The Kenilworth Advertiser. — 1880-10-23 (Kenilworth, Warwickshire, England)

SHOCKING SUICIDE OF A WOMAN.  A large amount of excitedoent was created in the neighbourhood of Stoney Stanton-road, Coventry, on Sunday morning last, between eight and nine o'clock, by the report of the suicide of Mrs. Cockerill, the wife of Thomas Cockerill, coal mer chant, of Stanton-street. It appears that the deceased lady had been addicted greatly to drink during the last three years, and for the last few months had seldom been sober; and there was a great deal of unhappiness in the family in consequence of her conduct. It is stated that on Saturday evening some words passed between deceased and her husband respecting some property which had been missed, but which has since been found. On Sunday morning nothing unusual was noticed in deceased's conduct until just befere eight o'clock, when she went to the bottom of the staircase and called to her husband, who was in bed, that he would find "the pawntickets" at the houses of some neighbours. This I made him think something was wrong, and he immediately got up, and, partially dressed, went down stairs, when he was alarmed to discover his razor case open on the table with one of the razors missing. Hs immediately ran out to the water closet, and finding the door closed he ran for P.C. Mills, who fortunately lived near,, and with Mr. Jephoott, builder, of the same street, went back again to the house. The door was opened by the constable, and the party were horrified to perceive deceased kneeling on the floor with her throat terribly cut, and her head hanging down the pan. An open razor covered with blood lay upon the seat. A messenger was at once despatched by the constable for medical assistance, and Dr. Milner Moore arriving shortly after, pronounced life extinct, and the body was removed to the house to await the inquest. The deceased's husband was some time ago keeper of the Leicester Inn, Stoney Stanton-road for several years. The inquest was held on Monday evening at the Leicester Inn, Stoney Stanton-road, before Mr. Coroner Dewes, and a jury of which Mr. John Ward was foreman. The following evidence was given : Thomas Cockerill, husband of the deceased said: Deceased was 55 years of age. I last saw her alive just before eight o'clock on Sunday morning, when I asked her to bring me a cup of herb tea, which she did, and she stood by the bedside whilst I drank it. She then went downstairs, and I heard her pottering about until about eight o'clock, when she went to the bottom of the stairs and said, "Tom you will find the pawntickets at Mrs. Duggins' and Mrs. Bourne's." I got up and went to the back room window, as I wondered what she meant by saying anything about the tickets. I saw the closet door closed, and I came down stairs, when I found my razor-case on the table with a razor gone from out of it, my suspicions were aroused. I immediately went to the closet, and on trying the closet door, I could not open it. I then ran for a police officer and P.C. Mills, who lived near, came, and the door was forced and deceased was seen inside. P.C. Charles Mills, said: I was called by the last witness yesterday morning, about twenty minutes past eight, and I went with him to the water closet of his house. The door was shut, but not fastened. I opened it, and I then found deceased in a kneeling position, with her arms on the heat, and her head hanging down the pan. Her throat was out, and the razor produced was lying on the seat, open. The razor was just as produced, very bloody. Deceased was quite dead, and I removed the body into the place where the jury have seen it. I have known deceased previously for some years. She has been in the habit of drinking heavily for the last six or seven years, and was hardly ever sober. During the last week I had seen deceased drunk. Thomas Cockerill (recalled), said: The razor and case produced were my property. My wife has been drinking very much lately, and has often threatened to do for me as well as herself. She has never been so bad as during the last three months, when she has never been sober, and has pawned and sold everything she could lay her hands on. Before she took to drink a better wife or mother never breathed. Dr. Milner Moore, M.D., said: Yesterday morning at 8.30, I was called to see deceased, and found her lying on the couch dead, with her throat cut. It was cut straight across the throat, no artery being cut,and she had died from choaking, the blood running into her windpipe. I have never seen deceased before.  The Coroner shortly summed up and directed the jury to return a verdict that deceased destroyed herself, bat that there was no evidence to show her state of mind at the time. -- --The jury returned a verdict as dirpoted.