Apologies if this is more detail than you really wanted !
The three articles are as follows -
Birmingham Daily Post Monday 7th September 1903
CANAL MYSTERIES
BIRMINGHAM WOMANS FATE
On Saturday Mr, H.A. Pearson held an inquest at the Limerick Inn, Great Bridge, relative to the death of an unknown woman, whose body was found in the canal. Phoebe Berrington, wife of a boatman, stated that at about 7.40 on Tuesday morning, whilst steering a boat near Messrs. Holcroft's works, Dudley Port, she saw the body of the deceased in the canal. William Harris, engineer at Messrs. Holcroft's works, recovered the body. Three witnesses gave evidence as to seeing, at about 9.30 on Monday morning, a woman whom they had since identified as the deceased, near the canal where the body was found. Deceased enquired the way to Dudley from one of the witnesses, who stated that she then appeared to be in an excited condition. Deceased asked another witness the way to the canal, and was told to go down by the bridge near the Old Port Hotel, where she was afterwards seen to travel. Mrs. Granger, landlady of the Bush Inn, Bloomfield, stated that deceased called at the public house at about 7.30 on Monday evening, and asked for a glass of ale. She was shivering, and looked as if she was going to have a fit. Witness asked her to have some brandy, but deceased declined the offer. She told witness that she came from Moseley Street, Birmingham, and was a dressmaker, but had had to relinquish the trade on account of failing sight. She left shortly after 8 p.m., stating that she was going to Dudley Port. Police constable Egan stated that deceased was wearing four rings on the left hand, and a chain round her neck, to which was attached a gold watch, which had stopped at ten o'clock. Among the things in her pocket were a purse containing 3½d, an invoice showing that she had purchased some needles from a shop at Birmingham, a pair of black kid gloves, and a pair of spectacles. There were no marks on her clothing, and there was nothing in her pocket to assist in her identification. The appearance of the towpath near where the body was found did not indicate that there had been any struggle. Dr. Morris, who had made a post-mortem, stated that deceased had been a healthy woman, apparently about sixty years of age, with fair complexion, blue eyes, iron gray hair, and many teeth missing from both jaws. On the forehead were a number of bruises, the injury extending to the scalp, which, he considered, was caused immediately prior to death, but was not sufficient to account for it. There were positive signs of suffocation from drowning. The Coroner said the body would be photographed for purposes of identification. The jury were of opinion that there was no evidence to show how deceased got into the water, and returned a verdict of "Found Drowned." The body has since been identified by Mr. William Clarke, watchmaker, of 159 Newtown Row, Birmingham, as that of his mother.
