The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1880-09-25 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

PAINFUL SUICIDE IN SALISBURY STREET.  THE VERDICT. ON Monday afternoon, Mr. Chnrton attended at the Park Hotel, Charing-cross, for the purpose of holding an inquest on the remains of Elizabeth Thornton, 31 years of age, wife of John Thornton, bookkeeper, 6, Sa,isburystreet, Grange-lane, who died as reported through misadventure on the previous Saturday. Matilda Kennedy, sister-in-law of the deceased deposed :—I am a married woman, my husband's name being William John Kennedy. I live at the bonus of the deceased, 6. Salisbury street. I knew the deceased ; she was the wife of John Thornton, bookkeeper. I have lodged with the deceased two years. She told me on Saturday morning she was very ill. She came to me into the parlour and looked very ill, indeed. Sue said to me "I am very id." She said she had taken salts to see if it would do her any good. I asked her why did she do so when she was suffering from diarrhcea? Then she said "Ton do not understand what I mean." I asked her what she meant, when she said it was spirits of salts, a kind of poison, which she had taken and which she said she hoped would ease her pain. I did not say anything more but ran to get something to make her sick. I got her some mustard and water and milk, but I,lie would only take the milk. She vomited directly after very much. I sent for the doctor and her sister. Dr. Bell Miller soon after arrived and attended to her. She continued to live until Sunday at two o'clock, when she ex..ired. The deceased was the mother of three children. She got very bad health and seemed often to be in very low spirits. She had not a good appetite. Sometimes she was mt so temperate in her habits. She had been for mOnthe without taking anything. For a week before her death she mitered a great deal from diarrheas. I did everything I could to save her.  Dr. BeU Miller deposed that he had been called to see the deceased about ten o'olock en Saturday morning. He found her lying on the sofa. She complained ol great pain in the abdomen, also in the stomach, throat and mouth. On looking:at her tongue he found it very raw and her throat was in the same state. The tongue was burnt deeply and was quite brown. She admitted that she had taken some poisonous substance,but by misadventure. The bottle (produced) was brought to him. He went to the chemiit and ascertained that he had supplied a strong muriatic acid. He had no doubt but that she died from the effects of hydro-chloric acid. The label on the bottle contained the word " poison" in large letters, and contained further the words " Woodcock, chemist. Orange-lane." The Coroner said muriatic or hydro-chloric acid was used for a great variety of purposes, and no one would imagine that when any one purchased it they were going to swallow it. Dr. Miller said that was quite true.  The husband of the deceased, in reply to the coroner, said that the deceased bad never made the slightest allusion to any intention on her part to deprive herself of life. She had once before taken laudanum as a soother, and had prior to that taken a solution of spirits of salts. She frequently complained of a pain in her side, but he never had the slightest suspicion that she meant to do anything , wrong. The Coroner, in summing up, said the question the jury had to decide was whether the deceased had swallowed spirits of salts with the deliberate intention of taking away her own life, or whether she administered to herself poison under a mistake. No possible responsibility could attach to Mr. Woodoook in supplying the acid, as it was Iliad kr a great variety of purposes and no suspicion cou'd have possibly arisen in the chemist's mind as to the use for which the drug might have been intended. It was served in a properly labelled bottle, and on the bottle in large letters was the word 'poison." The jury would have I to say whether the deceased swallowed the spirits of salts accidentally or for the purpose of ranging death. It was difficult to bring one's mind to the conclusion that the drug had been taken accidentally, insomuch as the word poison was marked in large letters on the bottle. If they should be of opinion that the Delta were taken for another purpose, viz., for the destruction of her own life it would be then for the jury to consider the state of the mind of the deceased at that particular time. In looking at the history of the case there oobld be no doubt but that the poor woman had been suffering from depression of mind, which was succeeded by a week's diarrhces, and these were circumstances which might have induced her to do what she might not otherwise have done.  The jury returned a verdict" That the deoeased had committed suicide," but held that there was no evident* as to the state of her mind at the time of the 0002131i118i0/1 of the act.  A Das.wfivo-noom Fluor's:T.—. My dear, what beautiful furniture you have," said a visitor to a :wally-married lady, on whom she was calling. 'Yes," replied the young wife, "Isn't it? And it wee so cheap. Charlie and I chose it together at Mr. Gamlin's, 180, Grange-lane, after we had been to ever so many shops, and had got quite disheartened through not being able to purchase what we liked 'within our means. Charlie says the reason why Mr. Gaudin is able to sell furniture at really moderate prices is that he makes it in his own works, with the great assistance of steam machinery, of the latest Improvements, and produces it in large qtutntities, to supply shopkeepers all over the country, as well as Birkenhead people. (Advt.)