Weekly News. — 1889-08-10 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

SINGULAR CASE OF ALLEGED ATTEMPTED SUICIDE AT  BLANDFORD.  Considerable excitement prevailed in Blandford on Saturday afternoon by the circulation of a report that a girl named Brown bad attempted to drown herself in the water at the bottom of Common Lane. It appears that about three o'clock the girl walked down the lane, straight into the water, and sat dovin in a depth of about a foot and a half. After remaining in that position she got out and lay down on some steps, which were close at hand, where she fainted away. She was removed to her home, where she subsequently stated that it was her intention to have committed suicide in consequence of ill-treatment by her mother.  At the Borouch Police Court on Tuesday before the Mayor ihfr..T. W. Lnffl, Ellen Brown (19), of East Street Lane, was charged with having attnrapted to comrnitt suicide on the previons Saturday (3rd taut).— Frank Barnes, groom, of Albert Street, Blandford, stated that on Saturday afternoon at about twenty minutes to three ha went down the Common Lane in East Street, with a horse, to the river. He saw the accused come down the lane and walk straight into the water. She eat down in about a foot of water, and on witness asking her what she we's about, she said she had come down there nut of the way of her mother, who had been beating her and pulling the hair out of her head. —The Mayor: Did the water cover her head 9 Witness: Oh, no; her head was not near the water. He told her she had better get out of the water, as she would catch cold. She replied that she did not care, and would not leave. She then got out of the water and sat down on the' steps at the back of Milton Abbas School. Witness sent word to the prisoner's mother that her daughter was in the water, and Mrs. Brown came down in a short time. With the assistance of a man named Hunt, witness removed thn accused from the steps, and she was carried to her home. He believed she fainted when on the steps—The Mayor said it was the most peculiar thing he had ever heard of—The Clerk (Mr. Smith) thought that as far as the evidence had gone there was nothing to show an attempt to commit suicide—Superintendent Hazzard (to witness) : Did the prisoner say she had come down to drown herself ?—Witness: No.—Did you tell a constable so 9—No—Arthur Hunt, hawker, Blandford, said that on Saturday afternoon last, about three o'clock, be was in East Street Lane, when a boy told him somebody was in the water. Witness went down Common Lane and crossed the bridge to the island, and then saw the prisoner sitting on the steps leading to the warden of Milton Abbas School. He got on a horse with the last witness, crossed the water, which was about a foot and a half deep, and carried the accused through the garden into Common Lane. She did not speak or move, and appeared to be in a fainting condition She was fully dressed, and her head had not been in the water, as it was not wet.—Sarah Arnold, wife of Henry Arnold, of Blandford, stated that on Saturday afternoon she heard that a girl tried to drown herself in Common Lane. Witness ran down and saw the last witness carrying the accused into the lane. She really thought she was dead. Witness and a girl named Nelly Lane carried the prisoner home.—P.C. Hutchings said that on Saturday afternoon he received information that a girl had drowned herself in the water at the bottom of Common Lane. Witness went to the lane and saw the prisoner being carried home. She was to all appearance dead. He hurried her home, and sent for Dr. Bacot, who arrived in half-an-hour. In the meantime witness endeavoured to restore animation, but it was a coneiderable time after the doctor's arrival before the prisoner came round. Having cautioned her, witness charged her with attempting to commit suicide. Prisoner said her mother had beaten her cruelly, and pulled her round the room with the hair of her head. It was her mother who hadldriven her to do it. She fully meant to drown herself, and wished she had been allowed to re:nain "there."—William George Bacot, fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, practising at Blandford, stated that he was sent for on Saturday afternoon at three o'clock to see the prisoner who was reported to have attempted to drown herself. Witness went to her home in East St. Lane, and there found her in bed, evidently suffering from a severe nervous shock, very cold and with a weak pulse, and insensible. Her limbs were rubbed, and she was given brandy and water. She became sensible for a short time, and then went off into a state of stupor. She, however, rallied sufficiently to enable witness to leave, satisfied that she would do well.—The Mayor said the case had been taken into consideration, and though prisoner might have had considerable provocation from her mother, the act she had committed was a very wicked one. He was inclined to believe that she did not seriously intend to commit suicide, and the case would be dismissed. Addressing the general public, who had assembled in considerable numbers, the Mayor said he regretted to find that they had treated the case with a great deal of levity, and if there was a repetition of such conduct in future he should order the court to be cleared.