The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-05 00:00:00

Romantic Suicide through Love and
Jealousy, at Homerton,

Yesterday morning Mr. H. Raffles Walthew, deputy coro-
ner, resumed, at the Adam and Eve Tavern, Lower Homer-
ton, an inquiry respecting the death of Esther Austin, aged
19 years, who was alleged to have committed suicide under

very painful circumstances.
It appeared from the evidence taken on the previous occa-
sion that the deceased was a waitress at Kinsley's Coffee-
house, in Angel-lane, Temple Mills. •
George Austin, the father of the deceased, said that she
used to return home to his house in Stratford every evening.
She was keeping company with a young man named Henry
Hoggett, to whom she was deeply attached. She did not
return home as usual on the night of last Tuesday week,
and he never saw her again until a week afterwards, when
her body was found in the river Lea. He heard that she
was last in the company of Henry Hoggett. The latter had
known her for two yews, and he had frequently called upon
deceased, especially when she was ill. But latterly he had
taken to courting another, and on the Tuesday night in
question deceased called upon him to know about it. They
left to walk together, and that was the last that was seen of
her. She was a steady, good girl, and was not at all of a
suicidal turn. Sbe was of a cheerful disposition.
Henry Hoggett, the young man in question, said that
when he and deceased walked out and got as far as the
stiles at Homerton-hill, he said, "I must now leave you, as
I want to go and see Jane Shrub, who is waiting for me at
the top of the hill." She replied, "Mind, wrap her up
well ;" and he turned away to go to Jane Shrub. He had
not gone far when the deceased said, " Good night—good
night!" in a tone that gave him a turn. He looked back
and saw her running down the hill. He was at first going
to follow her, but seeing a man'and a woman driving along
the road he thought that they would look after her. He
had, no doubt that she committed suicide through being so
fond of him. He had never promised to marry her, and he
had told her about Jane Shrub before. She then said, " See
me home at night now, for when you are married you will
not be able to walk with me along the lanes." She also said
she "would like to creep into a forest and never be seen
again by any one." He loved her, but his love was the love
of friendship, and nothing more. She was always very
jealous of the other young woman.
George Austin recalled, said that Hoggett was certainly
paying his addresses to deceased. Witness had since said to
Hoggett, "If you did not put her to death, you were the
cause of it," and he said, " I have no doubt I was."
Hoggett said that he could not say that he was the cause
of her suicide. She had met Jane Shrub before, There was
certainly something strange in the way she left witness
when he said he was going to see the other young woman.
He only considered her as a friend. He had taken her to a
theatre. He had never deceived her or misled her. He did
not know whether he would have spent the New Year's-
day with his second young woman.
John Ting, 383 N, said that last Tuesday some persons
came to the station and asked him to drag the river Lea.
After an hour and a quarter's dragging he got deceased out.
In her pocket was found a portmonnaie containing two six-
pences and a part of a tradesman's bill with an address nest
deor to Mr. Kinsley's, in Angel-lane. No doubt she had
put it in her pocket in order that it might lead to her iden-
tification.
Mr. G. Miller, M.R.C.S., said that he had made a care
ful examination of the body of deceased, and he found no
marks of violence. She was perfectly healthy, and had been
a virtuous girl.
The Coroner said that there was no doubt that the poor
girl had been driven almost into a state of madness by the
extraordinary conduct of the young man Hoggett. Her
feelings on the night when he so abruptly told her he was
going straight to meet another were no doubt agonising,
and she committed suicide, but of course there was no direct
evidence of the fact.
The jury returned a verdict that deceased was found
drowned in the river Lea, but there was no evidence as to
how she came into the water of the said river.