The Ballarat Courier (Vic. : 1869 - 1878; 1914 - 1918) Monday 25 March1872 p 2 Article
SINGULAR CASE OF SUICIDE.
A young woman named Louisa Morgan, aged about nineteen years, and aservant in the family of Mr Robert Jones, of Sturt street, committed suicide on Saturday last, by cutting her throat, under somewhat painful and melancholy circumstances. The deceased was a robust, vigorous, and rather good-looking girl. Though peculiar in her mannerat times, she was treated with more than ordinary consideration by MrsJones and her family, to whom she had been known for over eight years.She had been a domestic in the employment of Mrs Bradshaw, Mrs Jones' mother, previously, but had been with Mrs Jones for about eighteen months. She was the daughter of a Mrs Morgan, who resides on Soldiers'Hill.
She took her stepfather's patronymic, but her real name was Brooker. Until within the last few months she was a remarkably steady sensible girl, attentive to her work, quiet and respectful in her manner, andwas so great a favorite with Mr Jones' family, that she was regarded almost in the light of a companion.
During the Christmas holidays it appears she went down to Melbourne ona visit to some relatives, and remained there a week. Since her return she was completely altered in her manner.
Instead of being tidy, diligent, and attentive to her business, she became reserved, absent-minded, and careless about her attire and appearance. She maintained a sort of clandestine correspond dence with some person in Melbourne sending her letters, which she got addresed by one of Mr Jones' daughters, under cover to her sister-in-law, and receiving letters evidently in a man's handwriting. Those communications appeared to increase the reserve and peculiarity of her demeanor, and it seems very probable that they had some connection with the unfortunate girl's unhappy fate. On Wednesday last she received one of those letters, and Mrs Jones, who delivered it to her,could see that the superscription was in the handwriting of a man. She questioned her about the matter, but the deceased told her that the letters were from her little nephew. The receipt of the letter appeared to in tensify her gloominess and despondency and in the afternoon, having obtained some money, she purchased as was afterwards ascertained, a shilling's worth of laudanum from Mr Griffiths, achemist in the neighbourhood.
There is some reason to believe that she took a portion of the laudanum, and that it failed in its effect. She went to bed early on Thursday night,and in the morning complained of being ill and unable to leave her bed. She could give no satisfactory explanation of her illness, but complained of her head; and though she rose in the afternoon, she could do little, a she seemed in a sort of stupor.
On Thursday night she disappeared, but was not missed till morning,when all the enquiries made failed to discover her whereabouts. On Friday night she presented herself at the house of Mrs Jones' father,and informed them that she had wandered away, not knowing where she was going, in the direction of Creswick, and had been picked up by a gentleman who was returning to Ballarat in a buggy, and brought into town. There is no reason whatever for supposing that the deceased was subject to somnambulistic peregrinations,as stated in an evening contemporary. She did frequently walk about the garden attached to Mr Jones' house at night; but it arose from thefact that she was troubled in her mind, and could not sleep. She was kept by Mrs Jones' mother on Friday night, and brought back to her mistress on Saturday morning, about nine o'clock. The poor girl appeared deeply affected, as she cried bitterly,
and explained her conduct by stating that she did not know what she was doing. Mrs Jones treated her with every kindness, and she then proceeded
with her work. About twelve o'clock she was missed, and after a search it was found that she had gone into a small bedroom detached from thehouse, and locked herself in. Mrs Jones called her repeatedly, but received no answer.
It was noticed also that, hearing some one outside the door, the deceased turned the key in the lock in such a manner as to prevent anyone seeing into the interior of the apartment. Thinking she wasonly indulging in a little temper, Mrs Jones did not disturb her, butallowed her to remain in the room. About one o'clock, however, she became uneasy, and sent one of her little boys to call her. The boy, finding no notice was taken of his message, endeavored to raise the window, and then discovered that the wretched girl had cut her throat,and was lying on her face bleeding profusely. Mr Robert Jones arrived home just as the discovery was made. He at once rushed to the room,but finding the door too strong to be broken open, he gained admission through the window. He found the deceased lying on her face, her chin supported by a bundle of linen, with a deep gash in her throat, fromwhich the blood was flowing copiously. She was alive, but when questioned gave no sign of consciousness beyond opening her eyes and apparently recognising those about her. On the floor were two carving knives; one of them. that with which she had inflicted the wound,being quite new, and the other an old one, which she probably thoughtwas not sharp enough for her purpose. That the act was the result of premeditation, was evident from the fact that she abstracted the new carving knife from Mrs Jones' bedroom, where it hid been placed along with other cutlery that had never been used. The quantity of blood on the floor was quite enormous. The walls, furniture, and bedding were smeared with the ghastly tokens of her struggles, the marks of her outstretched, bloodstained hands being perceptible on the floor in several places. She would seem to have almost severed the windpipe, and was thus probably prevented from calling for assistance;either that, or with astonishing resolution and nerve she inflicted the wound, and then while bleeding took a sheetform the bed, rolled it up, placed it pillow wise on the floor, laydown with her face upon it, and in that position bled almost to death.Mr Jones had her immediately conveyed to the Hospital, where Dr Owen at tended her. The wound having been stitched,
it is stated- though we doubt the fact- that she asked for a drink ofwater. She was placed in bed, made a sign for water, and gradually fell into a state of unconsciousness until she expired, in about anhour after her admission. An Inquest will be held today upon the body.The affair excited a good deal of interest and sympathy for theunfortunate girl when It became known in Ballarat on Saturday. It wasstated that she had been fretting owing to Mr Jones and his familybeing about to return to England; but, from various circumstances,which will no doubt be revealed at the inquest, her state of mind was superinduced from some more serious source of disappointment or trouble.