The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1868-07-04 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

SUPPOSED SUICIDE OF TWO LOVERS.  An limueet has been held in the lioard-room of the Camberwell Workhouse on view of the bodies of John Robert Mode and Rachel Sweeney, who apparently committed suicide together in the Surrey Canal.  I.:videnee having been given as to the ending of the  bodies, Emily Sweeney identified the body of Rachel Sweeney as that of her sister, and said that she was seventeen years of age. She was a japatiner by trade, and lived with witness and her father and mother. Wi'nees saw her alive last on Monday night. Mode and a witness in Court were there. Rachel and witness left home together at half.past eight to take a walk, and by chance they met the youn man Mode in company with a man named Take. whom they had previously known. Rachel and Mode " spoke° for eighteen months, but durim that time they fell out for three months. They did not speak for three months till last Monday. 81re did not expect to meet Mode that night. All font walked together (witness with Take), and they wen' into two public-houses. Rachel and Mode did not g. reconciled. In the tint public-house they had ais of ale amongst them, and they had the same at the "Dnimniond Arms." On leaving the '• DI ummom Arms." Rachel and Mode appeared to be quite happy.. and they walked on together, and witness missed them.  --Coroner Had they been out all night together beim e to your knowledge? Witness Yea, sir; I believe they had been. I did not  know that ptlr !sister was ill. There was no quarrel an Monday night to lead me to suspect that there WAN any intention for them to commit suicide. I only thought he was doing as he had done before—keeping her out. I went straight home. There was no threat used that I heard. I never heard Mode threaten her; hut when she used to work beside Inc in the shop she used to say "I will make away W ith myself, about him." She mid the mine thing to Mode, and he said " Welk if you do, 1 will too." That was said both before the quarrel and since. I heard her make the threat to him, and heard him nay that he would kill himself if she destroyed herself. othing of the kind was said on the Monday night; but I believe they both made up their mmds to drown themselves together; for they were talking together for fully twenty minutes, and I could not hear what they said. Alm Sweeney, the mother of Rachel Sweeney, having given evidence showing that the deceased had been on terms of great intimacy, and that her daughter was in bad health, and in a low, desponding condition, The Coroner said that it was held that if a person agreed with another to commit suicide he was guilty of the other's murder. There was, however, some cults, in this case, from the absence of direct evidence, although there could be but little moral doubt that both parties drowned themselves by mutual agreement. 'the jury, after half an hour's deliberation, returned the following verdict:—" That the deceased persons were found drowned in the Surrey CanaL" The Coroner said that by that verdict no imputation of felony was made against either of the parties.