A CRUEL UNCLE.S

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1975, 4 May 1875, Page 3

A CRUEL UNCLE.S

Mr Humphreys; the Middlesex coroner,| held an enquiry on February the 16, at; the Windsor , Castle, r Castle-terrace, \ Victoria-park, 1 relative to the death of; Sarah Philips, aged 21 years, by throwing; herself into the Regent's Canal," under; most painful circumstances. Samuel! Philips, a general.dealer, 1 Chapel-street,; BetHnal-greeni i said \tfiat deceased Iwas: his wife. She had been in the habit of borrowing- ,mqney; .from; her uncle, who j c&argea her interest, at the rate of; Is. in the; £ pcr J week. He used to watch witness, out of-the; house, and then come and offer money to his wife". The amount .having reached r £7 .-borrowed mbniy,'-h(B" offered' to' let her have £15 providing she paid. £9, making, £2 f for mtercs^ Wednesday. The day previous, she«unfolded r the secret to her husband/ •whiSh they pawned "everything they,, had,, in. the place,-, even. ;to the bedclothes, and sold some of the furniture to make ?up the amount, .in, anticipation > of receiving tKe £15 the following day. For two whole;days th«y had not:tasted food, .'ana'ha^'nSt'afiieM'wliawouldleiidtlio'm a::»ixpence.fi.The day she : went to hw-^^l^s^r-^iQ-^r^itled the " fifteen sovereigns^ in: her face,- ; sfiStirigTTbatr-lte-would not lend her another halfpenny without;:first:class, security.. .She then begged of him to let her have three shillings to.obtain a. little food, bufthat he also refused. From that time she fretted;! daily, -more especially ■ so; ;on • Sunday last, when witness said he hoped mtwoJweeksitimetoJtry:and'getisome of the clothes back again. At a quarter to 8 o'clock inithe "evening she dressedherself, and said that she was going to buy some shirt, buttons, siTout she-:n.ever.;a'gainlre-turned, and he was now of opinion that she; had; ithrown;herself into /the ' water, through the breaking up of the home. Samuel Leechei iproprietor'of the Orange Tree, Orange-street, Bethnal Green, said he fwftsO;in j-theiShabit of lending ; the deceased-^-his niece—money charging interestoat the::rate :of is.Hin the £ per week. She promised to repay him at ChrißtmaSj':whichishe did mot do. :-He never lent her money in her husband's absencet did not advance £15 was on account of her not being able to. obtain the security;;»Joseph Whitmdre, 3 Bishop'a-road, .South Hackney, deposed that he was' 6n;tlie;banks of the:Eegent?s Canal, near the ..CamTiridge-road, bridge, about' fvlo ■- minute's 46^9; o'clock oir lasFi ; night, when- he heard a.woman, screaming 'and/ struggling^in/tlib:water. He; at .once went for the drags, but on fbcovery'bf the body li^e was found to be extinct. ,Dr. Bateman said deceased was brought' to his 'surgery 'dead;"the cause being (from ; ,drowning. , Th© coroner, in summing up, remark ed that if •yer ;a .jnan^was morally: responsible for deceasea's'deatn.'the uncle Was. al hiaiexperienco he never had sucha-heartlesS} case^before* "hirnl' The^^^ jury 1 retufned a verdict thatr.d^Bpas.ed.-Committed..suicide ; wHile in a stile of unsound mind, caused through r the *. extortionary, cruel, anrd heartless conduct of,her uncle, Samuel Leoch..-V'.-5;; r{ '/..'■■'.<■} ',\'.\\^Vl r :'<.>'.■■:,:;■■:.