The Express.
London, England, 1866-07-14 00:00:00

EXTRAORDINARY DEATH IN THE RIVER LEA.

An inquiry was held by Mr. John Humphreys,
the Middlesex coroner, last evening, at the Seven Spas
Tavern, High-street, Bromley, respecting the death, under
circumstances of a very singular character, of a man wham
name was unknown.

The first witness called was a good-looking woman, of
respectable appearance, named
Maria Huns, who deposed—l live at No. 8, Charles-
street, Bromley. lam a widow. Since the death of my
husband I have worked at a starch factory two year.
On Tuesday nisht at half-past 10 o'clock I was walking
across the wooden bridge in Railway-street, Bromley, and
when I got near the lamp a man who was a stranser to me
rushed at me and struck me a blow. He then said, " You
are not the one I want," and he ran away after striking me
in the face. He got over a fence and I heard a spied' in
the water. I screamed out for help.
By the Cororer—l was returning from my brother's at
Woolwich at the time. Railway-street is not the nearest
way to my house. It is a curious and unfrequented road,
but I chose it bemuse it was a pleasant out-of-the-way
walk. I crept through the fence after the man. I then
screamed and ran down the bank.

A Juror—When the man spoke to you why did you not
walk on. Why did you run away when the policeman
came up?
Witnem—l was frightened. I was not on the bank be-
fore I heard the splash in the water. We did not look on
the other side of the fence for some object. Ido not know
who the man was.

Coroner—Yon have placed yourself in • very awkward

position.
Police-constable John Tucker, 458 IC, said that on the
night in question a boy came to him and said, " Policeman,
• woman has thrown something into the water." Upon
going to the bank of the river Lea he saw • woman
standing on the towing-path with herhands raised. Witness
continued—When she saw me she gave a scream, and I
turned any bull's-eye on her. She then ran away, and I
followed her, and after a chase of about 300 or 400 yards I
caught her. I then arrested her, and took her to the
police-station, and charged her on suspicion of having
caused the man's death. I could not get sufficient evi-
dence to detain her, and she was discharged. I have
ascertained thrt the woman was seen in a public-house
with the deceased man in an early part of the evening.
' The man was fully dressed, and had a flower in his
button-hole. The body was got out of the water by means
of drags.
John Hart, fitt, Willis's-street, said that he heard screams
on the night of the occurrence as he was standing on the
canal bridge near the spot. He saw a woman standing on
the river bank, and he went to her. She was much ex-
cited, and she nearly threw witness into the water, and
witness lay down on his stomach on the bridge, awl saw
in the darkness • hat floating on the water. The woman
screamed, " There is a man in the water, get hint out."
Another young man went for the drags, and a policeman
came up. The woman ran away when she saw his bull's-
eye. Witness called out to the constable, "The woman
is gone, run after her and bring her back."
Thomas Sheller, of Milton-street, said that before he
heard the screams he saw the deceased man and the woman
standingon the towing-path, and bothhad their arum on the
rails. They were in conversation.

The decessed was about 35 years of age. He was a
fair-haired miui with sandy whiskers, and was about 5 feet
7 inches in height. He was dressed in a black coat and
waistcoat, dark check trou..ers, and black hat. Nine shil-
lings were found in his pocket. At 5 o'clock on the evening
of his death he had pledged a coat for a pound, at a
pawnbroker's in Bishopsgate. He then gave the name of
John Maccave. _ _ _ _ _

The coroner said the ease had a very awkward look, but
he did not think that the woman had contributed to the
man's death. He did not think the woman had induced
the man to get over the railings and then thrown him into
the water, but he believed that at the time of the occur-
rence the woman was in company with the deceased for an
immoral purpose. If the jury returned an open verdict
the police could reopen the case if they were able to pro-
cure additional evidence.

The jury returned a verdict, That the deceased man
came to his death by drowning in the waters of the River
Lea, but how or under what circumstances he came into the
mid water there was no evidence to prove."

SAD OCCURRESCE-LOSS OP TWO LIVES BY

DROWNING.

Yesterday (Friday) evening, two lads, named
John Allden and Isaac Giddy, the former about 111 and the
latter about 13, lost their lives under the following dis-
tressing circumstances. The deceased, who were employed
at Mr. Andrews's saw-mills, James-street, Old Kent-road,
went, after leaving their work, to the Surrey-canal,
for the purpose of bathing, neither of them being
able to swun. After being in the water a short time they
began amusing themselves by clucking each other, and
while doing so one of them got ont of his depth, and in
attempting to save himself seized the other and drew him
after him, and both sank. An alarm was given, but some
little delay occurred before any attempt was made in con-
sequence of a false alarm having been given
the previous evening, and the persons in charge
of the hatch thinking it was only a re-
petition of the scandalous conduct. On the deceased being
got out, they were conveyed to Mr. Marling's, the Bri-
tannia, Britannia-road, near the hatch. Dr. Anderson, of
the Old Kent-road, was sent for, and attended, and every
means was resorted to to restore animation, but without
success. When the sad intelligence was communicated to
the mothers of the deceased (both widows, one residing in
James-street, and the other in Hatcham-road, Old Kent-
road) they were, as might be expected, almost broken-
earted.

SERIOUS DISTURBANCE IN WEST CUMBERLAND.
There are about 600 men working as navvies at Holborn
Hill, Millom, in the west of Cumberland ; and we learn
that during the last few days a great number of them have
been drinking, the carouse ending on Thursday in a very
serious disturbance between English and Irish labourers.
The resident policeman telegraphed to Superintendent Little,
at Whitehaven, who telegraphed to Mr. Dunne, the
chief constable at Carlisle, for instructions. Those were,
to proceed at ,nce with as many constables as he could
get, to the scene of the action. Mr. Little succeeded in
collecting a body of thirty men, armed with ent-
huses, and took them down by the next train.
It appears that previous to the arrival of the
police, several encounters had taken place between
the rioters, and that they had demolished the public-
house there, first taking out every drop of beer
and spirits which it contained and consuming it.
As soon, however, as the police arrived at the place, the
crowd gave way rapidly. The Rev. A. Wilkin, the resi-
dent magistrate, was communicated with, read the Riot
Act, and swore in a number of special constables to act in
conjunction with the police, whilst the ringleaders are
being traced out. Fortunately, in the prior disturbances,
the conflict seems to have produced no fatality, though
many of the combatants are, of course, seriously wounded.
—Carlide Journal.
The following notice was issued from the General
Port-office yesterday :—lixtra mails for Bombay will be
made up for transmission rid Southampton on the morning
of the 20th instant, and rid Marseilles on the evening of
the 26th instant.