The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1864-11-08 00:00:00

SHOCKING DEATH OF A SOLDIER.

On Monday the body of a marine artillerymen,
named Henry Stoke, was discovered in a pool of
water in a cutting on the Weymouth and Portland
Railway. It appears that about one o'clock on
Monday morning a female domestic to Captain Dow's,
residingat Rod well, was disturbed from her rest by
some pers.° having hold of her throat Si. was
dreadfully alarmed, and screamed for =tetanal.
The naidnight intruder threatened that if the
did not cease he would cut her throat. She
however continued to scream, and he made his
escape by getting out of the window. He had
barely succeeded when 'moisten°, came, and on
entering Om girl's chamber she was found in NI
excited mete, and her throat bore evidence of
having been grasped very tightly. Nothing more
wee heard of the man until the nezt morning, when
he was found in the railway cutting. apparently
having fallen over a steep cliff of about 25 bet high.
On the top of the cliff footmarks corresponding with
the boobs worn by deceased were discovered leading
to a ladder which was placed against the servente'
bedroom. The ladder was the property of Mr.
Moore, and had been left in the garden of the Rev.
J. Addison, where similar footmarks were discovered,
and in order to have placed the ladder against the
servant girl's bedroom window, the well must
have been reeled. lii. supposed that when deceased
left-the house he was afraid of being pursued, and as
the morning was very dark, and being a stranger to
the neighbourhood, it is only too probable that be
missed his footing, and fell ever the cliffs.
An inquest was held on the body at the Redwell
Tavern, OD Monday afternoon, bikes H. Lock, Req.,
deputy coroner, when the following evideoce was
adduced :

Captain John Poore, of the Royal Marine
Artillery, said the deceased was under his command
on board H. M. S. Bleak Prince. He had
never been brought before him for any misconduct.
On Sunday stemmas the conumeding oMoer of the
ship gave him leave of abeam until Mosda.kakz
noon.—A marine artilleryniaa. named
DIIOI3, • toommate of deoseesd'a, stated they rime
More together. la the evening they parted on..
ptoy, after white he did sot again me him alive.
Who. it was time to go to bed he made inquiries
about hie 0003panion, but maid not mei tain where he
was. On leaving witness, b• appeared to have had
plenty of drink, but was gaits capable of taking care
of bisselL In general, he warn • sober character,
and was " • privileged leave men." On Monday
morning, witness met a police-sergeeat. who is-
formed him that the body of a manna artilleryman
had been found on the railway. Witness assisted in
conveying the body to where it now wis—lllare
Canterbury, who said she wee a "servant girl,'
stated that she did not know deceased any more
than by simply seeing him ea the previous evening,
when she met him at the San Wartime, in Cremes-
street, about half-past seven, and remained with
him three beam She left him at the Military
Arms. She had aim men deemed, and mow
Masi him as the mme person she was will. •
When she left him he was neither drank oar sober.
Did sot ask for deceased at the Sun Wartime, but
for soother "gestlestan."—Jeseph Sims& Lamont
on the Portland Railway, mid as he was on his way
to Portland, as &suet belf.peet sr in the mortals&
he sem a mat lying by the aide of the ditch of the
railway. The ditch contained *boat five or au
inches of water. The sus was us hie farm has hat
wee elk and as ha did out more, Witollol thought
be was deed. He wee lea cutting about 26 feet
deep, red se there Mere fustalarks oloo• 28116. 44118
it mowed Ilms Ye frOgri lip'. Ishisielisfi

to the polisa—P.& Moe peeved receiving inform
-
tics that the body of a marine artilleryman woo
I,oil in a railvray coming. Disco acoom pealed him to
apot,and demised was found lying on bis face in
• dill.* in about live or sic incises of water. He wee
deal. Witriews summed the surface of the cut
sad found footmarks correspooding with
boot.. Is as if he bad come from the
direction el (bpia Dow's hoses Witness had
bees informed tb the occupants of the house bed
been alarmed by moms pence entering it by means
of a /adder. Deceased appeared to have been
dead moo boars. A small knife, a poetic bandker•
chief, sod 6a 6d. were found is hie palomino& —Dr.
, Samson said he had etainioed the body of deceased.
and discovered a lacerated wound on the forehead,
which lied been received during lifetime. The
wound might have owed ineensibility, sod
in the water deceased might have been suffocated.
Such a wound would have been owed by felling on
a jagged stone.—The jury rotorized • verdict of
" Accidental Death."