The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1907-08-10 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

HUSBANDS ALLEGED BRUTALITY WIFE CHARGED WITH TRYING TO DROWN HERSELF.  A distressing case of unhappy relations between a husband and wife came to the notice of the Mayor (Mr. T. L. Dodds) and Mr. Christopher Newhouse, in the Borough Police Court, on Tuesday, when Margaret Kitchin was charged with having attempted to commit suicide by drowning herself in a tub of water.  A black gentleman named Matthias Samuels, of 15. Bridge-street, said that prisoner hod apartments in his house, with her husband. About a quarter to eleven that morning witness heard prisoner's child screaming, and running upstairs found Mrs. Kitchin with her head in a small enamel bath tin, trying to drown herself. She was kneeling down with her head face downwards in about 16 inches of water, drawn clean from the tap. Witness pulled her out. She resisted, and said she wished her father was there and knew the state she was in. She wanted to "end her days." Prisoner had a black eye, but made no complaint about ill-treatment. Witness left her, telling her daughter to protect her and to call out if she "did anything." PresentlY the child screamed again, so witness sent his boy upstairs and ran himself to notify the police. The boy found Mrs. Kitchin with her head in a bucket of water. Detective Lees said he went and saw Mrs. Kitchin at is, Bridge-street. Her head was very wet, and she said the pain she was in was terrible. She did not know what she was doing owing to the way she hod been knocked about. When charged at the police station Mr. Kitchin said, "Yes, I take it all on myself. I don't want him locked up for anything." She stated that owing to her husband's treatment of her she was bruised all over and could scarcely walk. She showed witness that her ankle was in a terribly inflamed state and her foot discoloured from the little toe to above the ankle. She seemed to ramble slightly. Questioned by the Magistrates' Clerk, Mrs. Kitchin said her husband knocked her about very much on Friday night, kicking her in the head as well as the side and the leg. Her head was burning, so she bathed it in cold water as well as her feet.  The Clerk: Why did you spy you wanted to end your days P.—Perhaps I did say that; it would be a good thing if they were. The Clerk: Whys—Under the circumstances. That's all I can say. lam very sorry if I have made any mistakes. In reply to the Chairman, Mrs. Kitchin said she had one child. She had been married eleven years, and her husband had ill-used her before..  Detective-inspector Eakins informed the bench that prisoner's husband was a seafaring man. Samuel's wife had witnessed Kitchin's assault upon his own wife; also upon the child. Mrs. Kitchin was in an awfully bruised state, especially about the back of the heed. She was a respectable, hard-working woman. A warrant was issued for Kitchin's arrest, and Mrs. Kitchin was remanded. KITCHIN BEFORE THE MAGISTRATES On \Wednesday, before Dr. R. Owen Morris and Mr. Edward Williams, Anthony Kitchin, of 15. Bridge-street. was chargea by warrant with haying assaulted his wife, Margaret Kitchin. It was stated that .owing to the treatment she had received, the woman was not in a fit state to attend the court, and prisoner was remanded until to-day (Saturday).