The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1864-07-19 00:00:00

MELANCHOLY SUICIDE BY A YOUNG FEMALE
AT BLANDFORD ST. MARY.

An inquest wee held at o'clock on Monday
morning, on the boo of Rhoda Cr..., at the
Nee lon, ',fore W. H.. Atkinson, Esq. After tbe
jury had vowed the holy, which promoted nearly the
mune appearanoe as when taken oat of the water,
the folowing evid. nee •as given :- Elisabeth Collins
deposed that she lived at Blandford SI. Mary, and
was intimately acquainted with Rhoda Cross. The
lass time the saw her alive was between helf.pees 8 and
10 o'clock on Saturday night. Deceased said she was
going home. Soon alter 11 o'clock witness was a her
y home, and, when near Mr. Mono-kiwi.*
shop hoard a shriek in the direction of the river. She
iosnoliately gave an alarm, and when she got to the
bank of the river eke found on • branch of a tree the
deceased's block silk dress, crinoline, little Jacket end
hat, and ekaa to the edge of the water her heir
net. About 9 months ago the deceased whilst conversing
with witness said tbst she should drown herself, so she
wee very low and unhappy. Witness persuaded her off
it, and walked boine with her, and mole her promise
n. 4 to do so. By the jury: Did not know that
deceased had ever been disappointed in love. Did not
deliver a letter to bee ea Pistorday, nne on any previous
occasion unknown to her parents. Witams mentioned
It to her own mother what deceased said as tudronniug
herself on the owns night.—John Allen said that
on Saturday night he was returning from Etlendford
about 11 o'clock, and when near Mr. Monckton's
shop he beard a stream, which be thought at the time
came from some person the other side of the river.
He left hie basket at Mr. Monektou'a, and
when in the meadow he heard • person, which be
believed was the last witness, call out, and he under-
flood her to say , "Here she is," but she said, "here's
her clothes." Had he not misunderstood, be would
have gone into the water. The scream we. a faintkind
of .cream, not like one calling for help. The night was
very dark, and though every eseition was used they
could not succeed that night in ending the body.—
Henry llonckton,slioemaker,rtated that shortly after 11
o'clock be, with the polio, and others, made search for
the decossed,but not finding bet that night they renewed
the search the next morning shortly after three o'clock ;
and • little before four P.C. Pore and her brother mw
something white, and then her beck hair Boating in the
water. Mr. Gulliver and another man then came up
eith the boat, and the policeman and witness lifted the
body in. The body was not quite in the middle of the
river—rather more to the meadow side. It was lying
on its face, with the head dorm the strewn, and the
bok hair Seating. It wag in about lone feet of water.
Wito4o. knew the deceased well. She bore an emellent
character, and sae an industrious and lisnl.woiking
girl. A report having been circulated that Oil deeeseed
was seen reading • letter the same ivening by Mr.
Hall, coachtin lder, Sopointenden. Watts was requested
Sy ehu coroner to go the Not-office and enquire if she
had received one there, and to request Mr. Ball's atteh•
dance. On 64 r-tnm the enperinteudent stated that
'ho deceased had not received any letter from the poet-
"(floe °lie:sta.—James Halls. enachbOilder, stalest that
on Saturday evening, &boot half-mot eight o'clock, he
can standing against his shop door, whin the deo:seed
came by from the direction of the pristotlee. reading •
'tier. Ile said to her " Mary! what got • love
idler?' To which the media I that ohs had. Me thee
said, " I hope there is something gond in it." and she
oohed, "Yee. there is something good in it," snit held
it op in her band. He saw Host it wan • note, and
Mat she bad the enraluve in lo r hand. A. enon as the
,aid on, she crumpled it up and put it in the right
toad pocket of Crh lecke*, sod po"..d on. Sh•
aproared very obeerful, good to.pered. and toppy.
—One of the juryman stated that be saw the &wooed
Ming too-arils Blandfned at 8 o'clock sgua
Dorringtnn, re.iding in Illandferd, deposed that
on She previous Tuesday evening she welted hog. fr„„,
League with kb' doomed, and ou that witj she mid

her. 'was it not Amor she bad never heard from
Nightingale since be left I" to whit* mite... repliet by
a.king deNmeed if be tad never sent or writteo to her
stiles be left. To which she retell a, N...- •nd let
h.,a she sal eoine to ram through where he livid, sb•
could not me in how lon or short • time, .n 1 if eh.
found that he was . married neon she would go and ten
los ads how be hat acted with her, as ohs tl.ought it
es., not right that snob a blackguard as he was ghoul&
pima through the onintry, deceiving poor gilt, ...be
vs., Dec. Ased lied told wit wan before that Nightimmle
had been in the habit of 11.11 ring with her, and that hia
promived to take her to a oonsert, but that he did sot,
and that she had neither seen or lewd of him sin...—
Meyerst parties present stated that they had seem the.
deceased in Nightingale's comiany. who wAs at dub
time in Messrs. Bennett and Bird'e employ a. a tailor.—
Diis being the whole of the eviilenoe, the cornser
pointed out that there was a singular leek of evidence le
the ease. There was no doubt, he condifered, that the
ilemmard met with her death by drowning, and that it
was her own aot, but had no e•ideiire as to the motive.,
He therefore euggested that so open verdict
Amnia be given. In this the jury acqui. Ito d. and re-
turned as their verdiet, "That the deceased committed,
suicide by drowning in the river Stour, but there was
ni evidence to show in what state of mind she was in at
the time.