The Warwickshire Herald. — 1894-10-11 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

PAINFUL DROWNING CASE.  On Monday afternoon Mr. D. R. Wynter (coroner) and a jury, of whom Mr. T. Holmes was foreman, held an inquest at the Yew Tree Inn, Witton, touching the death of Emma Armena Stewart, who was found drowned at Witton the previous Friday. Laura Elisabeth Gilbert, daughter of the deceased, identified the body. Deceased was 38 years of age. She was the wife of Arthur William Stewart, jeweller. bookmaker, and betting man, residing at 106, I Newtown Row. She carried on the business of a butcher. She had been married before. Her first husband's name was Alfred Gilbert. He was a butcher. He had the butchering business in question up to his death. Witness lived with her. She last saw her alive on Friday morning a little before eight o'clock. Witness went out to work then, leaving deceased in the house. She was fetched I from work at 12 o'clock as her mother had not come I home. When deceased left home it was believed she was going into the town to order the meat for the Saturday. When witness got home at 12.15 a.m. she sent her sister to where her mother had been to order the meat, and she caine back and said her mother had not been to order the meat. The meat was ordered, and witness went to tell her employer she could not come back to work that day as she had to clean the shop, and when she returned a gentleman who was in the house said she had better prepare for the worst. He then said her mother had been found drowned at Witton. Deceased had not been very well for about a week; she had had a good deal of trouble lately about money affairs. That seemed to prey on her mind. She never heard her threaten to commit suici :de. Her second husband Stewart lived with her and helped her in the business. They had not lived on friendly terms lately; they had never lived happily together. lieceased was a hard-working woman, and in the winter she put some money in the bank to meet the loss in the summer, and when she saw the money was being gradually taken out of the bank, and was told her husband would ruin her with his betting. witness noticed a change in her. The money was put in the bank in his name. There was £34 in the bank, and he drew it all out except £l. He had abused the deceased. He had given her black eyes. He struck her last week. He struck her before that. On one occasion witness picked up something and struck him when he was strik..ng the deceased. Her mother bad been married to Mr. Stewart 5 or 6 years. During that time he helped her in the shop, but did not bring any money into the business. When deceased told him to leave he used to strike his fist on the table and eay he would do for the lot of them before lie left, and witness was afraid of him.  Mr. Stewart said deceased had thrown knives and choppers at him and he had struck her back. Witness, continuing, said on Friday week her mother had a miscarriage and was attended by a mid-wife. The same evening her husband struck her because she lay between the blankets. Emily Ellikerr, barmaid at the Yew Tree Inn, Wit. ton, said on Friday night about half-past eight o'clock she served the deceased with a glass of ale. She said "Make haste, miss, lamin a hurry. I have come a long way." She seemed very much excited. Between 9.30 and 10 o'clock the same morning her body was brought to the inn. George Hicks, stoker, Water Works Street, Aston, said on Friday morning about half-past nine o'clock, when walking along the side of the Tame Valley Canal near Short's Bride he saw the body in the middle of the canal, face downwards. A man who happened to be on the bridge came to his assistance. Witness could not swim, and the other man swam in and brought the body out. Witness took out of the water a satchel and went for a policeman. Police-constable Arthur Ilatwell said from info', mat ion received from the last witness he proceeded to the canal and found the body lying on the towing path. The body was fully dressed. Life was extinct. There were no signs of any struggle or marks of violence on the body. In her dress pocket he found two bills for meat, which led to her identification. In the satchel he found &id. The Coroner, in summing up, said this MIA a case of a very painful nature. It was for the jury to say whether the cruel treatment of her husband, the loss of her money, and the unhappy state of her house had not unhinged her mind. Her coming to Witton instead of going into the city looked as if she bad a purpose in view. Nfr. Stewart said he drew the money out of the bank to pay bills connected with the business. The Coroner said one of the bills found ITY the satchel was for £135 6s. for meat—(sensation). Mr. T. Homer said the jury considered that she had committed suicide while temporarily insane, and that it was caused through her husband's ill-treatment, and they thought the Coroner should censure him.  The Coroner said he had no power to censure him. He could only leave him to the opinion of the pubic. What had taken place would be reported. and when the public read it they would form their own opinion of his conduct. He might say he did not believe one single syllable about his having drawn the money to pay bills. A sister of the first husband of the deceased here rose and, approaching the Coroner, asked if she might speak. The Coroner told her the Court was over. She, however, continued speaking. She said the deceased told her Mr. Stewart had punched and kicked her, and that he was murdering her by inches._  Mr. Stewart denied the statement, and there were some words between him and the sister of the first husband, and Laura Elirabeth Gilbert, who characterised him MI wretch.