WOMAN'S "UNDYING LOVE."

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11872, 25 January 1902, Page 2 (Supplement)

WOMAN'S "UNDYING LOVE."

~'~' x *'sX h ..l;,-;'' : SERVANT'S REMARKABLE LETTERS '" AND SUICIDE. /" : Dr. Wtnn Westcott held an inquest at Hackney a few days ago respecting the death of Ann Wilson, 26, a domestic servant, late of 22, Redwald Road, Clapton. The mother deposed that her daughter had been in a situation at Beckenham for three months, but returned home, and said that her mistress had given her notice to leave. She said she was in love with a young man : . named Sid, a bicycle maker. Could not she be in love and keep her situation? ,/

■Yes, but her mistress said she was so much in love she could not answer the door or do her work. Witness added that deceased kept writing letters, at home and drinking tea, but ate very little. Who did she write the letters to? A voung man named Jack, a friend of Sid t-' ; she did nob know where Sid lived. She kept on writing letters and tearing (hem up, saying, "That won't do.' She appeared strango in her manner, ahd threatened to drown herself, and on one occasion said she would cut her throat. Witness locked up the knives then, and took deceased abcut as much as possible in order to distract her attention from the love affair. Deceased left the house without saying anything to anybody, and later on her body was found in the Lea. Deceased said she had known "Sid" for three years and a-half, but never knew where he lived. The Coroner: That seems strange.. Witness added that her married daughter, Mrs. Jackson, wrote to a Mr. Mathew, asking "Sid" to write and say whether he was anything to deceased or not, and received the following'reply : —

I am, this morning, in receipt of your undated letter, but am at p. loss to know why I jim thus to be annoyed and troubled over the silly lovo affairs of a person stated to-be your sister, viz., Ann Wilson. She told me she had no relations as far as she knew. I have told her both verbally and in writing that I didn't know the address of the young man she calls Sid. It is therefore useless to bother mo any further in tho matter. I must request you to plainly tell her that, if she persists in annoying me or my friends personoily, or by letter or telegram, steps will be immediately taken to hand her over to the proper authorities, that the state of her mind may bo inquired into. Allow me to point out to you tho unreasonableness of your request to ask Sid to send for your sister; sho is nothing to him, and why should he be thus annoyed? If sho. was fool enough to fall in love with him she must fall out again.'

Mr. Walter Mathew, of Beckenham, stated that he wrote the above letter in consequence of his having received a large number of letters from deceased, all having reference to " Sid," who was a friend of witness' son. 'Witness produced a bundle of letters he had received from deceased, one of which the coroner read, as follows: —

My dear Sid (darling had been crossed out) to—ls this to bo the last letter to you? By this time you will say I am not worthy to be anything but what I have made myself over my love for you, by all appcarnnce a bad woman. Sid, it started by your smacking my face. I told you a lie when I saw you in •Beckerfharo. I have a mother and six sis- • ters, but I swear by heaven and all the waters ■under the heavens I have never lived a fort- . night in all my life with any of them. I was "born in a cab, and was so weak I was taken ' to a hospital and kept thore until I was five. I was then sent to 'a convent, and was there till 1 was eighteen. On leaving the convent my mother was sent for, and that was the (first time in my life I had soon her. I was always told she died at my birth. . . Do forgive me. I always will love you. Not anything on this .earth will stop me from doing that.' . I'love jou with a woman's undying love. My life is empty without you. The letter was not signed, but on the top tvero Iho words. " Bring a gun and kill me. . . To bo killed by your hands would bo Bweet." Witness added that that was only a sample of the letters, and he thought it time the nuisance ceased. V Sidney Fisher, of Upper Sydenham, stated that he had known deceased for two summers, and had spoken to her a dozen times, but there had . never been any pretence of love on his part. The Coroner: What made her take such a .violent fancy to you ? I don't know. I did not take any notice of the annoyance at first; but when it continued I went over to her place one day on business and gave her a good talking to. Next day she sent a letter to Mr. Mathew. The coroner read the letter, as follows : —

0, Mr. Mathew, I can't, I won't give over. Ho came, he stormed, he raved, and during the storming I answered him back. It really is because I don't seo enough of him. We could not ask him to tea, as we do not know ibis name. Ask him to call, any day he's passing'. I gave him his answer the day he called, hut not at first sight, as I always thought I should. I hope you don't mind me writing to you, a3 I have no one else to write to. I wish you could make him write, no matter how insulting. Ho need not give me ' his name if he doesn't think I'm worthy. lam cool and colleotcd, and know now what I'm doing. Ho has never said he loved me, but his coming alone proved he does. Tell him I would marry him to-morrow if he asked. He called me a lunatic; now I love to think of myself as such. Other evidence showed that deceased was seen to jump into the River Lea, and was drowned before help could reach her. The Coroner remarked that the young woman was evidently love-mad. A verdict of "Suicide during temporary insanity,'brought about by love-madness,'" was returned.