The Warwickshire Herald. — 1887-09-22 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

THE NECHELLS SUICIDE.  ONLY TWENTY-ONTTET TIRED OF LIFE 1  THE INQUEST.  On Monday afternoon Dr. Wynter (Coroner for Central Warwickshire) held an inquest at the Vine Inn, Lichfield-road, Aston, on the body of a single woman named Elizabeth Clew alias Watts (21), which was found in the Birmingham Canal early on Friday morning.—Thomas Watts, gardener, stepfather to the deceased, said she worked at Kynoch's. He last saw her alive about halfpast nine on Thursday evening, when she left the house after having a few words with her mother respecting some bedsteads. She did not again return. He was out looking for her the greater part of the night, and about 10 o'clock on the Friday morning he heard that her body had been found in the canal. She had never complained of being unwell, nor had she ever, to witness's knowledge, threatened to commit suicide. The The deceased, who had been walking out for some time with a man unknown to witness, had had two children.—ln reply to questions put by the Coroner and the Foreman (Mr Macey) the witness said he was aware there were some rumours afloat in the district with reference to himself and the deceased. It had been reported that he was the father of the girl's two children. The statement was, howevever, untrue.—The Coroner: Then if there has been any report about you having been immorally connected with the deceased it is not true !—Witness: No, sir,—Harriet Watts, mother of the deceased, admitted having had some words with her daughter on Thursday evening. They bad no quarrel, however. She had never heard the deceased threaten to commit suicide. Her daughter had given birth to two children, one of whom was six years old and the other three years. The eldest was still living. Witness did not know who was the father of them.—The Coroner: Have you any cause for suspecting that anything took place between your husband and the deceased? —Witness: I don't know, sir; I can't answer the question this time.—Did you know that she was enciente ?—Not exactly, sir ; I only had suspicions. Why did you say this time? Have you ever he 1 suspicions about him ?—No, sir.—The witness further stated that the deceased had never told her who the father of her children was, nor had she ever endeavoured to obtain an affiliation order. —Hannah Ward, servant girl, in service at Aston and an intimate companion of the deceased, said she last saw her alive on Sunday week at her house. A fortnight ago last Saturday she had a conversation with her, when she said she was really tired of her life, and she did not know what to do; whether to go away or to drown herself. She said a young man bad got her in trouble, and she did not wish to be a further worry to her mother. The deceased never told witness the name of the man. Witness knew that lie lived in town. She never heard deceased make any complaint with respect to the conduct of her parents towards her. As the deceased bad asked her to say nothing to her parents witnesi did not do so, though she really thought that she would commit suicide. The deceased also said to witness that she (lid not know whether to put a note in her pocket saying she had committed suicide before jumping into the water.--By a Juryman: She never told me who was the father of her two children.—The Foreman : I think you should have acquainted the father and mother with what she had said.— Witness: I am very sorry 1(11(1 not do so ; but she asked me not to, and she seemed in great distress. —William Humphries, lock-kolwr, in the employ of the Birmingham Canal Co., deposed to finding the body of the deceased in the canal early on Friday morning.—P.C. Hickinbottom helped the last witness to remove the body from the canal. There were no marks of violence upon it. In the pocket of the dress which deceased was wearing was a number of work tickets, one pawn ticket, a purse, etc.—The Coroner, in summing up, said that the stepfather denied upon oath the accuracy of the rumours regarding himself, and his evidence must be accepted. He recommended the jury to return a verdict of " Found Drowned," hich would give the police the opportunity of , making such enquiries as they thought necessary. Personally he had no doubt that sh threw herself into the lock.—An open verdict vas returned.— Mr. M. Mills (one of the jury) : I think the father and mother erred very much in not ascertaining the name of the man who got the girl into trouble. —Mrs. Watts : I beg pardon, air, but he WM never in our house.  Petroleum, 74d. per gallon, Id, per pint, at FIf.