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SARAH PLENTY
DISTRESSING OCCURRENCE AT BRIGHTON.
A more distressing event than that of which the melancholy tidings has reached us from Brighton has never perhaps fallen to our lot to chronicle. The mournful occurrence has evoked general sorrow, and awakened much sympathy with the households which have been so suddenly overwhelmed with grief. The sad intelligence reached the townon Saturday morning by telegram, that Mrs. E. P. Plenty, jun., who had been residing in Brighton for a few days for the benefit of her health, was missing, upon receipt of which her husband, accompanied by the brother of deceased, proceeded to Brighton, and were then apprised of what had taken place. The facts left little doubt as to the fate of Mrs. Plenty, but it was not till the body was recovered on Sunday afternoon that the worst was reliably known.
A gloom was cast over the town on Monday morning as the mournful news was passed from one to another, which was even deepened by the arrival of the corpse here yesterday afternoon, and the interment in the Cemetery. Most of the shops were partially closed, and signs of mourning were on every hand visible.
We extract the account of the inquest as reported in the Brighton papers:-
Edward Pellew Plenty, jun., engineer, residing at Newbury in Berkshire, said the deceased was his wife. She was 27 years of age, and came to Brighton last Tuesday for the benefit of her health, acting on the advice of Dr. Wells, of Reading, and Dr. Palmer, of Newbury, her medical attendants. She had been in a very morbid and melancholy state of mind, which the doctor said was due to weakness, brought on by nursing her second child too long. In a general way the deceased was a rational woman, but at times her manner was very strange. Witness came to Brighton with his wife, but left on the following day. He had been advised to allow some one to be always in attendance upon her, but had no idea it was necessary to watch her lest she should commit suicide. She had complained of pains in her head, and said there was a "fearful something" coming over her which no one could understand ; but she had never threatened to commit suicide. Witness had always been on the most affectionate terms with his wife. The mother of deceased was very strange and eccentric, but he was not aware that insanity was hereditary in the family.
Mrs. Lack, a friend of the deceased, had been with her during her stay in Brighton. Mrs. Edward Lack, of Newbury, said she had been acquainted with the deceased from her childhood, and at her request accompanied her to Brighton. Dr. Palmer, of Newbury, previous to their coming, instructed witness to take deceased for drives, &c., and keep her as cheerful as possible. Since their stay in Brighton (at 7, Grafton-street), deceased had been constantly taken out, and her health seemed improving. She did not complain of any pain, but simply that she could not collect her thoughts. On Saturday morning, about a quarter past five o'clock, the deceased woke up and looked at her watch, and in reply to witness said she felt better. Witness lighted a candle for her, and deceased left the room, witness telling her not to be long. After she had been absent about a quarter of an hour, witness became alarmed, and went to look for her. The candle was standing in the passage, and the front door was open. Witness went into the street, but could neither see nor hear anyone. She then aroused the inmates of the house, and Miss Marsh, the landlady, went to the Police Station, while witness and the servant ran down the street. At the corner of the street they saw a workman, and she asked if he had seen a lady. His reply was he had seen a lady in her night dress, with a black shawl over her head, running very fast towards the sea. Witness said, " Why did you not stop her?" but did not wait for his answer. Witness and the servant went round by the Aquarium, and up the steps, but could see nothing of deceased. Before coming to Brighton, deceased had complained to witness of pains in the head; she also said she did not think she would get better, but she had no reason to think the deceased would be likely to commit suicide. Witness understood that the house door was properly locked and bolted over night, but she heard nothing of deceased opening it. On the previous day the deceased had been an hour and a-half writing a letter to her husband, and complained that she could not collect her thoughts, and refused to send it. In the evening she spent three hours in re-writing a letter, which witness read and thought very sensible. The letters in question were produced and read. They were of a sensible character, and highly affectionate terms were used respecting her husband and the last witness, and the kindness Mrs. Lack had shown to her. She complained, however, that she could not collect her thoughts.
James Felwick, of 42, Scotland-street, labourer, was at work at the corner of Grafton-street about half-past five on Saturday morning, and saw a lady in a night dress, with a dark shawl over her head, come down the street, cross the road and turn to the right, towards the Aquarium. He did not, at the time, see anything suspicious in the occurrence. In a few minutes the lady's friend came down and made inquiries of him, and witness went and looked over the cliff, but could see nothing of her.
John Thomas Gold, of 61, Hereford-street, found the body of the deceased on Sunday afternoon, about a quarter past four, at the bottom of Burlington street. The body was in the sea, and witness stripped and went in for it, ultimately bringing it to shore. There was nothing on the lady but a flannel. Soon after he gave the body in charge of the police. Superintendent Crowhurst said the shawl was found about half-past six on Saturday morning, floating in the sea, near the Aquarium.
The Coroner, in summing up, said that, in the present case there was no doubt but that the deceased was in a very morbid and melancholy state of mind, probably on account of nursing her child too long, and they had the fact in evidence that deceased had complained of pains in her head. There was no evidence of neglect on the part of anyone connected with her, and he thought the Jury would have no difficulty in finding a verdict that the deceased drowned herself in the sea, being at the time of unsound mind. The Jury unanimously concurred in this view, and a verdict to such an effect was entered. Some comments were made on the strange apathy of the witness Felwick in not following a lady after seeing her under such singular circumstances.
Newbury Weekly News 31st October 1872 |
