Selina Draper Nicholls

Selina Draper Nicholls died after a drunken quarrel at the house where she lodged.

She died from a broken spine, but the doctor was unable to say how that had been caused and an open verdict was returned.

She was described by her father as being a woman of intemperate habits.

The landlady of the house said that Selina Nicholls had come home on the Monday evening the worse for drink and that she had then gone back out again and returned at 12.45am worse than before.

The landlady said that when Selina Nicholls returned, she fell over an earthenware umbrella stand in the passage and then went into the kitchen where they had some words. She said that after that, Selina Nicholls went upstairs and said that she then heard a fall and then got her son to help Selina Nicholls into her bed. She said that Selina Nicholls was unconscious at the time, and that she didn't regain consciousness, but said that she thought that Selina Nicholls was just drunk.

The landlady's son said that he had met Selina Nicholls the previous evening in town and had had a drink with her after which she left him. He said that later that night he heard Selina Nicholls fall on the landing and said that he found her there on the floor and carried her into her bedroom and put her to bed.

However, he said that at 5am his mother, the landlady, called him and told him that she thought that Selina Nicholls was dead, and said that he then went off for the police.

However, at the inquest, the Coroner told the landlady's son that he didn't believe a word of what he had said, saying that he had given his evidence in a very unsatisfactory way and added that he was not allowing him the usual witness fee.

A neighbour who lived opposite said that at about 12.30am he heard cries of 'Murder' and looked out to see Selina Nicholls trying to get out of a bedroom window. He said that Selina Nicholls had previously told him that the landlady's son had been treating her like a dog and that he had made her arms black and blue. The neighbour said that he then saw the landlady's son downstairs to see if the windows there were fastened.

However, the landlady's son denied that he had gone downstairs.

When the doctor examined Selina Nicholls's body, he said that she had a wound on the left side of her head that he said could have been caused by a fall downstairs. He said that she had several bruises and that her skull was full of blood and that her spine was fractured although the cause of death was given as being due to a broken spine.