Widnes Examiner. — 1912-10-19 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

STOCKTON HEATH IRAGEDY.  GRIEF STRICKEN MOTHER'S SUICIDE.  Mr. T, Ridgway conducted an inquest at the Stockton Heath Police Station on Monday on the body of Mrs. Emma Houghton (59), a widow, the proprietress of the Bon Marche drapery establishment, who was found asphyxiated in her bedroom on Saturday morning.—Mr A J Willett represented tho relatives and Mr F R Roberts was present on behalf of the executors. From the evidence it appeared that the deceased lady was in her usual spirits when Miss Marian Latham her niece, of Mill House, Bold, left her about 10 o'clock on Friday evening. This witness also stated that she heard no noise during the night and in keeping with her custom and the wishes of her aunt she did not go in the bedroom in the morning but left the house at S 10. Iler aunt had never complained of her health and she had not appeared, depressed. She had not seen the gas tube (produced) before. Her aunt was in the habit of getting up in the night as she suffered from indigestion. In reply to Mr. Roberts she said she had been staying with her aunt a fortnight. She could not say whether there was a reading lamp in the room. Miss Isabella Sherwood, assistant at the Bon Marche said that when she left the shop on Friday evening about 020 Mrs. Houghton was very cheerful. They had been to the theatre at Manchester on the Thursday and the deceased used to go to Liverpool end Manchester often. She opened the shop on Saturday morning at 8.80. Mrs Houghton usually came down at any timo up to 10.30 and about 10.55 witness went upstairs to her bedroom. She found the door closed and on entering the room saw Mrs Houghton in a chair with a shawl over her bead but she (witness) thought she had put the shawl on herself to keep warm. Mrs Houghton was, however, dead and witness sent for the doctor. She did not notice the gas tube nor did she smell gas. Mrs Houghton lost her son about two years ago at sea and had worried about it. Replying to Mr Willett, witness said that the mat was against the door, and the door, window and ventilator were closed. She did not 5m311 any gas as she bad a cold. She had noticed the dead son's diary by the washstand. The deceased, who had joked about suicide, appeared very placid and there was no diecolouration. She had DO teed to trouble about money, as she had £lOO per year coming in from an estate. By the Coroner : The tube was used to connect the Fas bracket to an incandescett reading lamp, which was on a chest of drawers.  The Foreman : Was there any message or communication other than the diary ? Witness : No ! The diary was not hers, but the one of her son's which was sent home with his belongings when he died at sea.  Mr W Mc'ape said he was called to the Bon Marche about 11 o'clock. When he went upstairs he noticed a strong smell of gas on the landing. He saw Mrs Houghton in the chair. Her head and shoulders were completely covered by a shawl and one end of the gas tube lay on her breast and the other end was hanging over the back of the chair. There was also a piece of gas Labe on the gas bracket. The gas was turned fully on.  Miss Sherwood, recalled, said she moved the shawl from Mrs Ifoughton's face when she went upstairs and ehe did not know whether she replaced it In the same position.  Sergeant White said he saw the shawl over the face of the deceased. A reading lamp was at the far corner of the room. In answer to the foreman, the sergeant said the gas pipe would reach from the gas bracket to where the deceased was sitting. A verdict of " Suicide while temporarily insane " was returned, and the jury expressed their sympathy with the relatives Mr Willett returned thanks.