Sad Suicide Case – Denaby Woman’s End

September 1921

Mexborough and Swinton Times, September 17.

Denaby Woman’s End

Sad Suicide Case.

An extraordinarily tragic story was told at an inquest at Denaby yesterday.

Mr Frank Allan was enquiring into the death of Eliza Letitia Thompson, wife of Alfred Thompson, colliery storekeeper, 63 Balby Street, New Conisbrough, who was found dead, hanging behind the door of her living room.

Bessie Louisa Smith (15), niece of the deceased, said she acted as her aunts maid. She had lived with her for two years, and she had often heard deceased threaten her life.

At 6 a.m. yesterday deceased called her to come downstairs. Her aunt was sat in front of the fire reading a novel. She said to witness “I’ve called you down to say goodbye; these are my last words I shall ever say to you. Go back to bed and stay there until eight o’clock.”

The witness said she wanted to stay downstairs, but her aunt insisted on her going back to bed. She came downstairs again at 7:45 AM and found her aunt, hanging behind the living room door, dead. She got a knife and cut the body down, and immediately summoned a neighbour, and later a doctor and the police.

The husband, Alfred Thompson, said his wife was an invalid and had been in failing health for some time. He left home for work at 5:30 AM on Thursday, and his wife seem quite normal in her manner she was no worse in health than she had been for some time. He returned home when he heard what had happened.

The coroner, in returning a verdict of “suicide whilst of unsound mind,” complimented Bessie Smith on her courage in cutting down the deceased.

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