The North Cumberland Reformer. — 1891-10-08 (Carlisle, Cumbria, England)

THE LATEST LONDON MYSTERY. TUE DEPOSITIONS.  The London Evening Netca on Monday published the following :—ln spite of the very elaborate precautions taken by all who were officially concerned or privately interested in the enquiry as to the cause of Lydia Manton's death, we are enabled to give the public a summary of the depositions to which Mr. Troutbeck, the coroner for Westminster,ref used access on Saturday. From statements made to our representatives by persons who were present on the occasion, it would appear that the evidence placed before the jury was restricted to very narrow limits, and that the jurymen were called upon by the coroner to sign a blank sheet of paper instead of the usual record of proceedings with the verdict appended. The first witness called was a gentleman who apparently acted as a solicitor to the Milner family. He identified the deceased as Lydia Milner. He had known her from childhood, and latterly noticed a change in her manner, as if she were suffering in her inind.—Harriet Brown, the housemaid at Burlington Mansions, Cork Street, testified to having seen the deceased on the Thursday morning, when she noticed nothing unusual in her manner.—The manager of the mansions testified that at ten o'clock in the morning Miss Manton had ordered luncheon for two. That was the last time that he saw her alive. At four o'clock she rang for a waiter, and gave him two letters to post, one being addressed to Lord Charles Montagu, the other to her sister.— Lord Charles Montagu, who is thirty-one years of age, brother of the Duke of Manchester, and a stockbroker, was next called, and, after briefly explaining his relations to the unhappy woman, stated that he made an appointment to lunch with her at two o'clock on Thursday, but was unable to keep it. He arrived about three, upon which Miss Manton flew into a violent passion. They had some words, but he left her on friendly terms after kissing her. His lordship produced the letter referred to after some conversation with the coroner, but at that moment the adjournment for luncheon intervened, and the letter was left in Mr. Troutbeck's hands. On the resumption of the proceedings the Coroner read to the jury what purported to be the document aforesaid, but it was never submitted to them for inspection. The contents, as ascertained from this hasty perusal, were as follows: "Dear Charlie,—l feel very low and depressed at you leaving me in the sulks. I shall go down and stay with my sister for a few day." There was no date or address, and the rest had no bearing on the case. According to the statement made by Lord Charles Montagu, who did not appear after the adjournment, there was nothing to lead him to suppose that she contemplated suicide. The lady's maid in the service of Miss Manton then deposed that at half-past seven she went into the bedroom as usual to draw down the blind, and found her mistress lying on the bed with her face to the pillow. She was wearing a teagown. Thinking she was asleep she went out quietly, but returned a few minutes later with a lady who had called to ~e,) the deceased. Then noticing something strange in her attitude, she took her hand and found it quite cold. She at once sent a messenger for a doctor and a policeman. Dr. Percy Edgelow, of 7, Old Burlington Street, said that he was called upon at about a quarter to eight on Thureaay evening to see a lady in Burlington Mansions, who was supposed to be asleep and could not be awakened. Upon examination of the deceased he found that life was extinct. On endeavouring to ascertain by smell what she had taken he detected at first nothing but alcohol (it appeared that the servants had poured brandy into her mouth), but presently the pungent odour of carbolic acid was perceptible. Policeconstable 126 C gave evidence that he was called to Burlington Mansions on Thursday night, and found deceased lying on the bed in her dressingroom. She was dead. On the washing-stand close by was a tumbler containing about a tablespoonful of carbolic acid. There was also an empty bottle with the cork out • it had contained carbolic acid. He noticed a small cupboard with the door open, as if the bottle had just been taken from it. The next witness was named Martin. He deposed that he was a waiter at Burlington Mansions, and attended on the deceased, who occupied three rooms in the house. He saw her on the day of her death. She had ordered luncheon for two persons at two o'clock. About twenty minutes to three a gentleman (Lord Charles Montagu) called, and was shown up to Miss Manton. He remained only a few minutes, and then left the house. After his departure he (Martin) went into the sittingroom, and saw the deceased, who appeared very much agitated and upset. She told him he could clear away the luncheon, as it would not be wanted. He also spoke as to the posting of the letters, the discovery of the body, and the summoning of medical assistance. This WWI substantially the whole of the evidence, upon the strength of which the jury, under the direction of the coroner, rettuned a verdict of " Suicide whilst in a state of unsound