The Atherstone, Nuneaton, and Warwickshire Times. — 1889-04-13 (Atherstone, Warwickshire, England)

SAD SUICIDE OF A LEAMINGTON MINISTER'S WIFE.  Mrs. Williams, wife of the Rev. S. T. Williams, minister of Warwick Street Baptist Chapel, has committed suicide in a most distressing manner. The sad circumstances of the suicide were elicited by Dr. Wynter, district coroner, who held an inquest on the body of the deceased lady at the residence, 6, Dale Street, Leamington, on Monday. Mr. G. Warnsley was foreman of the jury. Only two witnesses were called, the husband and Dr. Collins. Mr. Williams, whowas suffering from deep emotion, broke down with grief when he described the finding of his wife's body. Samuel Turner Williams said: I am a Baptist minister residing at 6, Dale Street, Leamington. The deceased, Elizabeth Williams, was my wife. She was 48 years of age. The Coroner: For how long has your wife been suffering from depression? Witness: Saturday, the Nth of March, was the first intimation I had of her depression While we were having tea on that day, she said, "I feel as I did before." I made reply that she must endeavour to resist it.  The Coroner: When she said that to you, you understood she meant this depression? Witness: Yes. She had suffered from depression four years ago—in 1885. On Monday I asked her whether she would see Dr. Collins, and he came at four o'clock in the afternoon, and having seen her, said she was very depressed, but he thought she would come out of it. He prescribed medicine, and hoped that I should be able to take her off that day, as I proposed, for a change. On Wednesday morning she seemed to awake better, and said she had had a pretty good night. She went through her household duties in the morning about the same way as usual. At dinner there was still the same depression. After dinner I left her in the sitting-room, supposing she was to take her usual rest, and went up to the study. I had been there, I suppose, about five minutes, when I heard her draw the blind down, which she always did when resting on the sofa. Shortly after that I heard her cough, a choking sort of cough. Knowing she had no cough, I immediately came downstairs to see the cause. I found the door locked. I heard her breathing very hard, and implored her to open the door, but there was no answer. I called the maid to bring the steps, and went round to the window at the back, and broke it and opened it. I found my wife lying on her back bleeding from a wound in the throat. I saw the knife lying away from her hand on the floor. I asked the girl to run to Mrs. Flowers, a neighbour, who kindly came to our help, and then Dr. Thorne and Dr. Collins were summoned, and attended her until her death at eight o'clock on Sunday morning. When she was ill before did you think there was any danger of her committing this act? Witness: Well, I did think so at that time. She said she would do it.  The Coroner: This depression was of a religious nature? No, I can't -say that; it appeared to cloud her mind altogether. Can you tell the jury any cause for these depressions ?—She was subject to melancholia from a child.  At other times when she did not have these depressions, was she right ?—When free from depression she was as bright as could be. Dr. Charles Phillips Collins said: I was called in to see deceased on Monday, the let of April. I had known her for some time previously, but this was the first occasion on which I had treated her professionally. She was remarkably bright and cheerful, and an apparently healthy person. When I arrived on Monday she was sitting by the fire knitting. She was very taciturn, but answered my questions after pausing. She seemed perfectly clear in her mind. I prescribed for her, and recommended her to have a change, which was so salutary on a previous occasion. There was no apparent reason that she meditated self-destruction, apart from the fact that she had threatened to do so on previous occasions, but not during this attack. On Wednesday _I was sent for and arrived immediately. A few minutes afterwards Mr. Thorne arrived, having been sent for in the meantime. She was lying on the ground, her husband, a neighbour and the servant on each side of her. On the ground was the knife covered with blood. The weapon was a sharp worn-down table-knife. There was a deep gash across her throat, and she was covered with blood. We did what was necessary to arrest the bleeding. On examination we found that no large blood vessels were wounded, but the trachea or windpipe was cut completely through, just below the larynx. We consulted together, and in the evening we considered the only means of saving her life was to perform tracheotomy. It was done with immense relief. Shortly afterwards intense congestion of the lungs set in. Several times she was at the point of suffocation, which I was just enabled to prevent in time by removing the tube. On Saturday night I took out the tube and cleansed it, and she was progressing well, apparently. She smiled when I spoke to her. On Sunday morning I was sent for, and came as soon as possible and found her dead. In my opinion asphyxia was the immediate cause, arising from the tube being blocked up. The Coroner: From your examination of the wound you have no doubt it was selfinflicted ?—Witness: Not the slightest. She had made a number of cuts, one after another, after she had cut through the skin. The Coroner: The husband in his evidence said she has suffered from fits of melancholia, and from your examination you think that was possible ?—I believe it to be so. Mr. Purser remarked that, having known Mrs. Williams for some time,he should not have identified the body.  The Coroner said that it had been identified by the husband.  Mr. Purser: Who has attended her since she inflicted the wound—any nurse? Dr. Collins: Two nurses; one for day and one for night. _  Mr.„ I urser : You have said that previously there was a likelihood of her committing suicide. From whom did you hear that ? Only from the husband.  Mr. Roberts: A person suffering as she was from melancholia would not be responsible for her actions?  Dr. Collins: Certainly not. The Coroner, in reviewing the evidence, expressed a hope that it was quite sufficient to carry to the minds of the jury that the act was committed, in the first place, by the poor woman herself, and in the second place, at a time when she was suffering from melancholia. The jury returned a verdict that deceased committed suicide whilst temporarily insane, and expressed their deep sympathy with the husband in his heavy bereavement.