Keziah Beal was twenty eight years of age in January of 1877 when she was described as being ‘a woman of medium height, thin with a light complexion.’ At the time she had escaped from Wadsley Asylum and in most of the reports she was simply referred to as ‘the missing lunatic.’ This was a title more in keeping with societies views of such people at the time. It seems that she was well known to the authorities as this was her fourth escape from Wadsley. As a result, a notice was placed in the Sheffield Daily Telegraph dated Tuesday 23 January stating that Keziah had run away at sometime in the evening of 4 January. The report asked for news of her, as it seems that she had escaped through a window in that institution.
On previous escapes, Keziah had been quickly traced as she tended to head towards her parents house at Deepcar, Sheffield. However on this occasion she was still missing by 20 March. Her father, James Rydel appeared to care for his daughter as he also inserted a notice requesting that ‘the smallest clue to her whereabouts will be most eagerly and thankfully received.’ Sadly on this final escape the case did not end well, as it was another three months before finally her decomposing remains were discovered in a drift pit at Deepcar on 14 June 1877. It was quickly apparent that her decomposing remains had been in situ for the whole six months that she had been missing.
As a result, the Coroner, Mr D Wightman held an inquest at the Royal Oak, Deepcar on Friday 15 June 1877. However there was little he could do as there was no official from Wadsley Asylum present at the enquiry. Therefore the coroner was forced to adjourn the inquest to the following Monday 18 June. It seems that Keziah had first been admitted to the asylum around the beginning of 1876 suffering from what was termed melancholia, which we would now call depression. At first she was placed in the sick ward, but after making threats that she intended to escape as soon as she could, she was transferred into the refractory ward.
This was a punishment ward situated on the floor above the sick ward, and used by inmates who were known to be disobedient or disruptive. However once Keziah threatened to throw herself out of the window, asylum staff were forced to put her back in the sick ward again, so that she could be constantly monitored. At the resumed inquest, the first witness was her father James Rydel and he told the coroner Mr Wightman that his daughter was the widow of a deceased labourer called Luke Beal. The witness admitted that he had been unable to definitely identify the body, due to the state of decomposition, but he had no doubt that it was his daughter.
One of the nurses at Wadsley called Mildred Hall told the inquest that she had identified the body, as it was wearing clothes which had been issued by the asylum. She told the inquest that she had been in Keziah’s room around 7.30 pm on the night she disappeared. Mildred described how she had gone to the kitchen and about twelve minutes later was told that her patient had gone. It seems that some workmen had been replacing some new panes in the window and Keziah had cleverly removed the still wet putty from a window after workmen had gone. Cleverly she had done this during the day time when staff were still about. Once it had grown dark, she had removed one of the panes and made her escape.
The coroner then questioned Mildred about a previous attempt which her patient had made. She told him that on that occasion, Keziah had climbed through the iron railings of the exercise yard at Wadsley. Once free, she was obviously making her way towards her parents house at Deepcar once again as she had been found at Stocksbridge. The nurse Mildred told the coroner that upon hearing that the patient was missing in January she had gone to her parents house. There she spoke to her mother and asked her if her daughter was there as she wanted the asylums clothing back, but Mrs Rydel knew nothing about her daughters whereabouts.
Dr Mitchell the Medical Superintendent of Wadsley stated that after this latest attempt he had gained discharge papers for Keziah as being too difficult to contain her safely. He explained to the coroner that due to her many attempts to escape she had displayed real cunning. The superintendent added that ‘in that respect she was of very sound mind.’ He went out to explain that once he had heard that she was missing he had sent twelve nurses out to look for her and to bring her back. He had high hopes of finding her as there was a thin layer of snow on the ground. They managed to trace her footprints to the boundary wall, but they could not be traced any further.
Mr Wightman then enquired as to why Keziah’s parents had not been notified that she was missing for four days after she had gone. Dr Mitchell said that as her footsteps to the boundary wall pointed in the direction of her parents house, he assumed she was, once again with her family. He reminded the inquest that she had always headed towards Deepcar on similar attempts. He added that at the time he was in possession of her discharge papers which had been dated 15 December, so he assumed that the law would allow her to stay at home.
When it was time for the coroner to sum up, he told the jury that he was satisfied in his own mind that the asylum was conducted on proper lines. Mr Wightman said that the evidence had shown that Wadsley Asylum was ‘conducted with all the care that could possibly be.’ He emphasised that ‘no more care could be possibly taken to prevent the escape of lunatics generally.’ The jury consulted before returning a verdict that Keziah Beal had died from cold and exposure, being at the time, a person of unsound mind. However they added that whilst no one was to blame, they felt that Dr Mitchell should have warned Keziah’s parents sooner then he did of her escape.