Nelson Chronicle, Colne Observer, and Clitheroe Division News. — 1902-07-11 (Nelson, Lancashire, England)

THE INQUEST.  The inquest waii held at the Crown Hotel on TuvAlay afternoon, by Mr. Coroner Robin.son. and a jury, of which Mr. E. Lund war: the foreman.  I Martha Hannah Wildman, the wife of !Richard James Wildman, of 6 Yorkshires. !street, Nelson, said that the deceased was her sister and lived with her. She was a weaver by trade, and was seventeen yeans of age on Coronation Day. She had been employed in a mill at Nelson, but gave infer on Wednesday dinner time. Witness's hus, band told her she was to give over at the mill because she had had a bit of bother with the warp. She had said that it was not her fault., but they had subsequently discovered that it was her fault. It appeared that owing to a fault in the cloth she had been told she must buy it, and witness's husband said that before she should do that she would have to give over. At six o'clock on Thumday morning witness saw her last when she went to work.  By a juryman: Her husband had told her he would get her three looms at the shed at which he was working. She was only a yew beginner, and had only, had two looms. There was no unpleasantness between wit. ,neN, and deceased.  _ John Emmett, who preferred to affirm in Scotch fashion, said he lived at Station-road. Foulridge. He saw the girl at Foulridge last Thursday at about half-past eight. She then seemed to be very much distressed. She told him her sister had turned her out because she had played for warps and had not earned sufficient milhey. He tried to persuade her to go home and she said she would rather stop out all night than go home. She went back in the direction of the minal bank whence she had come.  [Bribe jury : It WRS near th: railway whew be saw her. He had never seen the girl before; she came up to him before the time I he had referred to and asked him if he knew where she could get a bousc-keeping job. and he had told her he did not. His suspieions were aroused in the first instance because she tolil him that she had walked along the canal bank. Ha therefore walked back again to see if he could come across her. He did so near the point where the finger post points to Barnoldswick near the railway bridge, and he tried to persuade her to go back home, even offering Jur her fare to Nelson, which she declined. Henry Rushton, shoemaker, of Hirst'syard, Colne, said he saw the body taken from the canal by a boatman at. about half-past four on Monday. She had neither hat nor shawl on. The body looked as if it had been in the water some time. _  The sister of the deceased, was recalled, and the Coroner said: It seems your sister told a witness at Foulridge that you had turned her out becau.se she did not earn enough money. Was there anything of the sort; had you or your husband found fault ? Witness: No; when she has only brought 2s. a week home I have always told her to do her work right no matter how little she brought me: How long has she lived with you ?—Nearly 15 years. Have you had..her to keep ?—Yes. She has not, paid you so much a week ? No ; she has paid me her wages. . . _ .  What would have been the loss had she stopped at work ?—The manager told us she would only have lost a shilling. And for the loss of a shilling you turned her out of her work ?—She came home with a different tale; she said it was ss. or 6s. We did not know till I went for her money on Friday morning. My husband told her she had better give up and he would go down on Friday and see all about it. You did not tell her if she did not do better she would have to go somewhere else?— No.  A juryman: Did you lead her a miserable life because she did not bring home enough money P—No, certainly not. I kept her for 13 years before I let her go to work at all. Where did she work p—At Peel's, Spring Bank. _  Did sho enjoy good health ?—Yes. I never had a doctors bill to pay for her since I got her.  The Coroner said there was little doubt ilthat the girl drowned hcrself for s.ome rea, son, and it had nothing to do with her em' plovers: that was certain. The foreman: It seems to be a domestio affair.  A juror: We have only the girl's word for that.  The jury agreed on a verdict of "Suicide during temporary insanity. A charming new atory, "Her Bid for Lore," by Miss Laurie Lansfeldt, corn-, mences in the "Chronicle" of Friday next.  "When in doubt tell the truth."  "Do you wish to be great ?" ask, St. Augustine, "then begin by being little. Do you desire to construct a vast and lofty fabric? Think first about the foundations of humility. The higher the structure is to be the deeper must be its foundation."  1