The Sun.
London, England, 1858-08-24 00:00:00

The SUPPOSED MURDER at CAMBER WELL•

AR inquest was held yesterday by Mr. Carter, coroner
for East Surrey, at the King's Arms, George-street, Cam-
berwell, on the body of Hannah Read, whose body woo
found the previous Friday in the Grand Surrey Canal, by
boy who was fishing. It having been reported that the de-
ceased, a girl 12 years of age, had been first violated, and
then drowned, much excitement prevailed in the neigh'
bourhood.

The jury having been sworn, and viewed the body,
Thomas Turner, a lad of 15 years of age, deposed that he
was fishing on Friday last in the Grand Surrey Canal for
eels, near St. George's-bridge. The hook caught in some..
thing which he brought to the surface, and found it to be
the body of the deceased. She was quite dead. Her cloth.-
ing was very poor, and her bonnet was on the wrong wayi
The front or top of the bonnet was before her face, and the
string appeared :o be tied behind her neck. He could not
say if it appeared tightly tied. The hands and legs were
perfectly free.

Thomas Gannon, police-constable 282, deposed that on
Friday last, when on duty in Peckham-grove, he received
information that a female bad been taken out of the canal,
and on coming to this house he found her here. On seeing
the body he found her bonnet concealing her face, and was
fastened behind her neck with a double knot; the string•
were quite loose, and could not cause strangulation. He
could pass his hand easily between her neck and the strings.
He described the hind part of her bonnet as being upper-
most. He unfastened the knot, and took off the bonnet,
but could see no mark of the strings on her neck. He noticed
no injury on her person. He was unable to say how long
she might have been in the water. His opinion was the
child must have tied the bonnet behind her neck.
On cross-examination, the witness said he was unable to
say exactly how the bonnet covered the face.
The boy Turner was recalled, and he put on the bonnet
as he saw it on the girl, and there could be no doubt it was
turned round by the action of the water.

Gannon, on re-examination, said he thought the girl had
destroyed herself. _ _

Mrs. Michell deposed that she washed and laid out the body
of the deceased on Friday afternoon last. At the request of
the child's mother she was assisted by Mrs. Buckland. On
taking off her clothes she found them very muddy, and also
her feet, legs, and boots. The face was covered with blood
and dirt. There were no marks about her person except a
slight bruise close to the elbow; the neck and chest were
discoloured, and there was a great deal of blood about the
taoutb. There was also a quantity of mucus from the
nostrils. She thought it desirable the deceased should be
examined by a medical gentleman.
Mary Ann Read, mother of the deceased, deposed she was
the wile of William Read, cowkeeper, residing at 3, Vic—
toria-place, York-street, Walworth. The deceased was her
daughter, and she was 12 years of age. She last saw her
daughter alive on Thursday morning, about seven o'clock.
She was in the employ of Mrs. Horsley, Addington-square,
going there by day and sleeping at home at night. She
usually left home about seven o'clock in the morning to go
to her place of service, returning home of late from nine to
ten o'clock at night. On Thursday morning she had a con-
versation with deceased respecting her supplying Mrs.
Horsley with milk, and told her she should send her elder
sister to make inquiries of her mistress respecting it.
Deceased received the money for the milk weekly, and had
accounted to her for all except a shilling for the last week's
milk. The deceased did not return home at her usual time
on Thursday night, and witness sent ker daughter Sarah to
look for her about ten o'clock. She was unable to find her,
and her husband went to look for her, but without success.
No one went to deceased's mistress to inquire for her
that night. Witness went out and met a policeman
in Addington-square, and inquired of him, but she
made no inquiries at Mrs. Horsley's, whose door she
passed, for fear of disturbing the family, it being near
twelve o'clock. She saw nothing of the deceased till Friday,
at twelve o'clock, when she was taken out of the water. She
was unable to account for the fact of her daughter destroy—
ing herself. On the Tuesday previous she got so late to her
employ that her mistress sent her back with the milk; but
on remonstrating with her she went to her employ, and re—
turned home in the evening about the usual time. On
Wednesday a fourth conversation took place between theta
relative to Mrs. Horsley's milk; and on Thursday morning'
witness sent the milk by her daughter Sarah after Hannah
(the deceased) had left home; and then it was witness
first discovered about the shilling having been paid to her
by her mistress. Her daughter enjoyed generally good
health. Witness did not know if the deceased had formed
any male acquaintances. She never spoke of labouring
under the apprehension of any one annoying her. She was
a quiet disposed girl. Witness suspected she had bees dealt
wrong with. She was toe timid to go to a lonely place by
herself. She usually went to and from her employ along"
King-street into East-street, and thence along the Wal—
worth-road to Addington-square. Witness had always
cautioned her against coming home by the way of the canal.
It was only owing to her being found in the canal that she
thought her daughter had been violated.
Mrs. Horsley, wife of Mr. Horsley, of Suffolk Brewery,
Addington-square, deposed that the deceased had been in
her service about five months past. On Thursday last she
came to witness's house about 20 minutes to eight o'clock.
She had been is the habit of bringing the family's milk,
but did not do so that morning In consequence of witness
having the previous day refused it. The sister afterwards
brought it, and made inquiries in deceased's presence as to
the time she left on Wednesday night. Witness said a little
after eight o'clock. Sarah asked deceased how it was she
came home so late, and she replied that she stood up out of
the rain. Witness also told Sarah she paid deceased on
Wednesday is. for the milk. Sarah asked her what she did
with it, and she replied, " I gave it to mother." Sarah
said she did not think she had.

