The Sun.
London, England, 1862-10-14 00:00:00

LOVE AND SUICIDE.

Last evening Dr. Lankester held an inquest concerning
the death of a young woman named Mary Martin, aged 22
years, who was found dead in one of the Highgate ponds
on Saturday last under the following somewhat extraordi-
nary circumstances :—Anne Hill, of Alpha-terrace, Kil-
burn, was examined, and stated that deceased was her
sister, and had been living with her for nine months pre-
viously to her death. She left her home at six o'clock on
Thursday evening, after which witness never saw her alive
again. She had been in the habit of leaving home at night
when a policeman with whom she was in love was on night
duty. When he was on day duty the deceased never went
out at night. The policeman and deceased quarrelled
sometimes. Witness did not charge the policeman with hav-
ing thrown her sister into the pond where she was found.
Michael Maddigan, a labourer, said he was going to his
work at Hampstead on Saturday morning. On passing
near one of the ponds in the direction of Highgate-rise he
heard two or three loud screams. He looked and saw some
person in the water. He gave the alarm to another man and
to a police-constable. When he heard the screams he saw
no ono near the pond. It was nearly 7 o'clock when he
heard the screams. Police-constable 51 S stated that he was
on duty at Highgate at 7 o'clock on Saturday morning. In
consequence of information received from last witness he
and some other constables went to one of the Highgate ponds,
and after dragging it for about an hour and a half they re-
covered the body of Mary Martin. There were the footmarks
of a woman at the water's edge, but there were no indications
of a struggle. The centre of the pond in which the body was
found is about 20 ft-et deep, and the body lay at a distance
of 60 feet from the shore. There was a woman's mantle
lying on the bank, Police-constable 'William George
Bundy, 138 S, was the next witness. He stated that he had
been acquainted with the deceased. He saw her during the
greater part of Thursday night and the greater part of Fri-
day night last. It was ten minutes after six on Saturday
morning when she parted with him. She did not then
threaten to make away with herself, but he had often
heard her threaten to do so, and she had often asked him
to kill her. She wanted him to marry her, and he would
have done so had she conducted herself properly. He had
never approved her coming after him at night. He had
taken her home when she did so. She had attempted to
destroy herself four times before within the last 18 months.
The last of these attempts took place about four months
ago, and at the sane pond as that in which she was found
on Saturday. She asked him some time on Friday
night for the loan of a sovereign to buy clothes. He
refused, but stated that he would give her one if she
procured a situation and showed an inclination to earn
her bread. She became so excited sometimes that she lost
herself. He thought that was because she had been a long
time out of employment. She had been a servant. When
he refused her the sovereign she did not threaten to destroy
herself. She said she would buy clothes and get a situa-
tion if he lent it to her, and he now thought she'wouhl have
done so. He had rescued her from drowning on two occa-
sions, and he thought she supposed him to be near her when
she threw herself into the pond on Saturday. He parted
with her at the end of the Aland-road, Kentish-town, a
considerable distance from the pond. Mr. W. D. Saul, ono
of the medical officers of St. Pancras Workhouse, proved
that the deceased had died from drowning. There were no
wounds on her person, except a slight abrasion on the cheek,
which might have been caused by a fall or by the face hav-
ing been rubbed against the bottom of the pond. This was
the whole of the evidence. The jury found that the de-
ceased had committed suicide while in an unsound state of
mind.