured in proceedings for judicial separation, which was brought against her husband. Worried about the fate of her child, whom the judge took out of the custody both of herself and husband and gave over to the care of the aunt, the unhappy woman committed suicide by taking laudanum. Mr. Trom.heek, coroner for Westminster, ap, peered as having acted as deceased's solicitor. She called on lion last Thursday morning, he said, at his mimes in Victoria-street, and ec.u. suited him witii reference to her action and the appeal which had been lodged by Mr. le Champion. She seemed greatly disappointed at any prospect of delay. She had no fear for the result, hut was very anxious about her child. 1.1 she worried at all he was certain it was over the child. Sic was further upset by the fear of detectives, who she said had followed her when she went to see her child, kept at the house of the mutual friend of herself and her husband. The witness identified a letter found in the deceased's room as being in her riamiwriting. It read :—" My darling Pappy,—lou have been the best father in the world to Lae. and I hate pining you, as I know I shall. Forgive me if you can all the trouble have been to you. I want to be buried at Charm pion Lodge (the residence of Lady de Crespigm, ). Will you see, as I cannot see any more—" (here the letter ended abruptly). Lady de Crespigny said she was slaying—on a visit—with Mrs. le Campion last week. She was lodging at the house of a Mr. Walker, 76, OakleyStreet, Chelsea, whom the deceased had known for 15 years. On Thursday, the deceased seemed sane, but on her return from Troutheck's seemed a little depressed and anxious. She had taken laudanum once before, but its fatal effect had been averted. Si,, retired at 11 o'clock on Thursday night, telling witness not to come and see her early in the morning, as ,he had got into the way of sleeping i.silly. It was 9 o'clock on Friday morning before witness went to accessed's room. She found the door locked on the inside. The landlord was summoned, and he burst it open. They found the deceased in bed in a sitting posture, with two large.fiamed poi traits—one or witness and the other of witness's daughter—lying on the counterpane. She looked ghastly, but was still alive. By her side was a 4oz. bottle labelled laudanum. It was very nearly empty. There was also a letter addressed in the deceased's handwriting to " Dear Papa." In it she said she was sorry she had not had Lot tus's forgivetess before she died. Medical aid was summoned, and everything possible was done for deceased, but she died at a quarter-past 10 this same morning. Evidence was next given as to the sale of the laudanum. The Coroner pointed out that the deceased's grief at being parted from her child, and the unkindness with e hich she considered she had been treated, had probably upset her mind. The jury returned a verdict of " Suicide while of unsound mind."  uuuuuullll::=