Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1891-10-17 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

THE INQUEST.  On Tuesday afternoon, Mr. J. E. Hill (denuty coroner) held an inquiry at the Delvers' Arms, Southowram, into the circumstances attending the death. The following comprised the jury : Messrs. Chas. Menke (foreman), Jonathan Drmnison, James Feather, Joseph Thorpe, James Milnes, Abraham flairstow, George ElTarn. Leonard H. Walton, Geo. Itairstow, Edward Goodison, William Niblett, and Chas. Aspinall. Inspector ttamm and Sergeant Fearnley were also present.  11,e jury, baying been sworn, proceed° i to view the body, which was laid out at Alfred Oates' : the first witness examined was  Ann Oates, wife of Alfred Oates, delver, St. Anne's, Southowram, who said deceased was her daughter and was 20 years of ago. She worked at Messrs. Comm's mill, Brookfoot, as a cotton reeler. Deceased left home at 10-30 the previous Friday morning, and went to her brother's house at Thorn Tree Cottage, Southowram. Witness also went to Thorn Tree Cottage and SAW her daughter there, and when she left at 4-15 her daughter was still there. She bad gone to help her brother's wife, who had a child Witness ban let her daughter stay at home for a few weeks on account of her being unwell. She had been low and weak, but witness did not think she was so bad as she was. She seemed to get worse the last few days. She had been attended by a doctor at the Infirmary for pains in her head some years ago, and he cured her, lett said it would come en btr again when she was 20 years of age. She complained of her head a good deal, and she (witness) thought she would soon be right. In answer to the coroner, witness said her daughter had been troubled about her work, saying it was hard and she could not manage it. John Richard Oates, stone merchant, Thorn Tree Cottage, Soutt,owrain, said deceamed was his sister, and he last saw her alive on the previous Fri lay evening at his house, at which time she left, but did not say where she was going; he thought she was going home. She said "Good night" when she left. He Lad been in her presence nearly an hour that night, and she (teemed very calm and quiet and did not talk much, but did not complain of being ill.  A Juror : Did you not think it necessary to take her home?  Witness: No, I did not think she was incapable or I would have gone with her.  In reply to Inspector Ramm, witness said his wife said she would go on the lane with her, but deceased said she could manage, and witness said " Cau yull, k'rances " and she replied yes." He did not notice anything strange in her manner, but he knew sbe was not well, He and his wife had been to Brighouse, and deceased had stayed in the !louse the whole time,  Henry Ferrer Fearnley, West-riding Police Sergeant stationed at Brighouse, was the next witness examined, and deposed to finding the body of deceased at 7-30 a.m. on the previous Sunday in the Calder and Flebble Canal, near Ganny Lock, in the township of Hipperholme-cum- Brighouse, The water had been drawn off, and a part of deceased's dress was floating in a s'ream of water in the centre of the canal. The body was face downwards and buried in mud. Her face was entirely covered with a little shawl which looked to be tied behind her neck.  Juror: Was there • any other part of ber body tied ?  Witness: No, that was the only part that seemed tied.  Witness then produced a piece of paper which was found in deceased's purse, and it was read by the coroner as follows •—" Farewell, dear father and mother, sisters and brothers, cousins and neices and all • I hope to tueet in heaven with those that's gone before." The Coroner : Well, it does not look as if it had been written very recently. _ _  In answer to a Juror, Inspector Ranarn said he had heard of people seeing a woman in the lane the sAtnr+ night, but they were not sure it was cieceasecl. Iu reply to a juror, as to whether he knew she was in the canal or not, Sergeant Fearnley said the young woman's father made a remark to him that she said "Before I will work at Catnra's will I will make a hole in the water, same as Nettleton did."  Coroner: I think if see had written this note with a view to this suicide she would have written it on better paper. Ann Oates was re•called and, in reply to the Coroner, said her husband said he believed Rile wrote the note last week, as he saw her writing. Deceased did not sleep at nights, she was nearly always praying, and eornetimes she would lie on the bed until early in tho morning, She used to read the Church Prayer Book every day, and witneas found it on the mentle-ehelf every moreing, The piece of paper was found in her purse in the drawer at home on Sunday morning last, along with ell. A Juror: Has she ever given you any idea that he would commit auleide. Witness No, A Juror then stated that deceasei came from Brighouse with his wife on the previous Wednesday and, during the conversation that ensued, deceased said she was troubled about her work and was also tired of living. he would not care for dying the following day, but she was not fit for heaven. Witness Nothing Lad been right for her, and she (witness) told her she should go away to her sister's, bet deoeased did not want to go. She always looked at the "dark ride," and did not want 'to go anywhere, At times during tho last month she Lad looked very erne. and I told her she would be al,ight, but ebe said she would never be right in this won l I. May Arlo Barber, widow, r f it, Anne', isouth• owrene, deposed to laying out the body : she found no rearke of violence teen,  Coroner I think you will have no difficulty in 000aittg to a e.:inclusioh iu ts case, Ti 4 only verdict that you can properly snd is that alle founci droNnc_sd, and that she prohabi..; comitted s.uieirle whilst of unsoull. slis was meak and ""Y'hlnif -2.,:wncl a trouble to her, really she waa bwr mind. She looked on the dark side oi life. The 'Airy ccwcurrod, and the following verdict was retnrncl ;—" Found drownel, without any mark; of violence; probably committed auicide whilst temporarily iaeauel"