Widnes Examiner. — 1882-04-08 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

THE POISONING CASE AT RUNCORN,  THE INQUEST.  On Monday at the Railway Hotel, Runcorn, Mr. T. J. Ridgway, the coroner, held an inquest on the girl Charlotte, who committed suicide on Thursday, the 30th ult. Mr. Francis Fairhurst was the foreman of the jury. The first witness called was  Thomas Parry, who said : I reside at Holloway, Runcorn, and am a dock porter. The body the jury have seen is that of Charlotte Bate, my stepdaughter. She was 16 years of age. Up to a few weeks ago she was a domestic servant, but since that time she had been at home. I last saw her alive at home on Wednesday night about eight or nine o'clock, at which hour she left the house without stating where she was going. At six o'clock on Thursday night, as I was returning from my work, I was met in the street by my wife, who seemed in great distress. She said, "0, Lord, Tom, what shall we do ?" I asked her whatever was the matter, and she replied, "The child's took some of that there stuff." When she told me that I knew in a minute what was the matter. The stuff she had taken was arsenic. I had kept it in a little multard can, suspended from a beam in the ceiling of my bedroom. There was only a small quantity. I had got it about six months ago to poison some rats, with which we were greatly troubled. The deceased krKlv what was in the can. She had seen me putting it for the rats, and I told her it was poison, and that she must never interfere with it. After I had killed the rats I was about to throw the arsenic into the fire, lout my wife said, "I would not throw it away ; it might do again.'" The Coroner: When you saw the deceased in the house on this night what did you say to her ?—I never said anything at all.—Didn't you say anything at all? Well, I asked her what was up, but she was unable ta tell roe. I said, "Child, whatever made you take that stuff?" and she said, "0, father, I will never do it no more." She gave no reason why she had taken the poison. I sent two or three of the persons who were in /the house to fetch a doctor, and I administered to her mustard and water and other things, to make her sick. She did not,vornit, but I believe she had done before I arrived home.  The Coroner: Do you know how the marks on her face were caused ? I cannot tell unless it was the pain. They were not on on the Wednesday.  The Coroner: Did she tell you what quantity she had taken P—No ; but I know what quantity I had. There would be about three-quarters of a teaspoon full. The Coroner: Do you know any reason why she should have taken this arsenic ?—No, I don't. She has had a good rtepfathety I have never given her any cause. She was a girl I was always very fond of, and I could do anything for her. She was a girl that, if anything was said to her, would "run out of herself." I never hit her but once in my life, two or three years since, and she made "fine work," but we were soon friends again. She was bad tempered. Tbe Coroner: Have you seen her mother hit her or do anything to her since then ?—Yes; I have seen her just cuff hnr with her hand.  What effect had that upon her 2—Of course she walked Out of the road of her. Was she keeping company with anybody ?—Yes, with a young man named John Kingsley, with whom she had been a playfellow for a long time. I didn't know she was keeping company until a week or two ago, and I said to her, "Charlotte, you must mind and take c-are of yourself, and don't stop out at nights." She smiled, and I didn't say anything more to her.  Did se seem vexed abut you speaking to her ?-oh, no; not a bit.  By the Foreman: She was away from home all Wednesday night, and I have since heard she was at Mrs. Bibby's. The'Foreman : Has she ever said in your presence that she was going to take some of this stuff some day ?—No, sir. If she had I should have got'shut of it, and quick. Mr. Croley (a juryman): When she went home on Thursday morning, did her mother thrash her ?--Yes. But I cannot tell anything about that; I was not there. Of course mother did not think she was going to take anything like that; and I know mother would not hurt her. _ _  Mary Parry, the mother of the deceased, was then called. The sad end Of her child seemed to affect her greatly, and occasionally whilst being examined by the coroner she broke out into loud lamentations, swaying to anti fro in her chair. She : The deceased was an illegitimate child. I remember her going from the house last Wednesday night. I told her not to be long away. She said she was going to my sister's to fetch a jacket. I waited up for her until 11-15, and next morning I heard she had been at Mrs. Bibby's house, which is across the street. I went for her at 10 o'clock, and found her standing in the house. I said, " Conte, now, why did you stop out so long when I told you not to be long away ?" and she said, " Well, mother, I will tell you." I had a little stick in my hand—a garden peg— and with it I struck her once across the shoulder. I told her to go home, and after hesitating 'a little she went. Ii ten minutes I followed her. When I arrived borne she was combing her hair. I said nothing to her, and she said nothing to me. She seemed as cheerful as ustid. - Whilst I was away making a little purchase she made her stepfather's dinner, which I took to the docks at 12 o'clock. I returned at one o'clock, and she had cooked the dinner for myself and her. She had the baby of on,- of the neighbours in her arms. We had tea at dinner, and I believe she drank a cupful. Immediately after drinking it she became sick, and vomited. I said, " You have been eating something you bad no business." The vomit was so green I thought she bad been eating oranges. I never had the least thought my child would have done this. Shortly after one o'clock a neighbour, named Mrs. Hughes, came in. The deceased kept walking upstairs and down, and vomiting: She wOuld not let Mrs. Hugtes, of whom she was very fond, leave her.