Denaby Woman Takes Her Life – Mind Was Disturbed

January 1947

South Yorkshire Times, January 1947

Mind Was Disturbed.
Denaby Woman Takes Her Life.

A Denaby woman, who was found on Friday sitting in a corner of the kitchen with her head covered with clothing to which led a gas pipe, was stated at the inquest at Fullerton Hospital, Denaby, on Monday, to have complained of head pains, out medical examination failed to provide any grounds for her complaints.

Dr. John McArthur, Denaby, said that the woman, Nellie Pearson (54) wife of George Edward Pearson, colliery surface worker, 78, Braithwell Street, was suffering from psycho-neurosis. The Doncaster District Deputy Coroner (Mr. C. R. Marshall) recorded a verdict that Mrs. Pearson died from coal-gas poisoning, self-administered while the balance of her mind was disturbed.

Ill-Health Since 1941.

the widower said his wife, to whom he had been married 32 years, had been in ill-health since about Christmas, 1941. she had complained of pains in the head and eyes most of the time. She had been attended from time to time by Dr. McArthur and had been examined at Fullerton Hospital and Sheffield Infirmary by specialists, who had told her that nothing serious could be found that was wrong with her. She had seemed depressed, but she had never threatened to harm herself.

On Tuesday she seemed to be suffering from a headache. A neighbour, Mrs. Granger, handed him a note which had been found on the kitchen table. It was in his wife’s handwriting in which she stated that her head and eyes were ‘awful.’

The Coroner: You would regard that as quite a sensible sort of note?

Pearson: Yes.

Drawn Curtains.

Further evidence was given by neighbours and an ambulance man of being called to the house following the discovery of Mrs. Pearson by Hannah Granger, married, 23, Bolton Street, Denaby, who spoke of going twice to Mrs. Pearson’s house and finding the kitchen curtains drawn and the back door locked. She borrowed a key and found that it fitted Mrs. Pearson’s back door. There was a strong smell of gas. She called for assistance and sent for a doctor and summoned an ambulance man, who, with help carried out artificial respiration for a considerable time.

Dr. John McArthur said that he and specialists had tried to persuade Mrs. Pearson that there was nothing organically wrong with her.

The Coroner said it was a most unfortunate case. People did get into that state sometimes.