Berkshire Chronicle

Dated 3^rd April 1858

ANOTHER SHOCKING SUICIDE AT NEWBURY

It is our melancholy duty this week again to record the perpetration of a shocking suicide in this town, making no less than five cases of a similar description which have been committed in this town and neighbourhood within a very short space of time, which has caused much consternation and seriousness to prevail. On Monday morning last, Hannah Winter, aged 54 years, of Bartholomew-street, was found in her bedroom with her throat dreadfully cut by a razor, and quite dead. On Tuesday morning an inquest was held on the body, at the Mansion House, before J. Bunny Esq., coroner, when the following evidence was adduced:-

Sarah Ann Lynch, a married woman, said the deceased was her mother. On Monday morning, about nine o’clock, she went to her father’s house to go with her mother to pay some money to a clothing club, which they were in the habit of doing weekly. Upon enquiry her father said her mother could not be far off as her bonnet and shawl were on the table. She then went upstairs into her bedroom. The door was wide open, and immediately she entered she discovered a quantity of blood on the floor, and on looking farther she found her mother with her throat cut. She called out to her father, who instantly came up, and then she ran for Mr. Thomas Davies, a neighbour, who came immediately. There was not any appearance of there having been a struggle in the room. She was in the habit of seeing her mother frequently. She saw her on the Sunday previous. She asked her if she would go to chapel with her. Her reply was “Go along.” The deceased was a member of the Wesleyan Chapel. She saw her again at nine the same evening at her (witness’s) house. The deceased said “she had been for a bit of a walk.” The deceased then gave two or three heavy sighs, and said to her husband, who was with her, “Come on.” Witness saw the deceased on Saturday evening, a little after nine o’clock, and found her reading a hymn book. She then exclaimed “I am out of my mind.” Witness remained with her until nearly ten o’clock. Deceased walked about the house. She never threatened or made any allusion as to destroy herself. When mother said “I am out of my mind,” Father replied, “What have you got to be out of your mind about?” The deceased made no reply to that. Witness went into the room first. Her father came up after she had created the alarm. Her father remained in the room while she went for assistance.

Thomas Davies, a shoemaker, said he resided next door to the deceased. On Monday morning, between nine and ten o’clock, he was called by the last witness. When he went into the bedroom, he saw the deceased lying on the floor on her right side. There was a night pan containing some blood near the deceased. He first went into the room with Policeman Buckeridge, and afterwards with Policeman Kimber. He did not at first, see any razor. He went up into the room again almost immediately. He then found that the pan containing the blood had been put aside, and a razor lying on the floor with blood at the foot of the bed. The razor was closed. He gave the razor to Kimber. He had known the deceased for years. She had been a serious person. He had not observed anything peculiar in her manner.

Ellen Rosier, wife of Thomas Rosier, a policeman, of Hazell’s Yard, Bartholomew-street, said she had known the deceased for many years. Yesterday morning, about a quarter past nine o’clock, the deceased came to my house alone to pay 3d. towards a weekly club. She gave her a florin, and told her to take 3d out of it, which she did, and gave her the change. Deceased put it in her pocket without any remark, and wished her good morning. She had to send her daughter for change, and while the deceased was waiting for it, she enquired whether witness had heard Mr. Knight preach at the school-room. Witness replied “No.” Deceased said that the subject was the love of Christ and how much people ought to love the Saviour. At this time, she did not observe anything peculiar in her manner; but on the 22^nd March when she came to her house, she thought she appeared to be much depressed in spirits.

