The Sun.
London, England, 1830-08-28 00:00:00

CORONER'S INQUEST.

Yesterday afternoon an inquisition was taken, be-
fore R. CARTER, EST, the Coroner for Surrey,
at the Artichoke public-house, Camberwellrgrove,
on the body of a tine little girl, named Harris
Pritchard, aged nine yam the daughter. of Mr.
Pritchard, a most respectable builder, at 5,. Vernon-
terrace, who Wes drowned, under the following
truly distressing circumstances ;--Charles Warn-
ingeugh, a youth 10 years of age, residing in the
same terrace, stated, that on Tuesday afternoon,
about five o'clock, he was at play with the deceased
and two other childree, in a field belonging to a Mr.
Tureer, which adjoins the Grove, in which there is
apm
as:d.o
time,
imfe been After they had be amusing themselves
for
the deceased little girl complained of
being thirsty, and went towards the pond, taking
one of the children with her, who was much younger
than herself, Witness was at this time about a
dozen yards from her, and saw her stoop down and
take some water in her hand, which she drank,
when, in repeating the operation, she unhappily
lost her balance, and pitched, head foremost, into
the pond. He, run up, and sew her struggling, about
a yard from the bunk, with the top of her bead and
hands above the surface. He called for assistance
us loud as he was able ; but no one coming, he tau
to the deceased's dwelling, a distance of about one
hundred yards, and informed the family of what
had taken place, when Miss Hall, the sister of Mrs.
Pritchard, repaired with- hitri back to the pond, and
alter some delay the deceased was got out, when
,he appeared, quite dead, Miss Hall, who resides
with her sisters Mrs. Pritchard, deposed, that
when the preceding witness informed them of the
.unforinnate event, the family was in the greatest
confusion, having only just returned from the
funeral of .;a ,near relative; but as soon as the
melancholy tidings reached the ear of the mother,
who was in the drawing-room, she rushed fran-
tieally down stairs, but fainted in the passage, ere
she could reach the front door. Witness, without
loss of time, eccompanied the tad to the fatal- spot,
and arrived just in time to see her unfortunate rela-
tive sink down below the surface, which was fel--
10mo by a bubbling in the water, She shrieked
out for assistance as loud as she was able when
three men came to the spot ; but they refusedtey
In after
llnhi
weallsi child, :tee: Idig
as
taherettalip:t hy 11C cries,o
of! that none of
to
them could swim. Allen,' few minutes delay a
who pulled off his clothes and rii ;
01%-eVgeaillni: feelings that that a i 118 V Vt 0 ttile d away,overpoweredse:a:'irdit ot nt eeboyptno tier
was by this time so
senses, 10 8111 V tne lifeless body
eceased, whichshe . of the
was iniermed had just been
got out by the gentleman h CQII%,
to the nearest. h was " oyed
°toe.: w len a surgeon attended, but

L 1)a wee quite dead, having been in the water about
-ten minutes. Miss Hall 'added, what may certainly
be considered as a most remarkable circumstance,
that precisely two. years, ago last Tuesday (the day
of the accident), when Mr. Pritchard was living at
Islington, the sister of the deceased was drowned
by accident in the Regent's Canal,. near White
Conduit-house ; and what is still more extraordi-
nary, she was exactly, to a day, of the same age and
height. The Jury, after expressing their surprise at
such a singular fatality, returned a verdict of " Ac-
cidental death." The mother's feelings have re-
eeived suck a shock at this lamentable event, that
her life is despaired of.