Sad Fate of Actress and her Little Boy.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 6689, 16 August 1919, Page 3

Sad Fate of Actress and her Little Boy.

> POIGNANT DRAMA OF LONELY ' VILLA :■ Fragments of the .particularly sad life i story of a one-time actress and writer i of stories were related to the Chelsea Coroner during the inquest on the bodies of a woman and her child, who wove i found dead in a room filled with gas. , Bath victims lived in a ioncly Cliel-: sea house, a detached villa in Mulberry Walk. The woman had no communication with the neighbour j, but all knew Iter by seeing her walking out with her golden-haired boy of three. | A servant girl returning from shopI p;ng found the woman dead with hei I I head in the gas stovo, and the boy was J also lifeless by her side, j Mrs Andrews was the name under which she had passed, and the first witness at the inquest, Mr Claud An- t drews, of Westlaad Road, Watford, a retired solicitor, said the woman's name was Phyllis Cecil. She was a single woman and used to write stories. She had told him that her father's name was Pousford, and that he was a retired city merchant. She was formerly an actress. Ho met her six years ago. The coroner—Were you living with her .—Not since June last. Wc went flown to the west of England in August, 1017, until June last., A Romarkable Temperament. Witness described tho deceased as a woman with a very remarkable temperament. She was liable to be taken <>lV her balance by any sudden distress or excitement. She was a very bad sleeper, and used to take sleeping drugs, but only under medical advice. The Coroner—'Under what conditions did .you leave her ? Mr Andrews said he told her of his intention to separate from her in Feb- : ruary last year. With a view to easing the situation lie stayed with her < until June. She took the idea very i hardly in February, but by .Tune she i had quite settled down, with occasional ebullitions of-excitement. i The Coroner—Did she suggest suit cide ?—Oh, yes. Two or three times I bet ween February and June. I \

| An Offer Kefusetl. 1 There were proceedings in the lawcourts on 2,5 th March. He had allowed her £2 a week for the maintenance of the child, and a sum of £7O had accumulated in the bank on deposit, because she had refused to accept it. He could not get. her to accept the precision. It was complicated by the quest ion of the house. , Tin' Coroner—Was she in any want do you think. I have no reason to suppose so. The boy's name was Brian Kilmaine Cecil Claude. He had registered himself as the father in the interests of the ehilil. Hi added. " I should like to say that in Inking the proceedings I was actuated mainly by her best interests. " Father Thought She Was Happy, (ienrge li. Ponsl'urd, a retired merchant. of Blackheath. said that the dead woman's name was Gertrude Lee l'onsIV,rd She was a single woman, and was r rmerly an actress, but afterwards did journalistic work. lie had no idea of the circumstances under which she had been living, and afterwards understood thai she had had a remarkably happy life. A police constable (loposod to forcing an entrance into the 'lumse and to finding the woman and child in the kitchen. The woman had her head in the oven. Seven gas taps wore turned on, and the °as was escaping. The room was full of it, and the windows and fireplace had been covered up. On a piece of paper on the table was written "We have ho where to go. They have come to take possession." A handbag which was found contained about i'S in notes and coin and IS pv"!i-ticl<ets. By the child's head there was a bag of biscuits. The jury decided that the mother was guilty of murder of the child, and committed suicide whilst teporarily insane.