The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1879-01-25 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

SAD END OF A BIRKENHEAD SCHOOL MISTRESS.  ON Tuesday morning, about half-past nine o'clock, a shocking discovery was made on the Tranmere Beach, near the bottom of St. Paul's-road. A young woman (who was afterwards identified as Miss Jane Herr, of St. Mary's Church of England Schools in Priory-street), was picked up there dead, she having apparently committed suicide by drowning. The deo ased on Monday afternoon left the schools sooner than usual, making the excuse to one of the pupil teachers that she required to go home to make up the registers. She left the school and was not seen again alive. Her body was 'conveyed to the Standard Hotel, Rock Ferry, where Mr. Churton, coroner, held an inquest on Wednesday, at noon. The Bret witness called was Mary Moore, wife of George Moore, of Busse:street, Birkenhead, who stated that the deceased, who was 23 years of age, was appointed mistress of St. Mary's Schools in July last. Since then she had lodged and boarded at witness's house. The last time witness saw her alive was at five o'clock on Monday afternoon. She then came into the house, and witnese told her that tea WIVI ready. The deceased replied that she was in no hurry, and that she would wait for witness's brother to come in. She then went upstairs, and afterwards called out, 'Don't wait tea; I'm going on a message." She then left the house. Witness noticed that she was very low-spirited since she came home from her holielays on the first Saturday in the new year. She appeared not only lowspirited, but was much concerned about the examination of the 04%0°1 children. She complained of a dull feeling and pain in her head. She had complained of ill health before the Christmas holidays, but she was much better after coming back. She had not been under medical treatment. The deceased never threatened to do anything to herself, and witness thought she would be the last person who would do so. As she did not return home on Monday evening, inquiries were made about her during the night, and, as nothing could be heard of her, witness thought she must have gone to Dundee. On Tuesday morning, on going down to Bt. Mary's Schools, witness met a policeman, who told her that the body of the deceased had been found. The witness added that of late the deceased had been etudying her books very hard., sometimes stoppisg up till half-past three o'clock in the morning. She was afraid the children would not pass their examination as well as she should like. She had never been out all night before this occasion. . . _  Sarah Jane Bromley, mistress of St. Mary's infant schodl, deposed that she last saw the deceased alive at twenty minutes to one o'clock on Monday afternoon. She was then in the infant school, and witness asked if she was ready to go home. She said she was not ready, end witness went sway without her. Since the deceased came back from her Christmas holidays, witness noticed that at times she was strange and excited in her manner, and was very much depressed in spirits about the examination of the school children. Witness often spoke to her about her depressed state of mind, and, on one occasion, a fortnight ago, the deceased told her she thought of taking away her life. Witness said she mast not talk in that way. On Sunday night last they were both at church together, and on coming through Clifton Park the deceased said to witness, "If you knew all I have thought daring the last fortnight, you would never speak to me again." Witness asked her what it was, and the deceased replied that she thought of drowning herself. Witness said to her, "Don't you know it is very wicked to talk in that way ? " and the deceased replied "I know lam wicked." Witness did not think the deceased was serious, or that she meant to take away her life, and that was the reason she never mentioned the matter to anyone. Whilst they were together on Sunday night the deceased said she would stop up late to make up the school registers ; but witness told her there was no occasion for her to do that, as she (witness) would assist her on Monday night. She then seemed satisfied. The deceased said the children would not pass a good examination, and witness replied "You must not think so; they will pass a better examination than you think.' The deceased also said to her that although her health was much better since she came to Birkenhead her mind was not so good, for when a child brought her a simple stun she could not always work it. Police-officer 71 (fisprey) gave evidence as to the finding of the body of the deceased on the Tranmere shoe at a quarter past eight o'clock on Tuesday morning. The body was stiff and frozen, and it was the opinion of witness that the deceased had been drowned. There were no appearances of injury on the body. The wat,ch found on the deceased had stopped at ten minutes to nine o'clock. The Coroner' in addressing the jury, said there was no direct evidence that the deceased committed suicide, but, looking at all the circumstances of the case, he thought they could only come to one conclusion, and that was that she had taken away her life. It was clear that the unfortunate young lady laboured under great anxiety in consequence of some anticipated difficulty about the examination of her school children, and this had so depressed her mind that she threatened to commit suicide as late even as Sunday night. Therefore, he thought the jury would return a verdict that the deceased committed suicide whilst labouring under temporary insanity. The Foreman (Mr. Luke Lees) and one or two other jurors remarked that there was no evidence that the deceased committed suicide, or that she met her death by drowning. The Coroner said the deceased was found on the shore, where it was evident the body was left by the receding tide. There was no question she had been a person of a highly sensitive nature, and it was this no doubt that affected her mind.  The brother of the deceased stated that his sister was of a very sensitive nature, and she was alwaya afraid that the inspector would take away her parchment. ..  Mrs. Moore.—She would often take her parchment out of her box and look at it.  The jury, after consulting for a ahort time, returned a verdict of "Found drowned,"