Pogson, Vera - P10422

The Mystery of Vera Pogsons death

source: Lincolnshire Echo, Thursday, December 12,1935

Bardney Death Mystery
Uncompleted note to husband
open verdict at inquest

The mystery of the drowing of Mrs. Vera taylor (30), the wife of Mr. Noel Alexander Taylor, of Station-road, Bardney, in a pond near her home on Monday, was not cleared up at the inquest held in the living-room of the dead woman's house yesterday afternoon.
Mr. J.E.M. Coleman, Assistant Deputy Coroner, conducted the inquiry with a jury, and a verdict of "Death by drowning, there being insufficient evidence to show how the woman came to be in the pond, or to show the state of her mind" was returned.
Noel Alexander Taylor (26), confectioner and general dealer, the widower, said he and his wife were married in October 1934. His wife was very worried at the health of her sister at Grimsby, and visited her on November 25. Apart from that she had no worries as far as he knew, and appreared perfectly normal.
On Sunday morning she returned home from a further visit to Grimsby, and seemed to be rather worried.
"ROAMING" IN HER SPEECH
They made arrangements for a nurse to take charge of her sister, and his wife seemed to be better during the evening. When he left home in the morning she was "roaming" in her speech, but he did not think of getting anyone to look after her.
When he returned from work at dinner-time he found the back door locked. The breakfast things were on the table. He fetched a ladder and climbed up to the bedroom window and found the bed clothes had been turned back. A neighbour told him that the front door was open, and he went in and searched the house. he did not find his wife, but under the pillow on the bed he found two bottles, one almost full of methylated spirit, and the other only a quarter filled with the same liquid.
They used the spirit for lighting a stove, and both bottles were pretty full in the morning when he lit the stove.
He thought his wife had gone back to Grimsby, but seeing P.c. Fovargue on his way back to work he told him. When he returned from work again he saw the police constable, and as his wife was still away they looked round the house again.
HER FAVOURITE WALK
"We found a pencil on the dressing table and we thought there might be a note. We searched round and then found a bit of a note. We then proceeded to search the neighbourhood, and i was present when the body was found in the pond about 50 yards from the house."
He had previously been in touch with Grimsby and found his wife had not been there.
The by-road leading to the pond was his wife's favourite walk with the dog when it was warm and dry, said Mr. Taylor, answering a question put by the foreman of the jury.
He had never known his wife to drink methylated spirit.
Dr. W.P. Roe, of Wragby, said he made a post-mortem examination on Tuesday. There was no external injury with the exception of a small bruise on the right forearm.
METHYLATED SPIRIT SUGGESTION
There was no evidence of poisoning, but there was a slight reddish sediment in the stomach which might have been from the methylated spirit, the colouring in the spirit having been precipitated.
The cause of death was suffocation by drowing.
The quantity of spirit missing would not have a fatal effect if the woman had taken it, but it might have made her intoxicated or driven her mad
He could not say difinitely whether she had taken methylated spirit for it would be assimilated into the system.
CRUMPLED NOTE
Police-constable Fovargue said on a dressing-table in the house he found a note written on a torn envelope and twisted up into a ball.
On the paper were written the words, "Noel, darling, i am-" and the writing, which was in pencil, was heavily crossed out.
The constable said at about 6.15 p.m. he visited a pond in Sumner's field about 50 yards from the house and found Mr.s Taylor's body there. He got it out and tried artificial respiration until the arrival of the doctor. The body had evidentily been in the pond some hours.
The pond was deep and there was a thin coating of ice on the water, broken only where the body was found. To reach this place Mrs. Taylor must have climbed some wooden railings.
The pond was dragged later and Mrs. Taylor's handbag was found.