The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1896-08-12 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

MORE CARBOLIC ACID POMONI NO.  On Monday morninglis. Churton held an inquest at the Grapes Hotel, Bridge-street, on the body of Harriet Corbett, aged 30, a mirried woman living apart from her husband, who committed suicide by swallowing • quantity of carbolic aoid at 58, George. street, on Saturday night. ' Robert Formston, watchman at the Woodside , Waage', said deceased was a native of Manchester,. but she had been living with him as hounekeepev for two years. There was only himself and his eon living in the house beside deceased. Shit was a married woman living apart from her husband. Her heath was good, but she had been rather strange for a couple of months. She eomplained about headache, and had been wader Dr. Da sell this year. She had been to see the doctor about her knee lest week. She was a sober woman, but took a glass of beer occasionally. He never heard her threaten to do anything to herself. He last saw her alive at 6 o'eloek on Saturday night. She was in her usual health and sober when he left her. Witness was not aware that he had any carbolic acid ia the bare. The bottle produced was labelled "Old Irish whiskey." Elizabeth Taylor, • neighbour living next door but one to the last witness, said on Saturday afternoon the deceased was very fretful and crying. She said she warn thinking about her huaband. She did not like to see other men coming home, and sot hers. Me was thee in the house of the last witness, sitting on the sofa. She seemed very unhappy and low spirited. The bottle produced witness saw the policeman pick up from a table in the took kitchen of Mr. Forneton's house. At 11.30 p.m. wittier; was going to bed,when the, deceased knocked at her door. She handed • cup to witness which had contained carbolio acid, and said, "Here. Lizzie, I have done it. I sin going." She then fell across the doorstep. Witness tole,ted her up, and took her to her (deceased's) own when she became unconscious. There was no one in the house at the time. The cup was a large breakfast ono, and would hold 'bell a pint. A policeman was caned in, Dr. Stanafield was also sent for. He applied the stomach _pump, but could do nothing for her, and she died in about ten minutes after she got into the twine.  The Coroner said the evidence clearly indicated that the woman had gone somewhere for this carbolic acid. But the bottle bore no label, and they were in ' entire ignorance as to where it was bought. There was sufficient an the bottle to poison forty or fifty people. That she swallowed the carbolic acid there could be no doub:, and the only question the jury had to oonsider was the state of her mind at the time she bought and swallowed the liquid. She was separated from her husband, but had evidently a fondness for him, and could no longer endure separation from him. The jury found that the woman committed suicide while in a state of temporary insanity. Mr. Glees informed the Coroner that the foreman of the jury in the last carbolic acid case went to Mr. Elliott Lees' house, but he had gone to London. The Coroner said he wished to see him himself, but he could not be found. This was the second ORM that had oocurred recently, owing to the facilities for obtaining carbolic acid, which was one of the most deadly poison*. Mr. Churton reiterated the remarks made on the last occasion with regard to his cone apoodeace with past Home Secretaries, and iail be strongly urged that this stuff should be protected as other poisons were.  Another inquest, on the body of a woman, who eothberat hm is supposed to have ended her life by taking carbolic acid, named Ann Atherton, aged 53, wife of William Atherton, 359, Cleveland•street, was held On Monday at the Grapes Hotel, before Dr. Chancel. William Atherton gave evidence to the effect woman,wf andhdpapd nevergn .hnoe never suspected he nhev health generally, Sundayh hada nhyeatr hnt rot tib thel to 16 tkuhoui withnkad kind I suffered from rheumatism. She warn • steady, be at waswihertneeLlitoife,inangtd: eleven o'clock he left her downstairs with • ' nephew, expecting her to ga to bed • bit later. There was nothing extraordinary about her not going 'll3 to bed, she was in the habit of Laying on the sofa in the parlour. At five o'clock the next morning he was iiwicened by his eon, and on going into the parlour found his wife on the sofa apparently asleep, tint on looking closer he saw that something was the matter with her. He procured some salt and water, but she was unable to take it. Witness'a OOP WOO out for • doctor hut oxild not engage one, and • policeman who was canal in, pronounced life to be extinct. A small bottle labelled "poison" with • red lata3l was found in the kitchen• it was from William Snow's, chemist, 443, Price-street. Deceased's lion William stated that when he saw his mother on Monday morning, she was breathing, 'at unconscious. He found the bottle produced on the boiler in she kitchen. Nothing, to his knowledge, had happened to make her commit suicide. Inspector Glare stated that the person who hid supplied the stuff had left the shop. It was wished to. proem* the evidence of the assistant, and the inquest was adjourned until Friday morning.  hese judges by the best Marmalade and she boil, migemiWo fe Hadfield's Settle draws Marmalade. Try it. SW