DROWNED IN A BATH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18101, 27 May 1922, Page 11

DROWNED IN A BATH.

VICTIMS OF EPSOM TRAGEDY. DEMENTED MOTHER'S ACT. IMPULSE OF THE MOMENT. The adjourned inquest touching the deaths of the fiv« victims of the family tragedy at Gardner Road, Epsom, on Monday, May 15 —Mrs. Beatrice T. Thornton, and her four young children — James Lowry Thornton, aged seven, Mary McClinton Thornton, aged four, Evelyn Beatrico Thornton, aged two, and Eileen Frances Thornton, aged six months —was continued before the coroner, Mr. J. W. Poyuton, S.M., yesterday. ChiefDetcctivo Mcllveney conducted tho inquiry on behalf of tho police, and Mr. J. F. W. Dickson watched proceedings on behalf of the deceased woman's hus-! band, Mr. J. A. Thornton. 1 The facts disclosed at the opening of the inquest wero that when Mr. Thornton. who is a foreman in tho car cleaning branch of the Railway Department, returned to his homo from work about 10 p.m., ho found tho doors looked. Forcing tho front door, he discovered his wife and his youngest child, aged six months, dead in tho bath, Tho other three children wero found in a bod, wrapped in sheets —dead. They bad ap- j p.-a-ently been drownod. Everything in j tho house was in order. The Thornton i home had been a happy one, with no | differences or troubles, and no reason j could be> assigned for tho tragedy. I J. A. Thornton gave, further evidence; yesterday. He said that tho morning j after tho tragedy he found in a writing ! block a note in his wife's handwriting, saying she "had to go and was going to take tho children with her." Senior- j Detective Ctimmings was there when j witness found the note. Witness knew j of no reason whatever -or his | wife's act. She had j' together recovered after the birth ot ( her youngest ohild. She suffered Irom j asthma and after an s-ttack was some- j what depressed. Witness' relations with i his wife were always most happy. Un j t.hi» morning of the tragedy ho kissed her and the children when leaving for work, j The house was in her name and was j valued at . about £1200, there being a i mortgage on it of £500. Dr. J. Reid said thai when he went j to deceased's residence about 10.40 p.m. on May 15 he found Mrs. Thornton in th* bath, quits dead, with the infant : in her arms. There was no water in tho ; bath and he thought the woman's foot j had pressed against tho chain, easing the plug. There wero no external marks of violence. Witness held a post-mortem examination and found that the cause of death was drowning. Death had occurred about three hours before ho eaw the body. He was convinced it was a case of suicide bv drowning. Mrs. Florence Taylor said she knew deceased, their houses being separated by a right-of-way. On the day of the tragedy Mrs. Thornton called at witness' house for a few minutes between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. She seemed a little cxcited. She made no complaint. Witness heard nothing unusual after deceased left. Witness saw deceased again in her back vard about 4 p.m. She did not see any of the children hut had heard them about during the day. Witness said she knew the relationship between de. ;ased and her husband was a very happy one and deceased was devoted to "ber children. m , A brother of Mrs. Thornton gave evidence that deceased and h®r husband had always lived happily together, and. so far as" witness knew deceased had no reason for committing suicide. Senior-Detective Cummings said he had inquired. into the circumstances of the death of deceased. There were no suspicious' circumstances. Deceased had no cause, financial or domestic, for her act. The ' house was clean and well provided with food and the children were ail well nourished. Deceased and her husband were on exceptionally good terms. The coroner returned a verdict that deceased committed suicide during a sudden impulse of insanity. There was no cause for her'act. The children were drowned by their mother in a sudden fit of insanity.