Mr. William Falbrook, a neighbour, and Thomas Kimber, a policeman, were examined, but their evidence was only corroboration of the former. Mr. Roake, pawnbroker and Charles Benning, his assistant, were examined and deposed, that the deceased came to their shop yesterday morning, about half-past eight o’clock, and pledged cotton gown for 2s. She was in shop about a quarter of an hour, and they noticed nothing strange in her conduct. Mr. Thomas Carter, surgeon, said, he had examined the body of the deceased, and had found a wound in the throat about three inches in width and between two and three inched in depth. There was no other mark of violence on the body. He should imagine from the position of the body that the death was passive – that there had not been any struggling. He believed that the wounds were inflicted by the deceased. He had heard the evidence, and he saw no reason from the acts immediately preceding death to conclude that she was insane; but from the evidence of the daughter he was of opinion that the deceased was insane at the time to which she refers, namely, Saturday, March 27^th The coroner having summed up, pointing out the evidence which bore upon the short time the deceased was seen alive and her death, the jury returned a verdict “That the deceased destroyed herself while in an unsound state of mind,” The coroner remarked that he did not concur in the verdict of the jury. The enquiry lasted five hours.

Reading Mercury

Dated 3^rd April 1858

SUICIDE BY A WOMAN

Scarcely had the late suicide by a resident been reported than another was committed in the same street on Monday last, by Hannah Winter, aged 54, wife of James Winter, a band box maker.

On Tuesday, a jury was empanelled at the Public Office, before Joseph Bunny, Esq., the Borough Coroner, to enquire into the circumstances.

The jury, after viewing the body, were addressed by the Coroner, who said they must dismiss from their minds anything they might have heard before entering that room, as to how and by what means the deceased had come by her death, as their decision must be guided by the evidence alone that would be laid before them.

Sarah Ann Lynch, wife of William Lynch, was examined, and said that she was the daughter of the deceased, and that she saw her mother shortly after nine o’clock on Sunday night; both her father and mother called at her house, and said that they had been for a walk. On Monday morning she went to her father’s house, which she was in the habit of doing weekly, to make arrangements with her mother to pay the club money. On entering the house, she could not find her mother, but her bonnet and shawl were lying on the table. She then called to her father, who said she could not be far off. She then went upstairs, and found her mother lying on the floor in the room, and a quantity of blood on the floor. She at first thought her mother had broken a blood vessel, but on looking further, she found that she had cut her throat. In her fright she did not notice with what instrument she had done it. She immediately called out to her father, and he came up stairs. She then went down and called in Mr. Davies, a next-door neighbour. She did not observe that there had been any struggle. She had been in the habit of seeing her mother several times a-week. She saw her on Saturday night, after nine o’clock, when she exclaimed 2I am out of my mind;” she was then reading a hymn book; she was with her till nearly ten o’clock. During that time her conduct and conversation were very incoherent, but after a little time she became more composed, and before they parted, she appeared better. She saw her on Thursday; she was washing, and was then very rambling. Her father said to the deceased, “what have you to go out of your mind about?” to which she made no answer.

Thomas Davis, a shoemaker, who was one of the Jury, and lived next door to the deceased, stated that about quarter to ten o’clock on Monday morning, Mrs. Lynch came to him and said “my mother has cut her throat!” He immediately ran into the house, went upstairs, and saw the deceased lying on her right side. There was blood about the room. He also saw a razor on the floor; it was closed, but marks of blood were on it. He had known the deceased for years; she appeared very serious and steady in her habits.

Ellen Rosier, wife of Police-constable Rosier, said that she had known the deceased for years; she came to her house about a quarter past nine o’clock, Monday morning, for the purpose of paying 3d. to her for the clothes club; she brought a florin. While a little girl was gone out to get it changed, they conversed together, and deceased said “have you heard Mr. Knight’s preaching at the school-room?” meaning the room adjoining the Goal, which is used by different religious sects. She said “it was upon the love of Christ and how people ought to love the Saviour.” She did not at that time observe anything peculiar in her manner, but on the 22^nd March the deceased came to her house and said she was very much depressed about her son, who was a soldier, not hearing from him, and complained of pain in her head. She condoled with her on the subject, but she appeared low spirited.

Several other witnesses were examined, and by one of them it was proved that the deceased had that morning pledged a gown for 2s. which was no doubt the florin she tendered to Mrs. Rosier for the payment of her club money.

The Coroner having summed up the evidence, the Jury after a short consultation, returned a verdict “that the deceased destroyed herself while in an unsound state of mind”