The Sun. — 1860-06-02 (London, England)

THE SUICIDE AT PLYO.IIUTH.  An inquest was held yesterday afternoon, at the Guildhall, Plyrn ,rth, before Mr. John Edmonds, the coroner for the borough, to inquire into the circumstances attending the death of Mary Anne Luke, who died on Wednesday evening from in juries she sustained by jumping out of a window on the previous afternoon. The case having been much talked about during the day, there was a very large crowd in and around the Guildhall. The hall itself was completely filled, as were also its approaches, and there were hundreds in the street who could not get in. The Coroner addressed the jury, and said they were called together for the purpose of inquiring into the circumstances attending the death of Mary Anne Luke. This investigation was of considerable importance, not only on account of the station of the deceased, but also as to how far the fatal occurrence was attributable to the conduct of the father. By the rule of the law, a parent might chastise his child properly, but that must not be done violently. It seemed, from what he had heard—but they would have the evidence by and by—that this young woman, the deceased, was violently beaten with a rope, and that she fled in consequence from her father, and jumped out of a window. By law, if one person, under a well-grounded apprehension of violence from another, had to resort to such means as that by which this young woman met her death, he who had caused it was held responsible. The jury then adjourned to the house to view the body. -When Thomas Luke, the father of the unfortunate girl, came into court, he was received with yells from the assembled crowd. Mary Abbott, the first witness called, was examined, and said—l am a widow and reside at Mr. Thomas Luke's house, 30, Union-street. Mr. Luke and all his family reside there. lam employed by him as housekeeper. The deceased was his daughter, and was single ; her age was 18, and she was a healthy girl, except during the last few months. Her employment was keeping her father's business and selling boots and shoes. Mr. Luke has a wife and five and other children, the deceased being the eldest. All the family lived in the house, with the exception of Mr. Luke and the eldest son, who took their meals at one of the other shops, Mr. Luke having four in different parts of the town. All the family slept at the house in Union-street. At two minutes to nine, on Tuesday night last, Miss Luke came home to the shop with her mother, having been at the establishment in Bedford-street all the afternoon, where she went with her father. They appeared to be good friends. She went up to her bedroom, which was two stories high, to take' off her bonnet and shawl. She came down again on her sister calling her, and went into the kitchen. Her father was there, and insisted on an explanation, which she said she could not give, and he then slapped her face with his hand. He might have given her two or three slaps, but I cannot say. She cried, but said she could not give any explanation. Her father then took a piece of line and struck her. (The " line" was handed to the coroner. It was apparently a piece of clothes-line, about the thickness of a small finger. As it was exhibited a roar of execration burst forth from the densely-crowded court, which the coroner appeased by requesting the crowd to desist from anylexhibition of feeling, whatever:their thoughts might be.) Her father went into the yard and cut it from a clothes-line. He held it in his right hand when he came in, and the deceased was standing up. No one had hold of her. I think the line was once doubled, and her father struck her with it on the arm. Ido not think more than two or three blows were struck. She held up her arm, receiving the stripes on it, and said, "Don't, father." He ordered her to bed, and she went. That was instantly after he struck her the last blow. She was crying then, but not much, and left the room quickly. No one followed her. The kitchen door was then shut. When Mr. Luke ordered his daughter to bed he threw the rope down on the floor. He did not threaten to beat her again, but sat down, and she ran up stairs, and I stood at the kitchen table. We heard deceased's window thrown open, and her sister Emily screaming that deceased was out of window. I ran into the court with Mr. Luke, and there we found her on the ground quite insensible. She was lying on her back, with her head thrown on one side. She was removed indoors, and I went for a surgeon, Mr. Whipple. Deceased died at 10 minutes after eight o'clock last night. Deceased spoke yesterday, and she was attended by Mr. Whipple and Mr. Square. Confirmatory evidence having been given, the jury returned the following verdict :—" That on the 27th of May, in the year of our Lord, 1864, the said Mary Ann l.uke, having been severely beaten by her father, Thomas Luke, .of Plymouth, at No. 30, Union-street, within the borough, became excited, and, while labouring under temporary derangement, jumped from the bedroom window of her father's premises and fell on the ground below, whereby her skull was fractured and brain lacerated. That she languished therefrom, at 30, Union-street aforesaid, until the 30th day of the said month of May, and then and there died of the said fracture of the skull and laceration of the brain, and the jury further say that, her said father's conduct towards the deceased was marked by undue severity." During the time the foreman was reading the decision of the jury, Luke made use of some incoherent expressions, and then sank forward on the desk weeping like a child.