The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1906-12-29 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

HUSBAND'S LONG ABSENCE.  MIS SUDDEN RE-APPEARIANCE LEADS TO A  TRAGIC INCIDENT.  At the Borough Pol.ce Court on Nom day—before Alderman T. Cook IChail'lll.lllo and Alderman J. (iainlin—Agues Smith. a middle-aged acinan, of 60, Cleveland-Lit, was cha.ged with attempting to commit suicide by taking laudanum. The principal witness was the prieoner's daughter, Agnes Smith, a girl o: “mut V, who wept when she began to gi‘e err evidence. She said that on Saturday evening her mother went out, and on ret urning went into the back kitchen. Witness me lowed her there, because her in..inier seemed peculiar, and she saw her ice,: ap a cup and draw some water, and un.a put something into it. Witness .aid, -What is that, mother?" She did not rep,y, and witness said, "You must not drink it. ' Prisoner thea said "It will do Jur BO harm," and went into the kitchen. ness followed her, but she drank *hat was in the cup before she could o: prevented. Witness bent a boy for a doctor, alld he went to Dr. Staustield's, hut the prieoner was afterwtrds taken to the Borough Hospital. (It appeared that the prcouer wouid not let Dr. Stanaeld to the stowaeli Pump). The witnebs, is au,wer to tin. Clerk, was understood to s.iy that eIDCe her father went aw..y, a Ye." 40' 'he prisoner had threatened to take her Prisoner, asked if ;,le had any que:Lon to put to her daughter, said: She has told you perfectly true. I went for two penny: worth of laudanum for the toothache. awl she was frightened became I was going to use it. In answer to the Clerk, the dauchter said her mother did not say anythin,; about toothache. Dr. Arthur Howard, from the Borolqh Hospital. said the woman was brought there in a state of collapse about 74) pia. on Saturday, suffering from laudanum isvruining Remedies were applied, and -0 recovered, and was now all right. ‘‘kea she recovered from the collapsed conditais she told him "she had done it under bonie provocation." She made no reference to toothache. Prisoner: I said I had swallowed verl little, if any, of the laudanum. The Clerk: He says you told him you did it under provocation? Prisoner: Yes. sir, I did. Sergeant Whyte, who was called to the prisoner's house in consequence of ber act, said she stated, in her husband's .P "I told him I should take something. Pr, husband hadrisonebra.in answer been n away Ite tor ncil; he;ael,tde months, and left her no money, and oft Saturday night he came back as if within; had happened. The Clerk: But why did you take poison! Prisoner: Well* I told him he should not come in there. I did not intend to de myself any harm. The husband, a big, typical seafaring man, said he and his wife quarrelled before he went away a year ago, and on account of that he did not write to her. He expected to be away foe six months, but through the earthquake at Valparai.o the ship wad) delayed, and it was 12 month, His wife had been able to draw money due to him. The 'prisoner admitted She had drawl some money up to three months ago. The husband added that he was gun' willing to remain in England for a fe° months to look after his wife, and to pre' vide for her, He had wages to draw. , . It transpired that the prisoner ha three children to maintain, and the Bench told the husband he ought to have shown more consideration, and not have left wife so long without any communication. They discharged the prisoner..  tim Bei still Lib and Cul Pal  Mel a B cipe the full Rai the  'sub: cial witl the in pro)