The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1866-08-28 00:00:00

THE FATE OF SIB GILBERT EAST.

The inquest on the body of the late Sir Gilbert East,
baer., was held at Hyde; on Tuesday, and after a long
inquiry the coroner's jury cautiously declined to commie
themselves to anything beyond en open verdict. Ti.•
evidence peeved that the dtenned was in scheerfal
state of mind on the etenlng of the occurrence, enjoy.
tog life after Isis fashion, aid bent on making yacht
matches and presenting cups to be run for. Hblawyerd
deposed that the condition of his affairs was anal. on to
give him no reason for antiet• or depression. The
theory held by some that a quarrel nub his companion
might have caused • souffle, in the course of which he
was poshest off the pier, le not supported by a single
fact, while everything forbid, the suspicion that any
foul play could have been intended. The (flute remark.,
that the manner of Air filbert's exit from this world
was as miserable its it was awful in its anddennen, but
that it la not without reason to suppose that any crime
greater then Intoxication was coneerned in the result.
At the inquest, Mira Benham, hie only eompenion at
the time of the occurreime, behaved in an extraordinary
way. The Hampshire Teftftroph says :
Mies Bseham, a fashionably dressed person, appa-
rently about 26 or 214 years of age, approached the table
with an air of perfect indifference to the nature of the
inquiry.
As soon as she was directed to a seat facing the
coroner she rather loudly exclaimed, "Well, here I am.
What do you want with mar
The Coroner: If you will sit down quietly I will tel
you. I want you to take an oath.
Witates : Taktan oath ! Well?
The tonner 'cc I 1•Ible you to swear that ynn
will tell the truth, and nothing nut the truth, so help
you Jehovah. Will you kiss the hook'
Witness : I have kissed the hook, and now you must
give me one second or no to collect myself.
The Coroner: By all means.
Witness was then examieed. She depneed,—l have
been acquainted with the late Sir Gilbert East between
eight and nine years, and have lived with him daring
the whole of that time, and have passed me his wife. I
came with him to Hyde during the present summer, and
t was on board Lis yacht with him. Ido not know
when it was, but it woo the "proper season," I expect.
On Saturday evOning, the 11th of August. I come on
shore with him between eight. and doe o'clock. We
went together to Mr. hared'., and he left me there
while he went to the club. It was about five minutes
to nine o'clock when he left me there. He wax not at
that time, lam sorry to lay, quite ocher. He returned
to me at Mr. liarnad's at ten minutes or a quarter to
one, and he was then not sober. lie had • glass of
brandy and soda water at Mr. Bared's, filled hia pipe,
and appeared to be in very good stints. He said he
was phased that he had entered his vessel and given •
cup for the match. I did not find fault with him for
being late. About ten minutes afterwards we left the
house. It was • dark night, and although it was rain•
ing neither of u. had an umbrella. I took his arm be-
fore I gut to the pier gate, and as the large gates were
shot I teleased his arm to go through the narrow gate.
After we got through I did not take his arm again.
The Coroner Are you sure of that'
Witness: Yes.
The Coroner : Never afterwards?
Witness: Never. I sin quite sure of that. I walked
rather f .st, • little in front of him, down the pier. I
said, "1 must walk on • little faster, an I am afraid I
shall get no wet." and he said he would follow me.
That was all that was said between us on the pier until
heard him slip.
The Coroner: You bad no quarrel or any weds with
him?

Witness No.
The Coroner Nothing of the kind?
Witness : No. I heard him walking behind me, as I
knew his 11:K464...pa waterally. About two or three
minutes after eh got on the pier I heard hi. toot sup.
and I beard him cry out, "Oh, oh !" I turned round
and followed his voice, but I could not see any one. I
1•11 to the spot from which I supposed his voice pro-
ceeded, and I felt his bands clinging against the wood-
work of the pier, and he said "I am right!" His body
was then hut :e the railings.
The Coroner : Was be hanging from the outside?
Witness: No, I am certain his body was inside the
pier. He said to we, "If you don't let me go, you
mud come over; I can swim." I kept hold of him as
long as I could ; but I cannot may what part of him it
was, as I we. so much excited.
The Coroner: At the time he said '•I sin right,"
where was be?
Witness (sharply): How to I know? He was swim-
ming from me I suppose. I had Previous') beanl him
drop into the water.
The Coroner: How long before that had you bold of
him?
%Vanua (again answering sharply): I don't know. I
ain't tell. I did not see him fall into the water; I
heard him.
The Coroner: How did he get on the outside of the
railings?
Witneu : He was not outside.
The Coroner Then, how did he fall!
Witness: Why the same as any other person, of

course.
In answer to other questions, during which the witness
appeared much suited, she explained that the deceased
was on the side of the railings facing the water, and
therefore on the outside. She continued—l don't re.
member how long it was after I heard bite slip thst I
sew him clinging to the rails. I screamed for assistance
after I heard him drop into the water. Ido not re•
member whether I saw him when I wageless to the rails
and he was clinging to me.
The Coroner: But you felt him?
Witness: No; I can't tell, and it's no use asking me.
The Coroner: Did you struggle atoll; did you attempt
to save him?
Witness: Of course I did.
The Coroner: Did he catch hold of your hand?
Witness : I can't tell whether be caught bold of mine
or I caught hold of his, but I felt him.
The Coroner Did you see the steps?
Witnes : I think he thought his boat was at the
steps.
The Coroner : But if he was dinging to the side of
the pier, how could he slip down the steps?
Witness: I can't tell. That's as much amyetes7 to
me uitis to you. I expected to find his boat at the
end of the pier, but we had not got half war when I
heard him slip down. The last words I heard him say
were, 'Oh, Lisa, what will you do?"
The Coroner: You never had hold of his arm after
you got on the pier, thee?
Witness: No.
Coroner: Was there any reason for that?
Witness: No; only that I thought I should get wet,
and wanted to walk fast.
The Foreman: Was it usual for you to go in front?
Witness No.
The Foreman: Was he cheerful?
Witness: Tee.
The Foreman: Then why did you not assist him down
the pier?
Witness: Lord bless the man, how can I tell?
By a Juror: When I had hold of his band I was not
toadies on the water-box, but cm the pier.
The Coroner: Are those your gloves?
Witness: I don't know.
The Coroner What became of those you wore that
night?
'Witness: Oh, yes, those are the seine. They were
wet, and that is the reason the thumb came off.
In 1111 Mer to a juror, witness said-1 heard him swim
after he fell into the water.
Ile Coroner: Had you passed the steps when you
beard him AO
'Witness: No.
A Juror: Have you ever heard him threaten to
remit suicide
aciWitmes : Never. I never heard of such a ridiculous
thing.
By Mr. James: Sir Gilbert only had two glasses of
"very nearly nest" brandy before he left the yacht.

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