The Express.
London, England, 1868-10-19 00:00:00

EXTRAORDINARY SUICIDE OF TWO
GIRLS IN TIIB RININTS CR-VAL.

INQUEST.—(TIIIS DAY.)
At 12 o'clock to-day Mr. John Humphreys, the
Middlesex coroner, hold en inquest at the sheen Mau
Tavern, lioxton Old Town, respecting the death of Mary
Juno Haycock. aged 17, and Esther Watt*, aged 18 year.,
who were druwued on Friday morning in tho Regent's-
canal.
__

John Hayman, s dish-cover maker, living in the Cale-
donian-road, said that the deceased girl Haycock was his
daughter. She was a servant out of place. On Thursday
night she sent her little brother in to witness to say that
she had got a place. lie never saw her alive afterwards.
On Friday • policeman brought witness her portrait, and
be identified it. She had a will of her own.

Esther Watts, 1, Witbc.court, St. Luke's, the wife of a
itoncmai-on. raid that the girl Watts was her daughter,
and she was also a servant. On the Thursday she came
home from her place. Witness said to her, " Getting on
with your impudence again 1." She replied, " You believe
everything that they ray." There was no quarrel, and
the went back to her place again. The neat that witness
heard of her was that she had been dismissed for im-
pudence. She kept company with a young man. Witness
d id not knew that she was ma-mfr.

Caroline Booth, 50, Golden-lane, St. Luke's, sail that
she was 16 years of age. On Friday morning, between
12 and 1 o'clock, she saw the two girls together on
the banks of the canal. She asked them what they
were going to do, and they replied, " We are going to
make away with ourselves.' 15 itness said. " Oh, (kid!"
Witness knew the girl Haycock. She said to witness,
" Take this portrait to
.my father. When you see him
you will see me. ' Watts then said, "He
will not come now." She said, "They have got my pot.
trait at home." The girls then got up on the bridge and
threw their arms round each other. They then leaped
from the bridge into the water. Witness continued
Before they did so they threw their jackets and hats on
the ground. A man who was on the tow-path cried sit,
" Good God !" We saw him run along the towing-path.
It was from the Queen's-road-bridge, Balaton, that the
girls leaped. We looked at the water alter they jumped from
the bridge, and the water was moving. We were then
frightened, and we took the clothes np. It was cold, and
we put the hats and the cloaks on while we were walking
borne. There was another girl with me. When we got
home to '• Blind Con's," Golden-lane, we sent for a police-
man, and he took the things from us.
The inspector said that the witness had not stated that
the deceased girls had given her 4d. and a purse before
they leaped into the water.
The witness said that the deceased Haycock said, " The
money will be of no use to us now ; give them 2d. each."
They did not intend to say anything about the girls until
the next morning.
Emma Fox, the girl who was with the last witness,
corroborated her statement.

The lock-keeper proved recovering the bodies. They
were clasped in each other's arms.
Dr. Forbes said that the girl Watts was enceinte. The
other girl was not.
The Coroner Paid that the two girls, Booth and Fox,
thought more of the deceased's clothes than they did of
saving life.
The jury returned a verdict, " That the deceased girls
committed suicide while of unsound mind, and the frog
request the Coroner to censure severely the girls
and Fox for their conduct.",