Widnes Examiner. — 1882-05-13 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

SUICZDE AT RUNCGR.W.—TEE "INIWEST.—At the LIOS 1 Hotel, Runcorn, on 'rueseiry, Mr.:J. E. Worsley the-deputy ' ',coroner, held an inquest on the'body of Alice liirkhatu, 46 years of age, wife of Thomas ,Kirltham, of 17, Arthur-street •Runtorn. The husband ,cf the deceased stated he was foreman of the Weston Alkali Works. For the last three or four years the deceased had]been in very bad health, and •-up to the last 18 months was unable to walk. Her memary wae almost gone, and she Lad also .complained of her head. !During the last nine or ten years she had taken a great ,eileal .of-drink, and had been much worse ha that respect during.the last eighteen months, while-for the last six or seven weeks -she had hardly been seber. He (witness) last saw her alive reeout twelve o'clock on Saturclay.night. She Was titen in 'the kitchen drunk, and wanted to lie down on the -We, so he went to bed and left her there,-since she refused to go to deed with him. Newt anorning he found two jugs ot ale in the house. About halfrpast seven o'clock on Sunday morning he awoke his son Thomas, and-sent him down tairs to light the fire. Shoal.; afterwards he returned, and told, 1 him that his mother had bung herself. Witness inmediately.! j went and found his wife hanging. She was then ,ocad and , dead. He called in the neighbours and also gave informa-1 tien to the police. When in drink •deceased had </ften -saidj , she would make away with herself, but he knew of aeoreason, for her destroying heroelf. "She would have drink," anti., was seldom sober. The jury ha.vingebeard the evidence of I the son, returned a verdict that the deceased asuurritted.:l suicide whilst in a -state of temporary insanity. .. CIIIIIST CILURCE, leiercreForm.-eAs the outcrame of -Be. discussion at the-recent vestry meeting of the abort church, i the wardens (Nlesses.a. Gordon andeTchn White) haveiven the following account-cf the rents of seats, &c.:—"lt appeatel from enquiries made,Vaat, as stated in-the consecration deedl of the church, it was originally intended the rent of ()evil should be at the rate of:2os. per sitting, but it was areauged that at first only 10s. should be chargeL For the fir & throe: years after the church was opened, therpew rents avers ged i :5.5 per annum; for-the past three yars they have only. averaged £63, although:the church and cengregation are now ' very much larger. The.endowment of the church is only • 80, and there being no-fees except marriage fees, the income from this source is -trifling. We think the time hasarrived when soinething,should he done byway of increasingthe vicar's stipend, which is now so miserably small, and this ; can only lee accomplished.by increasing thetpew rents to the . amount fixed in the consecration deed, or by giving. to hint I part of the offertory. As-there seems an objection to the former plan we have decided upon the latter' and propose to devote to the vicar one third-of the general oZertories. ,' By this means all who attend the church will have the opportunity of giving to the support of their view, and this I privilege will not be limited-to about 45 persons Az at present. 1 There will be an offertory at every Sunday inocaing service, and on the first Sunday evening in each month. If, as it is 'hoped, the members of the congregation will core:Lally suppert this arrangement, the general offertories can .easily be increased to .£l2O a year, of which £4O would be handed to the vicar (thus making uo his stipend to about ZIAG), and , the remaining £BO would cover all the expenses of the church, and render unnecessary any private cellectien of sutsoriptions, which course has had to be resorted to Etherto, in order to raise the requisite funds." EI,PC'R