The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1893-05-13 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

ANOTHER CARBOLIC ACID SUICIDE.  BY THE JURY.  Oa Thursday afternoon Dr. Chnrton, district coroner, held an inquest at the Meadowa Hotol, Oonway-etreet, to inquire into the oircurnabuiees attending the death of Ann Hale, 61 yearn of age, wife of George Hale, flower miller, 132, Oatheartstreet. The husband was the first witness examined. He testified that at half-past five on Wednesday morning, he left home to go to hi. work. His wife was then in bed. He spoke a few words to her, and she was apparently as well an usual. In the evening at about twenty minutes past five, be returned from work, but could not get admission, both the front and back doors being fastened. Witness's son got • ladder and by mein@ of this be eutered through the hack bedroom window, which happened to be open. The son first sae his mother and then ran down stairs to open the door for witness, who found bis wife lying on the bed in great agony, and unable to speak. He went immediately for a doctor, in fact he got two &atom, but they could not save her, and she died shortly before eight o'clock. Deceased had had no trouble or anxiety at all, and to witness' knowledge she had never threatened to do anything to herself. She bad been suffering from nervous debility and bad been in a somewhat low state slim January, bur lately had appeared to be getting much better, She WU a sober and steady woman. The glass lumber proanted was found in the bedroom and a bottle about one-fourth full of carbolic acid was discovered in a drawer. A letter and envelope were found alongside the bed.  The Coroner then questioned the young man who had sold the carbolic acid to the deceased. It appeared the deceased called at the shop of Irving, Little and Co., oil and °clout merchants, 191, Cleveland-street, in the afternoon, at about three o'clock, and asked for two penny worth of carbolic acid. The assistant, R. H. Simmer, stated that deceased told him she wanted (be acid for the walls, and he presumed it was to kill vermin, is carbolic said was largely used for that purpose. He saw nothing unusual about dec.:Reed's appearance. She appeared quite sensible. He labelled the bottle "Carbolic Acid; Poison," and then filled It. D.ceased brought the bottle, and it held about 8 one. The Coroner: Quite enough to kill half a dozen people. Continuing, the Coroner said there was scarcely a link short of the fact that deceased had taken carbolic meld, which hat caused her death. In a ease:like this a post-mortem examination was not wanted. That the deceased had been depress.] and had taken her own life there could be no doubt.  The pity agreed upon the vbrdiot thst the deceased committed suicide while temporarily ineane, and they informed the Coroner that they wished to make a presentment to the proper authorities with regard to the sea, manner in which carbolic acid oould be obtained, and suggesting that a second person should be present at the purchase. The Coroner remarked that he addressed himself some time ago to the Secretary of Slate, hoping that something might be done to render it absolotely necessary that whoever went for carbolic acid should p in the preeenee of another person. He would write again to make tare that Mr. Arigeith, tee present Secretary of State, should know of the number of cases that had occurred in this neighbourhood, in the hope that something would be dmie to prevent a repetition of those constant mason the pert of women of poisoning themselves, sod that snob facilities should be offered to euabla them to obtain the poison. As it was at present there was no protection whatever, and any woman mife,t send a child of sir years of age to a chemists' shop for two pennyworth, or even a shilliagsworte of carbolic acid, and the chemist could not refuse It. TOS letter which was found in deceased's beiroom was handed to the eoroner,but was not placed before the jury. It was written by the deceased in a tremulous hand, and the words were badly spelled, and set down in such a manner that it was evident the deceased, when she wrote the letter was either In great agony or rambling in her mind. As far as can be made out the letter was intended to read as , follows :  My Dear Husband,—You have been good to me and lam sorry to leave you, but I cant work for you u I have worked. Don't fret, my dear, I have tried my best to get better, but I cant. I feel that lam too far gone. lam broken-hearted. I feel I am done for, dear. The two girls are out, and their poor mother is dead, and can't see you or them. I feel quite worn out. I have done no harm, but this trouble bas been over me for some time. Be good, God bless you and the boys, and you George. Let Maggie keep the house for you. God bless you, George. Goodbye N--, I feel I can't get better.  _ The letter breaks off hers. The envelope was oleo written on, but the only words that could be read were these: "It fine use I--."