Description:This newscutting from the G.H Osborne collection tells of the suicide of 18 year old Marion Lilly Whatton a machinist from Clifton Road, Aston.
She had seen her sweetheart, Charles Turner of Guildford Street on Sunday afternoon and accused him of having been out with another girl. He denied this. She returned home where her mother said she appeared 'distressed and strange' and asked for a sheet of writing paper.
She left the house and was seen by the Tame Velley Canal. A boatman later found a woman's hat and jacket with a note pinned to them. It was addressed to Mrs Whatton - 'I leave this not letting you know where I have drowned myself. Give my love to Charlie. Guildford Street, corner of Geach Street. Goodbye and God bless you. Tell the girls where I work about it. Don't blame Charlie, he was good to me.'
The canal was dragged and her body found. In court it emerged that she had been told Charles Turner had been seen with another woman which he denied but that he had a twin brother and it was believed to be him that had been seen. The jury returned a verdict of suicide while temporarily insane.