“MURDERED BY NOISE”

Greymouth Evening Star, 26 October 1929, Page 12

“MURDERED BY NOISE”

WOMAN’S LAST LETTER.

“I have been murdered soul and brain by the noise, noise, noise day and night.” This was a passage in a remarkable letter left by Mrs Hilda Weston, who, with her 18-year-old daughter, Joyce, was found shot dead in their home at Southend-on-Sea, England, a few weeks ago. It was read at the inquest, when the jury found that the girl was murdered by her mother, who afterward committed suicide while temporarily insane. A police inspector said that on the table in Mrs Weston’s house he found a letter which contained the following passages:—

“I have failed, failed because I have been murdered soul and brain by the noise, noise, noise day and night; roar, roar, roar all day and half the night, and the fearful din continued by those gorilla-faced males next door. Slamming doors as they come in one at a time, starting at 7.40, and continuing until it is nearly morning.

“Three slammings in a space of five minutes I counted last night. I have tried —oh, so hard. “I loved nothing so much as sitting in the car in a quiet lane in the lovely country at my dear home, so unlike these sordid surroundings. “My weary, sleepy brain has refused to act.”

The letter went on to say that she hoped the man who had recommended her to come to Southend would live a life such as she had had to endure with the noise, and continued:— x “Please, someone, bury my poor little cat. Don’t just throw it out. “Let my darling girl have the flowers I placed on her. She loved flowers so, and her life has been set in a garden of beauty until now. “Don’t seek relatives. I have none in the world.

“I would not leave my beloved daughter and truest pal to fight alone. I am done. I am half crazy for want of peace and rest. I wonder if our spirits will haunt this place.” The inspector added that he found a number of partly written plays in the house.

He found a wedding ring but no marriage certificate. It looked to him as though every document having any bearing, on their relations had been destroyed. Detective Wiffen said the police had been unable to trace any relatives, and he did not think there were any alive.

According to records which had been found, the Christian names of the elder woman appeared to be Harriet Georgine. She was born at Lambeth on March 10, 1880. Her parents were Alfred and. Harriet Pearson, her father being a caterer. Her mother died on October 20, 1921, at Brixton Hill, and her father on March 31, 1924.

In her younger days she was a variety artist, her stage name being Hilda Pagett. He was unable to trace any marriage. The daughter, who was known as Joyce, was born at Brixton about 18 years ago.

Mrs Weston appeared to have been employed by Liverpool newspapers between December 1912, and September, 1915, in the name of Miss Hilda Pagett, reporting social functions, etc. It was not clear when the women became known as Mrs and Miss Weston but in 1920, they were living at Haswell, Cheshire, in that name. Mrs Weston lived at Pensbury, Cheshire, for a time, where she ran a small kindergarten school and was officer for the parish. She sold the house in which she had been living and removed to “The Chalet,” Brandon .Suffolk, where she remained until December, 1928. At all these places she was described as living a very secluded and secret life, and she told no one of any relatives.

The Coroner: Have you investigated the statement of a man who has been interviewed by a paper? Detective Wiffen: Yes, but that does not help us at all. The man has arrived here, and I have spoken to him. From the few words I have had with him I am satisfied that he is not the husband of Mrs Weston.

Mi’ George Weston, an inquiry agent, of Cornall Road, Bayswater, went into the box and said he at first thought Mrs Weston was his wife, from whom he had separated eight years ago, but after seeing the photographs he had to confess he did not know her.

The coroner said one was driven to the conclusion that the elder woman was not married. The letter which he had read seemed to indicate clearly her state of mind.