Kent & Sussex Courier, Friday 18 September 1908.

Sevenoaks woman's suicide. The inquest.

Mr. T. Buss (West Kent Coroner) held an inquest at the "Greyhound Inn," St. John's, Sevenoaks, on Friday evening, on the body of Mrs. Emily Sarah Peacock, aged 48, who committed suicide by cutting her throat with a butcher's knife on Thursday, 10th instant.

Mr. William Martin was chosen foreman of the jury.

William Peacock, a general labourer, living at 2, Providence Villas, Bradbourne Road, Sevenoaks, said the deceased was his wife, and was 48 years of age. She have been ailing with her throat for the past 7 or 8 weeks, and had had medical attendance. Her general health was good, but of light she had seemed rather depressed. She had no domestic troubles, and they lived very comfortably. On Monday previous to her death she appeared to be strange in her manner, but eventually brightened up again, and on Wednesday the day before her death, she went about her duties in a happy mood. They retired to bed at night about 10:30, and at 3 o'clock next morning witness awoke and found his wife standing looking out of the window. He told her to get back into bed, which she did, and he then fell asleep again. At 3:30 Beal, the young man lodger, called him and said, "Peacock, do you know your wife is in the backyard." Witness immediately went downstairs and found his wife who was only dressed in her night attire, lying on her side in a pool of blood. She was not quite dead, and looked up at him and groaned. A butcher's knife (produced and covered with blood) was lying by her side. He then sent for the police and a doctor.

By the Coroner:- She had complained of her throat a good deal, being under the impression that a cancer was forming.

Replying to the Foreman:- Witness said on the previous night she was quite in her normal state, they had been discussing about having a holiday that weekend. At times, however, she seemed very strange, her eyes seeming to bolt out of her head.

By a Juryman.:- She had been to a London Hospital. Her work was not hard. She did a little laundry work, and generally finished that in three days, having a young girl to help her.

Another Juror:- How long have you been married?

Witness:- 22 years.

Leonard Beal, a painter, said he had lodged with the deceased for the last 15 months. About 3:30 on the morning in question, he was awakened by the noise of some water splashing in the water-butt beneath his window. At first, he paid little attention to it, but it kept on, and witness then got out of bed, and looked out of the window. It was quite dark, but he could see the deceased lying on the ground in a white night-dress. He immediately aroused her husband who went downstairs. Witness meanwhile slipped on his clothes, and on going down met Peacock, who said, "She has done it." Witness answered "What?" and he said, "Cut her throat." Witness then ran for Dr. Dick.

By the Coroner:- He distinctly heard something strike the hoop of the water-butt, and fall to the ground. She was groaning a good deal when he looked out of the window. She was an exceedingly quiet woman, and he had noticed that since her visit to the hospital a fortnight ago, she seemed to be more quiet, and did not speak unless spoken to.

By the Foreman:- She complained of her throat a good deal, but as far as he knew she had no other trouble. She lived very comfortably with her husband.

A Juryman:- What do you think was the cause of the water splashing?

Witness:- I should think it was blood running into the water. The water appeared very crimson when he looked the next morning.

P.S. Stolton said he received information of the tragedy about 4:30 a.m. and immediately preceded to Bradbourne Road. On arrival he saw the deceased, who was dressed in a night attire, lying on her left side face downwards in a pool of blood in the yard and adjoining the house. She was quite dead. The knife produced was lying by her side. There was a large water butt, three parts full of water, and near to which a chair has been placed. There was a quantity of blood in the butt and on the chair.

Witness then handed to the Coroner the following letter in deceased's handwriting, written in pencil, which he found on the kitchen table:-

Dear May:- Stay with a governor, and keep on the work. Perhaps Laura would like to come home to take care of her father, and the work would pay you two, or if she would not come, it would be something for you with a woman to help you, and you could look after him. Take care of the dog, for my sake... Goodbye... Comfort my dear mother. It is hard to leave them all. I should like to go out with your P., but I'm too wicked.

Written across the lines in right angles were the words. My dear husband, I love you, and on the back of the envelope in which the letter was enclosed was "Dear husband, I love you."

Dr. R. J. Dick, in practice at Sevenoaks, said he had attended the deceased professionally for the last 3 years. It was only recently that she had suffered with her throat. He last attended her on Monday the 7th instant, when she then seemed very much depressed. She imagined that she had cancer forming, but it was not so, and he tried his best to get her out of that frame of mind. He was called to the scene at 3:40 on Thursday morning. When he arrived she was quite dead. There was a large jagged wound extending right across the throat. The cause of death was haemorrhage.

In reply to the Forman, witness said a good many people did not have the ability to cope with trouble. They seem to magnify things. He knew that some kind friend has suggested to the deceased that she had cancer, but the witness could detect no sign.

The Coroner, having summed up, the Jury returned a verdict of "Suicide during temporary insanity caused through ill health," and expressed a vote of condolence with the husband which sentiment was endorsed by the Coroner.