The Sun.
London, England, 1858-08-28 00:00:00

THE INQUEST.

At seven o'clock this evening Mr. Blagdon, the coroner
for the western division of the county of Sussex, and a jury
of the most influential inhabitants, assembled at the Spaniard
Inn, Chapel-street, for the purpose of opening the investiga-
tion into the circumstances attending the deaths of the un-
fortunate persons who lost their lives by the fearful calamity
of the sinking of the Mary Eliza pleasure-boat near this
coast on Thursday afternoon.
The jury then proceeded to view the bodies of the 12
dead persons who have been recovered, and which laid at
the Royal Baths, on the Parade, and presented a most
shocking appearance. That of Martha Smith, who was last
recovered, was fearfully disfigured. On the return of the
jury, the following evidence was taken :
Mary Ann Reading was the first witness—l am a servant
in the employ of Mr. Wm. Smith. I went out with the
children about two o'clock in the afternoon. Myself (Matilda
Lacey (a nurse), Emma Sharp (a nurse to Mr. Torr), and
Mrs. Torr's head nurse, went with the children. Ann Henna
went with us—but she was not saved. Ten children went
with us—six of Mr. Smith's and four of Mr. Torr's, and Miss
Jackson, was with them. The coachman's wife went with us
and one child. The child was saved. We all went into a boat.
It was named the Ann. A man named Blann was the boat-
man. His wife went with him. One other boatman was
with us. Ido not know his name. There were 21 in
the boat. I went into the boat by permission of my mis-
tress, and I took the children by permission. She knew
when she was going out that we were going on the sea. The
boatman was sober. I can't remember how long we were
out before anything happened. We went out for two hours.
We had been out some time. I don't remember where-
abouts we were, but the boat, I believed, turned over. I
cannot tell what caused it. I heard nothing said. We
were all thrown into the water. I was saved by clinging
to a sailor. I was picked up by another boat.
The Coroner—Twenty-one went out—how many were
drowned ?

Witness—l cannot rememhr. I have seen the bodies of
some of them—all but Martha Smith—and I recognise them
all as the same parties who went out in the boat.
By the Jury—The wind bad not been blowing very hard
before the accident took place. We first went in a small
boat to get into the large boat. I have nothing more to add.
Jacob Tester was then examined by the coroner—l am a
boatman. Yesterday I went out with the boat named the
Mary Eliza. She belonged to Mr. George Wood. He lives
at Wortniug. Another boatman went with me. His name
was Edwin Blann. We took out 19 persons in the beat, be-
sides ourselves. We reached the beach about 20 minutes
after four. The weather was very fine at that time. Ido
not know the tonnage of the boat, but it was about two and
a half or three. She would carey seven or eight tons. I
should consider her safe with that number. I have gone oat
with 28 people in her—all full-grown people. I was in the
forepart of the vessel, tending the fore-sheets. Edwin Blann,
who is dead, was steering her. The boat was 22 feet long by 8
feet in beam. When we started we went to the eastward. We
were out some time before anything took place. I should
think we had gone three-quarters at a mile from the shore.
Everybody appeared very cheerful, and not one of us appre-
hended the slighest harm. The weather was very favour-
able and the wind was by no means fresh. I was, as I be-
fore said, in the forepart of the boat, and some songs were
being snug. Mrs. Blann sang a song, and her husband
began another, but he had scarcely finished the first verse
when all of a sudden—l can't say how—l found the boat go
down. We were thrown into the water, and I found my-
self clinging to the topmast, my feet rested on the cap of the
topmast, and while there several persons, children and
adults, caught hold of me. I became nearly exhausted, and
some of the persons were washed away from me, several,
however, still retained their held on different parts of my
dress. We saw another boat reaching for the shore. I
hailed it. It was the Fairy lugger. The master of the
Fairy called out to keep our spirits up, as be would assist us
as poll as possible. In a few minutes she came alongside,
and we were, eight in number, brought ashore.
Several other witnesses were examined, but nothing de-
nits was elicited.
The jury returned A verdict in pccorttncB with thy 81,17
cloncl of IVOR!