The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-09-14 00:00:00

SINGUL.4R CASE.

[From the Exeter Gcmette.ll
On Tuesday, an Inquest was held at the Lower Lock public-
house, near Topsham, before C. I). Pugh, Esq. on the body of
Sarah Tibbs, who drowned herself the preceding day in the canal,
near that place.
Jane Lewis stated, that on Monday the deceased came to her
holtse, and asked for Mr. George Lake, tailor, of Rueter; wit-
ness said he was in the cellar (an underground tap-room); de-
ceased was shown into a room, and desired witness to tell Mr.
Lake she was there ; he accordingly joined her, and they
.dined
together. He staid but a short time with her, and then rejoined
his company in the cellar. Witness saw nothing more of the de.
ceased, but heard a acteeching, upon which she went out and found
it was Lake calling for help.
Elizabeth Lewis, niece of the last tvitnes3, stated that the de-
ceased came to the house about 12 o'clock on Monday ; Mr. Lake
and deceased had dinner together, and soon after he returned to
the cellar where he had been drinking before; deceased then gave
witness a note to deliver to Lake, and hurried out of the house.
When witness delivered Lake the note he ran up stairs, and fol-
lowed deceased along the bank of the canal; he called to her, and
she returned to him, and they stood close together. Witness
turned her back, and immediately heard • Lake cry out for help,
saying there was a woman in the water; the deceased when taken
out was quite dead. A basket, which she had carried in her hand,
was found on the bank.
Nicholas Lewis, landlord of the public-house, corroborated as
much of this testimony as related to Lake and the deceased dining
together, and his afterwards hearing the alarm.
Elizabeth Howe (mother-in-law of deceased) deposed, that the
deceased came to her house about three weeks since, and showed
marks about her body, which she said was caused by Lake's horse.
whipping her.
T. Brown, mariner, stated that he was on board a vessel in the
canal, and saw the deceased run towards Exeter on the towing.
Path, and five minutes afterwards . heard a cry of a woman being
m the water.

Mr. Lake was then called into the room, and the Coroner, after
having caused the evidence to be read to him, observed that the facts
of his having followed the deceased on the bank of the canal, tailing
her back, and standing close to her, talking, had been sworn to ;
and the Jury.were now ready to hear any obsce?ations he may hare
to make.

Mr. Lake said, that he certainly called her back, but was not
within tire times the length of the Jury rooter of her; be asked her
to take home a note to his son. She said, in rather a low tone of
voice, " Shall I take a note to ‘Villiarn ?" and immediately as he
turned round he heard a plunge in the water, and cried for help.
He added, " The world must know that I bad too much regard for
that woman to push her in • the water." On being reminded of
that part of the evidence which stated that he had beaten her, he
denied it, but afterwards acknowledged, that on her coming out to I
him naked, in a very drunken state, he had beaten her with a small
whip.
A Juror asked him why be did:not assist in pulling her out of
the water, which he might have done by stretching out his hand.
He replied, that she was out of his reach, and he could not swim.
The Jury here went to view the spot where she threw herelf in,
and the witness Elizabeth Lewis being directed to describe how
near Lake and the deceased stood together, said it was no further
than from where she was standing and the Coroner (not a yard) r
upon which one of the Jury remarked that two persons standing at
some distance front each other, would, when viewed in line by an.
other person, appear to be close together. The Coroner accordingly
directed the witness to place herself at the same spot, in the house,
whence she saw Lake and the deceased conversing together ; and
in the mean while he stationed two of the Jury many yards asun-
der, and the girl being directed to say how near shesupposed the
two men were to each other, gave it as UT opinion diat ti•ey were
clime together.
The Jury liming returned, Mr. Lake said he had evidence to
prove that the deceased had threatened to destroy herself forty times
within the last twelve months; that she was very much addicted
to drunkenness, and had sworn a heavy oath that shavould either
cut her throat or drown herself if she got drunk again s he was also
able to prove that she bad drank three pints of beer and (me of
cider, previous to meeting him on Monday, and was drunk.
George Warren, a lightens= of Eaminster, was then called
who stated that he heard a cry on Monday, and saw some one in
the water, and thought it was a man. Saw a man on the bank,
whom h?pposes to have been Lake, and said to him, " D—n
your ey , why don't you help the man out ?" The man was
crying oud, "Lord bare merry upon me! Christ have mercy
upon me 1." The body was then within four feet of the bank, and
a man might have pulled bee out by going in as deep as his knees.
Lake appeared in great distress, and wanted the Good-gates to be
opened to let the water out, but witness said that would take too
long. Witness got a boat-book and pulled her out, but she was
then dead. Lake offered 20 guineas or any money If any one would
pull her out.
Mr. Lake—l offered GOO guineas.
A witness here deposed to having heard deceased say, on Sunday
last, that she would destroy herself, or turn out on the town, if Lake
left the countrv. Deceased was much given to drinking, and would
tellen get drunk five or six times a week.
It was stated that on one occasion, when deceased attempted
to throw _herself Into a deep well, but hung by the edge, Lake
said," Why did you not tread on her hands, and make her let
go ? •
To this charge Mr. Lake replied, that in consequence of her
attempting to throw herself into the well he had employed a man to
draw water fur her whenever she required it, or to nail up the well;
and called a witness, who corroborated his statement.
The Coroner oi,served that it was evident, from the experiment
he had made, that the witness (Elisabeth Lewis) must have been
mistaken as to Lake and the deceased having stood close together.
There was no mark of violence on her person ; and his own opinion
was, that conceiving Lake had behaved coolly to her, by staying
only ten minute/. at dinner, and joining another company, it hail
induced temporary derangement, under the influence of which she
had thrown herself into the:water, and that Like was not savagery
to the act.

Tlie.iury accordingly returned their verdict, that the deceased
destroyed herself in eat ate of temporary insanity.
• This note, as we are informed, was couched in the following
terms The last time we were here yru treated nw as a woman,
but now you treat me like a —."

The Old Bailey Sessions.comnience to-morrow. There
are already above 400 prisoners in Ncwgate for trial, about
one•thited of whom are women, which is a greater number
of females than has ever been recollected to hare been at
one Sessions. It is supposed that before the Grand Juries
are discharged, the total number for trial will amount to
nearly Soo.