The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-10-24 00:00:00

THE ROMANCE OF ADVERTISING.
( From The Times.)

off nllBll ill return to her dove 12th December, 1662,
all will be Ir rsi•o and forgotten. By retundug at once both
can be E 811818."
B. E. N. My Third know that Christopher C..llinibus's
egg--trick was (oily syndiolical, and taq real. E 0. li. is, or
ought to la', at Southampton—E. W."
LX. M. Davis is anxiously requested to write fully, and
say where a letter will reach. The long silence and absence
of any detailed news has caused unceasLog sorrow."
"• Sadness.—Eitheryou are almost inexplicably deceived, or
I have been deceived in you. If the former be the case, all is
right, you need not fret ; if the latter, all is over. The
letter sia 'forwarded from M. just as you posted it; they
have no clue."
" Emma Payne, who left her home on the night of Saturday,
September 12, 1868, is earnestly entreated to return or write
to her unhappy parents, or to her sister."
"To S. Lea—Vour daughter Mary isin Brighton. Telegraph
authority to Mrs. S., Regency-square, to detain her. Wrote
to W., at Brighton, this morning. Why dint you not answer
my letter in Galway Search there vain Mary has lit been
In Ireland. Heard twice from Lady C. to-day. Caroline's
grist is terrible.—Saturday, Oct. 17."
" Fifty Pounds Re. ard.—Disappeared, since the afternoon
of Friday, the 16th inst., a Toting Nian, 21 years of age, I
feet 7 inches in height, thin face, slight figure, blue eyes,
light hair, growing whiskers and moustache, round shoulders,
1111,1 stoops his head forward in walking: was dressed in a
brown top coat, tall felt hat, and dark brown trousers. If
was last seen in Bumf, ord.street, Liverpool, on his way to the
landing stage. Any person giving information leading to his
recovery shall receive the above reward, on application at the
Oentral Daireireek Liverpool."

SUICIDE OF THREE GIRLS.

A singular ease of triple suicide took place at and
near the Queens-road-bridge, Regent's-canal, Dalston,
London, the other evening. From the statement of
John Whitemane, a lock-keeeper, it seems that he was
aroused at about a quarter to two by a man in charge
of the pump-engine on the canal, who having heard
screams, followed by a splashing in the water, had
come for the drags. Whitemane immediately got up
and proceeded to the spot indicated, about 150 yards
from the lock-house; and, after dragging for a short
time, succeeded in bringing to shore the body of a girl
(whose name was supposed to be Emma Gaylor) which,
having been conveyed to a public-house, was found to
be lifeless.

