The North-Eastern Weekly Gazette. — 1893-06-10 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

HORRIBLE MURDER AND SUICIDE  A GHASTLY DISCOVERY.  The terrible tragedy, at Wilmslow, in Cheshire, has produced a great sensation in the district. The inquest respecting the death of the woman Susannah Worth, 41 years, and Sarah Ann Frost, her step-daughter, aged 19, who were found dead in bed on Sunday with their throats cut, was held at the Swan Hotel, Wilmslow, on Monday afternoon, before Mr H. C. Yates, District Coroner.— The first witness called was William Worth, who stated that all retired to bed on Saturday night at about ten. Sarah Ann Frost occupied a room at the rear. All three of them were on good terms. Between two and three in the morning he was awakened by his wife getting out of bed. He asked her where she was going, and she replied that Sarah had got the tic, and she was going to sleep with her. He believed the story, and gave his consent to her i , going. She was n her nightdress, and was Icarrying nothing in her hand. He went to sleep, and did not wake again until about six, when he I shouted to his wife to get up. He got no answer, and got up and went downstairs to see if she was there. Not finding her there he went to his daughter's bed-room, and again asked his wife if she was going to get nil: Getting no reply this time he entered the room. and saw his wife and her daughter lying,on the bed on each side of a mug. They were both dead, and he went for a neighbour named Mrs Sands. She did not like to go up with him to the bedroom, and eventually another woman named Mrs Hallmark accompanied him. They then discovered that the throats of both his wife and daughter were cut. A piece of paper, bearing instructions in his stepdaughter's handwriting as to the way in which the women should be laid out, was found in a room along with another paper bearing the reqnest that a silk handkerMief of the daughter's should be given to a female friend named Bradbury. His wife had never stated her intention either to do away with herself or to take the life of her daughter. They were both on good terms. The razer which was found lying beside his wife belonged to him, but he had not used it for some months. Mrs Worth was a very steady woman. He had suggested to her that Sarah Frost was pregnant, but he was satisfied that she was not when she denied the fact. —Mrs Mary Ann Hallmark, a neighbour of Mr Worth, said she had noticed that Sarah Ann Frost was enceinte, and spoke to Mrs Worth about it, and she denied that such was the case. Deceased and her daughter wined to be on very good terms.—Policesergeant Griffiths said that he spoke to the deceased on Saturday night about an unpleasant rumour. Mrs Worth said that her daughter had gone to Cheadle. When witness saw the bodies there was a mug with blood in it between them. There had been no struggle. Witness ' was of opinion that the mother cut the daughter's throat and held her head over the mug till she had bled to death, and afterwards cut her own throat.— Dr. Davies gave similar testimony' and added that the daughter had been recently delivered of a child. In April witness pronounced her pregnant. Witne.-s was informed by Mrs Worth that her daughter had gone to Cheadle to be conlined.—The jury returned a verdict of "Murder " against the mother, and found that she afterwards committed 1 suicide whilst temporarily insane.