SUICIDE OF MRS. LEECH AT INGLEWOOD.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 7992, 10 October 1887, Page 3

SUICIDE OF MRS. LEECH AT INGLEWOOD.

INQUEST ON THE BODY. On Saturday last, at Inglewood, C. E. Rawson, Esq., Coroner, held an inquest on the body of Elizabeth Leech, who was found found in a pond of water at the baok of her house on Friday, at noon. A jury, consisting of John Swanson (foreman), Ales Schwieteas, Eri Bennett, George Floyd, Augustus Knoffiock, and Henry Wilson were then sworn in, and proceeded to view the body. The following is a copy of the depositions taken by the Coroner at the inquest : — ', Bosina Mary Leecb, daughter of the deceased, deposed : Mother had been ill in bed for abont two months. On Friday, when I was having my dinner, I heard a noise like a tinkle in my mother's bedroom. I went into the room ; I saw mother out of bed, standing by tbe win dow ; the bottom sash was partly lifted, and supported by a small bottle. .Mother said to me, " Will yon let me go out ?" Then she told me to shut the bedroom door. She then lifted up the window higher, and asked me to hold it. She said " My head is burning, and I want to go out to cool it." She then got out through the window. When she got out she told me to stay and hold the window up. I told her not to be long. She said she would only be tea minutes. I stayed holding the window up, and mother ran over the hill, and went out of sight. Then my eldest sister, Flora, came in, and enquired where mother was. I said she had gone oat to look round a little to cool herself. (Flora went out, and went to the top of the hill, and then called me. I went, and when I got to the top of the hill I saw mother in the pond below the hill, and she was floating in the water. I and my sister ran down to the pond. Mother was quite still, apparently dead. I ran back to the house for our brothers Arthur and Leonard. They ran down to the pond wirre I told them mother was. We did not want mother •to go out for fear she should catch cold. Father was not at home on Friday; he was at Stratford. We telegraphed for him, and he came home the same night. I was in the room when mother got ont of the window. It never struck me she was going tv the pond. She told me not to tell anyone she was going out. I thought she was going under the trees to cool he :self.

riora Leecb, another daughter of deceased, deposed that her mother had been ill for some time. She had been affected by nervous temperament, and suffered physically. She often complained of a xußh of blood to tho head, and of waves of heat Bucceeded by cold over her body. "We have looked after her day and night for sc Be tinre. It was not considered safe to leave her by herself. For a short time on Friday, about dinner time, mother was left to herself, she being quiet. I heard a click, and th ought mother wanted something. I sent Bosina in. My sister did not return, and in about ten minutes I went into the bedroom to see why my sister stayed. I found my sister holding the end window open, and mother not in the room. I asked where my mother was; and my sister eaid mother complained of her face burning, and that her head was on fire, and bad asked to go out for a little time to cool herself. I thought at first that mother might be in the shrubbery. Then I went to the top of the hill, and saw mother's body lying naked in the pond . She had left her nightdress on tbe way to the pond. I ran down to the pond. I intended to go into the pond to save her, bat saw it was no use, ' as the body was quite still. I bad my brothers down, and they got the body oat. I think mother must have been in the water ten miautes before I got to the pood. Mother had inflammation of the lungs, and was very short of breath, breathing with difficulty, so I think when she got into the water ont of breath sbe probably died directly. My brother sat up with her the previous night, and Blept in the same room. At about half-past five o'clock on Friday morning, my brother brought mother into the house with her clothes wet through. I put her to bed. She seemed very low and despahing from her sufferings and out o£ her mind. She said "After I struggled out of the pond, 1 fell into a pool of mud and water, and there lay with my nerves beating violently, and every time they commenced 1 thought sorely I must die. Yet, here I am, living to suffer yet." Brother Charlie asked her when she went out. " She said — " Soon after you were asleep." He said — "Then you have been out nearly four hours." I attended on her some time. She then appeared to have forgotten everything. She was suffering and wished to die. Mother had been in tho Hospital some time ago. I have no doubt my mother's mind waa off its balance when she drowned herself. Mother's mind had been temporarily off its balance on other occasions through her sufferings.

Cbarles Leech, son o£ deceased, deposed : On Thursday night I slept in mother's room to look after her. Sbe appeared worse than usual. I went ,to Bleep about 10. 1 was lying down in my clothes. I woke ut midnight, and went to do up the fire in the kitchen. Mother said it was not ueceflfcary. J luid dovvn again and went off to Bleep. I woke a little before 5 a.m. and missed mother. The door was ujar, I jooked though the house, and found the kitchen door partb open. I called to my brothers upstairs. " I then went into the yard ; ray two elder brothf-re followed me. 1 went to thu brow of the hill, and saw mother coming towards aoe from the direction, pf the poptf, ftty t\7o brothers

went and held her np. She appeared very weak, and could not have walked without their assistance. Her clothes were wet through, and I noticed a peculiar vacant stare about her eyes. I think she had lost her mental balance about this time. During the morning I went to Inglewood, and returned about noon. From what my sister told me I went to the pond and saw rt-other in the water — her face in the water and the back of her head only above water. My brother and I got her out. She was quite dead. Mother was about 48 years of age.

This concluded the evidence, and the jury, after a short deliberation, returned the following verdict: — " That the deceased, on the 7th day of October, 1887, near the Bristol-road, Inglewood, drowned herself, whilst in a state of temporary insanity, produced by long bodily snffering."

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( For continuation of news see 4th page,)