In the meantime the police became acquainted with
the melancholy occurrence, and Inspector Ramsay,
with several policemen, followed the party to the
house above-named for the drags, as it was known
that two other girls had j tunped from the Queen's-road-
bridge. Whitemane at once returned, and after a
short time brought one body to the surface. The
weight on the drags was very great, and it was soon
discovered that the hand of the body in sight was
tightly holding the hair of the other unfortunate
creature. Both having been got out of the water,
dead, the bodies were removed to Shoreditch work-
house, whither the first had been conveyed.
It further transpired that the whole of the deceased
had been seen together at a late hour, at one time
sitting in the street drinking from a bottle, and two of
their companions say that they spoke of makin4 away
with themselves. Previous to jumping from the bridge
one of those who chose that method of ending. thew
existence observed, "There are some papers m my
bosom, and sonic handkerchiefs—that will lie sufficient,'
and afterwards turned to her sister, to whom she gave
a portrait of herself, telling her to "give that to
father, he would know where she was." No papers
were, however, discovered upon her, but two folded
pocket handkerchiefs were found under her dress.
Ile girls who jumped from the bridge joined hands.
Their names were Watts and Bayeux, aged between
sixteen and seventeen. Each of the deceased had the
appearance of having been respectable servants.
On Monday the inquest was held to bemire into the cir-
cumstances attending the deaths of Jane 'layout and
Esther Watts, aged respectively 16 and 17 years. The body
of the first-named girl was identified by her father, and that
of the latter by her mother The prinuipal witness was Ca-
therine Booth 16 years of age, who described herself ass char- ,
woman, residing at " Blind Con's," a common lodging-house !
in Golden-lane. She had only lived there about a week, ,
up to which time she was at home with her father,
who was a gardener, and had a stall in Goswell-street. ,
She knew the girl Haycox, who was in the service of a
tradesman In Goswell-road, and used to buy things at
their stall. In the early morning of Friday witness and
a companion were crossing tietwerstone-bridge, and saw
the deceased girls sitting upon a door-step, and Bayeux
called out " Hallos Kate l" to which she rejoined, "Good
God ! what are you doing up this way !" Ilaycox then
said, "We are going to snake away with ourselves," and,
when asked what she meant, repelled, "You'll see directly."
Ilaycox then said to her companion, " Ile will not come
now, I know, and the sooner we go the better." She had a
let ter in her hand, which she tore into small pieces and threw
into the street. The two then rose from the step on which
they were sitting, and Haycox, taking a photographic
portrait from her breast, said, "Take this to my father ; he
lives at 42, Gitfordestreet, Caledonian-road." The other
girl asked witness whether she knew White's-court, Central-
street, St. Luke's, and asked her to go there and tell her
father that she hail made away with herself. The two girls
then took ott their jackets and hats, which they threw into
, the road, and witness and her friend went to pick them up.
, on turning round again they saw Ilayrox and Watts throw-
ing themselves from the parapet of the bridge into the
canal. They were holding on by each other She said to
her companion," Have they thrown themselves into the canal
then ? " and received the reply. "It appears like it.'' Be-
fore the girls threw themselves into the water, ilayeox
adied witness and the girl who was with her not to say any-
thing about it until the following morning. They licked
over the bridge anti now the water in motion. They then
left the spot to go home, and the night being very cold, they
put on the clothes of the deceased girls, and wore them to
Yolden lane. They passed a p,liceinan on the way, but did
not say anything to him about what they had seen, as they
were confused and did not know how to tell their story.
On reaching the lodging-home where they were stopping,
'• Blind Con," the landlord, finding that they had got wear-
ing apparel that did not belong to them, sent for the pollee,
and they then gave information of what they had wit-
nessed. . .

In answer to a question witness said that the girls appeared
to be perfectly sober
Inspector Ramsay, who was watching the case on behalf of
the police, informed the Coroner that witness had stated
that one of the girls before throwing herself into the canal
had given her imme money. The coroner putting a question
to her on this point, she admitted that the girl liayoot had
given her fourpenee, remarking that the money would lie of
no use to her if she was going into the river. She and her
companion divided the money between them. Witness also
added that at the time the girls threw them.elves Mto the
water there was a inan standing on the footway adjoining
the towing-path and close to the bridge, and that on hearing
the splash he exclaimed " Good God !" and hurried away.
John Whiteman, keeper of the Acton lock, deposed to the
recovery of the heroics about a quarter-past mie o'clock. They
were clasping each other, and were both quite dead.
Dr. Forbes, medical officer of the Shoreditch Workhouse,
sal I he had examined the bodies, mum which there were no
marks of violence. 'the girl Watts was pregnant, but the
other wan not so. .

The Coroner having summed up, the jury, after a short
deliberation, returned a verdict of Suicide while of unsound
mind."

At the same place Mr. Humphrey held another Inquest on
the hotly of a young wOlOOO, 81Iprofied to be Emma GayMr,
who was found in the Regent's Canal about two o'clock on
Friday morning last. It appeared that very late on Thursday
night a quarrel between a man and a woman WaS heard ap-
parently tat the towing-path of the canal, the words lasting
for upwards of half an hour. Shortly after that a plunge
was heard in the water, :Uhl a low moan anti a scream from
some one .11 the path. A policeman almost immediately
afterwards called for help, and the body was " dragged" frota
the water. Being warm, bat apparently inanim do, rubbing,
and other artificial means fir prtaluri ng respiration were at-
tempted, but w Mead avail. It was further shown that a
man just gave the alarm, who said, " Make haste and get
some help, for there Is a woman in the water." lie then
went away.
The medical evidence showed that the body was well
nouriihed, and that there were no marks of violence. The
can.e of death was suffocation by drowning. The verdict of
the jury was " Found drowned, but how the deceased came
in the water there was not sufficient evidence to show."