The Central Glamorgan Gazette, and General, Commercial, and Agricultural Advertiser. — 1892-10-28 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

SUICIDE AT (,HARING CROSS HOTEL.  A RENARKAI3LE LETTER.  On Tuesday evening Mr. John Troutbeek, the soroner for Westminster, held an inquest at the Charing Cross Respite,' into the circumstances attending the death of Rose Gordon, or Clifford, aged 34, whose dead body was on Friday morning last found in a bedroom of the Charing Cross Hotel.— Mr. Robert Robinson, who was the first witness called, deposed: I am an engineer, and live in the Vauxhall Bridge Road. I have known the deceased woman for some years by the name of Mrs. Rose Gordon. I cannot say whether she was a married or single woman. This afternoon I have been shown the body in the mortuary, and an positive that it is that of Mrs. Gordon. I last saw her alive on September 27th, in Bernerc Street. 'there I told her that our intimacy must cease, and by arrangement I paid to my eolicitore a substantial sum of money to be used on her behalf. She was of a very excitable nature, and refused to accept the money. I received a number of letters from her, some being of a threatening nature. Others asked mo to resume my former relations with her. Last July the deceased went tc the seaside, and I had to find her a great deal of money.—Did you complain of that told her that I could not continue to do so, but I offered tc take and furnish for her a house, suggesting that she could keep it as a lodging-house.—What was her answer F—She refused it. She refused to accept the offer of money or anything else. She told me that the only thing that! could do was to get out of it, as eh* did not want me or my money. I after that asked my solicitors to write to her, which they did. She called upon them and accepted the money I had left for her. She frequently threatened to commitioinicide, but I took no not-ice of what shc said : The Coroner then read the following letter addressed to him by the dammed :—" Charing Cross Hotel, No. 74, 20-10-92. Dear Sir,—l am quite aware that this will seem a most extraordinary thing for me to do at a time like the present, but when I tell you I am quite alone in the world, without friends or relatives, you will understand why I make the following request to you, feeling sure you will, as a gentleman, do the utmost in your power to do as 1 request you now. In my trunk you will find my purse, in which you will find four £5 notes and £2 gold and 12s. silver. You will be kind enough from this sum to pay my bill here due from to-day, as I paid my bill this morning, and you will find the receipt in my trunk. You will please give to the three maids that have waited on me during my residence here the sum of Ll each, and to the two door porters the sum of ss. each, and I now thank all the attendants in the hotel for their kind and courteous attention to my wants during my residence hero. Will you also endeavour to find a home for my little canary, where he can be taken care of. It is tha only little pet I ever had, and it is hard to leave him, but I cannot hurt him, for I love iim too well. 'Will you also be kind enough to undertake to see that my body is buried, and not subjected to a post mortem, as I have a great horror of this, and there will be no need for it. Also that my body be buried in the clothes I have on at the time of my death. My other clothes and things can be sold, and after all expenses have been paid, anything remaining can be sent to the box at Bow sireet for the relief of some poor mortal who thinks life worth living. I have learnt to-day how utterly alone I am in the world, and it has filled me with a grief and despair I cannot endure and live. There were faults on both sidea, but I think a little forbearance from the stronger would have been more charitable, and oertainly more honourable and manly. To thrust me, alone as I am, and knowing the tendency !have to self-destruction, out in the world, without a friend anywhere, was the act of a coward, and by refusing to answer any of my appeals for explanation he conducts (sic) to my act, and perhaps wonders at the delay. Why do I linger ? What hope can there be in my heart when the curt message was sent me " Out of town" rade Monday last ? I should have crushed and rtuu-ri him, but even now in this bitter hour I will be more noble than he has proved, and let his conscience be his accuser. But shall his God or mine adjudge him less my murderer because man shall say temporary insanity? That condition has, indeed, passed over me, leaving me so weak and irresolute that I cannot decide on anything, and so conclude the best way out of my difficulties is to go hence and to be no more trouble to anyone. I have to-day taken back the greater portion of the money he would buy his frpeduni with, keeping wlmt ic required for my use. If disclosures make it appear 1. have been extravagant, let my judges remember the miserable position I was in and think whether they would have been better than I. Will he send a few yellow roeos to mingle with mine, and will he ever forget the yellow roses? No, I know he will not, and for years the sight of them will make him wish that he had less unworthy proved