Newbury Weekly News
Dated 23rd April 1896
DROWNING AT NEWBURY.
A melancholy death by drowning occurred on Sunday afternoon. It appears that Mr. Wm. Noakes, bootmaker, of Oxford-street, was walking across Northcroft about half-past three, when some little boys who were playing round the stream with dogs, came running across to him exclaiming that they thought a woman was in the water. He at once hastened to the spot and found a rather elderly woman lying face downwards, her feet at the side of the bank, and her face in the middle of the stream, covered by about nine inches of water. With assistance the body was at once taken out of the water, but it was quite inanimate. The body was then removed to the Mortuary to await the Coroner’s inquest which was held on Monday evening, at the Borough Police Court, before Dr. Watson, J.P., and a jury of whom Mr. George Clements was foreman. The principal evidence was that of Abner Oliver, living in Northcroft-lane. He stated that the deceased was his wife. She appeared, on Sunday, better than usual, and went out for a walk in the morning. After eating a hearty dinner, she washed up, and about 2.45 went out again. About half-an-hour afterwards it was reported to him that his wife was dead, and hurrying across Northcroft he found the dead body lying on the bank of the stream, which is the boundary of the Goldwell Estate. The deceased had been subject to fits, and sometimes dropped insensible. The last time she had a bad fit of the kind was about two years ago, when she fell upon the fire and was much injured. He had no reason whatever to think that her drowning was intentional. Mr. Noakes gave evidence, and also Mr. R. Hickman, who had examined the body, and who spoke as to the face being very dark and congested, and having heard the statement of the husband, said that death was due to suffocation, the deceased no doubt falling into the water when under the influence of a fit. The Coroner remarked that from the evidence of the husband, together with that of the medical man, they could scarcely arrive at any other conclusion than that of accidental death. The jury accordingly returned a verdict of “Accidental Death caused by falling into the water.” The deceased was buried at Newtown Cemetery yesterday afternoon. |
