The Express.
London, England, 1867-07-23 00:00:00

MYSTERIOUS DEATH AT CHELMSFORD.

Considerable excitement was created at Chelms-
ford yesterday (Monday) by the report that the dead body
of a young woman had been found in a field near Bainsford•
end.under circumstances which seem to point to the cop-

elusion that death bad been caused by violence. The
name of the deceased was Ann Collie, 25 years of age. She
was cook in the family of Mr. Geo. Seaton, chemist. High-
street, and it will be remembered that she was • principal
witness for the prosecution in the remarkable case
of damage to her master's property tried at the
recent quarter session. It memo that she was
expected to pay • visit on Sunday evening to •
cousin living in Moulebom, but on Sunday morning
she sent a letter to her cousin stating that she should not
be able to visit her that evening as she had an engagement,
but she would come on the Monday night. She left Mr.
Seaton's about 20 minutes past 6 on Sunday evening, as is
now supposed to keep the appointment mentioned in her
letter to her cousin, and no one can he found who saw her
alive after about half-past 6, at which time she wee seen
passing the Black Bull beer-shop, at Rainsford-end, alone
and walking very fast. As she did not return home her
master and mistress became alarmed and gave information
to the police, who caused inquiries to be instituted and a
search to be made ; but nothing more was heard or seen of
her until 8 o'clock yesterday (Monday) morning, when two
men named Ketley and Ruffed, while on their way home
to breakfast, found her dead body lying in • wheat field
on Hill Farm, which is reached by • field footpath by
the roadside. just beyond the Black Bull. The body was
lying about 30 yards from the footpath, on the left-hand
side going from ChOnisford, and would not have been seen
by the men had they not taken a abort cut close down
beside the hedge, instead of coming by the usual footpath.
Deceased wee lying on her right side, with her right hand
just above the left, and grasping in the latter a stem of
wheat. A nun-shale was lying by her side, and • pocket-
handkerchief near her feet. The body of the unfortunate
deceased was removed to the railway station, where it was
laid on a shutter and carried to her grandmother's house in
New-street, causing great excitement in the town, which
was considerably increased on its being made known that
on undressing the body marks had been found which left
little doubt that the unfortunate young woman had been
subjected to gross violence. Mr. Gilson, surgeon, was
soon in attendance, and on examining the body he found
five wounds on the upper part of the right thigh, four on
the left knee, three on the neck, three on the right temple,
and one on the nose, but in the opinion of the medical
gentleman these were not sufficient to cause death, al-
though from the fact of their bleeding after being washed,
they were evidently of very recent date. The wounds were
very small, and such as might be inflicted by the point of
• meat skewer. Of course this sad and most mysterious
affair has caused great excitement, and all kinds of vague
surmises in the county town. The natural inference drawn
from the meagre facts which are yet known is that the un-
fortunate woman went into the fields on Sunday evening
to keep an appointment, and was there subjected to vio-
lence which resulted in her death ; one supposition being
that the immediate cause of death may have been • fit
brought on by fright and violence. We understand that
an inquest on the body will be held to day (Tuesday). and
in the meantime the police are actively employed in in-
vestigating the circumstances attaching to this sad and
singular tragedy. —Essex lievnld.

The advises from America continue favourable
with regard to the prospect• of the grain crops in most
sections of the country. In California it is said the yield
is unprecedented, and " the great want is sufficient ship-
ping to carry the surplus to foreign markets."