Mrs. Read recalled—Deceased did not pay me the is.
Mrs. llorsley continued—She told the sister deceased
should leave in future at eight o'clock at night, and if she
was not home by half-past eight o'clock she would not be
with her. She had to nurse the baby, and do any domestic
work required when the baby was asleep. She was as
lively and cheerful on Friday as usual ; her premises ad—
joined the brewery, and five men were employed there, but
she never saw the slightest familiarity between her and the
men; she was unable to account for the deceased destroying-
herself. She did not know how she was treated at home..
She thought she did not appear afraid of her mother. 1-I,er
general conduct was goal, nod she nut Ly be a
strictly honest child. She had no reason to fear stay one
had done the child a wrong. She thought when she heard
of her death that the operation of fear about the
might have caused her to commit self-destruction.
Mrs. Read recalled—lf the deceased said to her sister, is
the presence of Mrs. Horsley, that she gave me the shilling-
it would have been false ; 12 months since deceased was
induced by another girl to take 9s. 6d. from witness, on the
promise she would double it in a short time. An inquiry
took place before the magistrate, and he, commiserating her
condition, gave her the money she had lost ; she did not
know that the deceased had recently seen the girl alluded to.
Deceased had never taken a penny since that time till that
of the shilling. She did not think her not giving witnese
the shilling had alarmed her, and operated against her
coming home. Deceased was affectionately fond of witness,
and she thought she would have told her if she bad lost or
spent the money. At the inquiry before the magistrate
nothing was said to alarm her if anything of the kind again
occurred.
Mr. Chabot, district surgeon of Camberwell, inspected the
body minutely on Saturday. He found a recent bruise on
the right elbow, about the side of the elbow, accompanied
with a slight scratch as of coming against gravel; the bruise
must have been caused immediately before immersion. His
opinion was there was no pretence for saying the child bad
been violated, or had received personal violence on any part
of the body. Deceased died from drowning. The blood
about the mouth and face arose from suffocation in drown—
ing ; the dark colour spoken of about the head resulted fro=
the same cause, as did also the dark spot on the body, which
had probably alarmed those who washed and laid out the
body.

At this stage of the proceedings the inquest was adjourned
till Wednesday for the sister's evidence .

ROYAL MEDICAL BENEVOLENT COLLEGII.--All
extraordinary meeting of the governors of this hospital was
held yesterday afternoon, at the oflice in Soho-square, Mr.
Henry Pownall in the chair, when a resolution was brought
forward for altering the second bye-law, in order to enable
the governors to increase the number of foundation scholars
to be maintained by the college from May next to 40. In
moving the resolution Mr. Propert, the treasurer, said that
nobody could deny the step was in the right direction.,The college had been founded not only for providing aut
asylum for, and annuities or occasional pecuniary assist..
ance to, distressed medical men and their families, but, a
school for their sons. He now came forward to propose_ in-
creasing the number of the foundation scholars from, 35 to
40. The list of candidates was appalling, no less than 132,
and many of them had been on the list for no less than
three years. Still he would not have proposed the resolu-
tion unless he was confident that the funds would bear it,
and unless they carried the motion it might be a very serious
thing to the college, seeing that so many candidates were
so near the age of admission that, unless they were now
elected, they would not be elected at all. He moved the
resolution with great pleasure, assured that every medical
man would joyfully lend a helping hand to the distressed
orphans of the members of his profession. Mr. Francis
Hird seconded the motion, and after a few observations
from Mr. Stilwell, of Epsom, and Mr. Ray, it was passed,
and the meeting separated.

EXTRAORDINARY DEATH.—On Saturday, Mir.
Coroner Brown held an inquest at Nottingham, upon the
body of a man named Murphy, a pensioner, residing in
Barker Gate, in that town. It appeared that Murphy was
smoking his pipe an evening or two previously, near his
home, when a neighbour's child about nine years old named
Handley, struck him in the abdomen in play. Murphy
immediately exclaimed, " Oh, I am a dead man !" and.
became so ill that three medical men were called in, but.
without avail, as the unfortunate man expired delirious the
afternoon previous to the inquest. The jury, after a length-
oned inquiry, returned a verdict of " Died from the effects
ea blow."
Lieut. - Col. Yerbury, late of the 3d Light
Dragoons, died a few days since at Belcomb, near Bradford,
Wilts, in his 55th year. The gallant deceased had seea
much active service in India. He served with the 8d Light
Dragoons throughout the campaign of 1842 in Affghanistan,
and was present at the forcing of the Khyber Pass, storm-
ing of the heights of Jugdulluck, the action of Tezeen and.
Hufkotul, where his horse was wounded, the occupation, of
Cabool, and the capture of Istaliff. He commander; his
regiment in the Punjaub campaign of 1848-V, and was pre-
sent at Ranonuggur, action of Sasloolapors, and the battles.
of Chillianwallah and Goojerat. Ile received a medal for
Affi.;lianistan, and a medal and two clasps for the latter
campaign. The deceased retired from the army, owing to
impaired health, in June, 1849.

A " TEETOTAL" BEQUEST.—The following curious
correspondence is published iu a contemporary :—"
At the request of the executors of the late Mr. James Den-
nington, of Northampton-square, we send you an extract
from his will, and shall be obliged by your informing us
whether you assent to the terms on which the legacy is
given to you.—We are, sir, your most obedient servants,.
OLIVERSON, LATIE, and PEACTIET. Frederick's-place,
E.C., Aug. 12. The Rev. R. Maguire." [Extrast.]—"
give and bequeath the sum of one hundred pounds to the:
Rev. Robect Maguire, incumbent of St. James, Clerkenwell„
in the event of his living on strict total abstinence prin-
ciples." " Clerkenwell, E.C., August 19. Sir,—l have co
acknowledge the receipt of your letter of 12th inst., inform-
ing me of toy interest in the will of the late Mr. J. DenniAg-
ton. In reply to your inquiry, I beg to say that it is not
my intention to avail myself of the bequest of my deceased
friend on the condition attached thereto. Of course, in a,
business correspondence such as this, I do not trouble you
with my reasons for declining to receive this legacy. These
must, indeed, be obvious to all. lam not a teetotaller; and
if I ever become a ' strict total abstinence' mats I hope to
become so on principle, and for no lower motive.—l remain,
sir, your obedient servant, ROBERT MAGUIRE, M.A. In-
cumbent of Cleikenwell. Messrs. Oliverson, &c." ,