The Sun.
London, England, 1832-09-19 00:00:00

William Sawer, a shopman in the service of Mr.
Bowtell, deposed that a party, consisting of himself,
the deceased, four of his brothers, and a man named
Christian Ficken, formerly apprenticed to Mr. Bow-
tell, having .agreed upon an aquatic excursion to
Richmond, on the morning of last Sunday se'nnight,
they embarked about 9 o'clock, and took with them
a bottle of gin and a gallon of porter, some of which
was consumed on their passage to Richmond, where
they arrived safely, and dined at a tavern. They had
several pots of porter there, and after dinner was
ended, Christian Ficken called to the landlord to
being the brandy bottle, when about five or six
glasses of brandy were drunk among the party.
They then went for a walk in Richmond-park, leav-
ing Ficken behind them in the house, and on their
return back they found him drinking with another
party in the room, and he seemed a little inebriated,
our not to any extent. They then prepared for
their journey home, and Ficken assisted in rowing
the boat. On arriving off Chiswick they halted,
and came ashore, for the purpose of taking
on board a young female, who had agreed
to accompany them to town in the boat. They
proceeded until they arrived about midway be-
tween Putney and Battersea-bridges (it was than
quite dusk), when Ficken, who was rowing with
one of the oars, complained of being tired, and said
he would steer the boat. He accordingly changed
places with the man at the helm. He then called
for his coat, which was handed over to him by the
deceased, who sat immediately in front of him.
Shortly afterwards witness heard the deceased's
eldest brother exclaim, " Oh, my poor brother's
gone ;" and it was with the greatest difficulty that
witness could prevent him from jumping into the
stream, his feelings were so agitated. Finding what
had happened, witness went to look for the deceased,
when he saw Ficken struggling in the water, having
hold of the boat with his left hand ; but he saw
nothing of the deceased, neither did he know by
what accident he had disappeared. They were all
sober except Ficken, and he appeared collected, and
knew what he was about. Ficken managed to
scramble into the boat by himself.

Emily Detmering, the female alluded to, who lives
servant at No. 155, New Bond-street, being sworn,
stated that she sat next the deceased, as already de-
scribed, who conversed wi h her as they proceeded
along the river, when, between the two bridges
above-mentioned, she saw Ficken go to the boat's
stern, and heard • him call for his coat. In a few
minutes afterwards the deceased fell back over the
boat's side into the water, without any visible cause.
She caught hold of his leg and held him for about
a minute and a half, when she let go, in consequence
of hearing Ficken call out, " It's all right, I've got
him safe." On looking round she saw Ficken in the
water, but knows not how he came there. The de-
ceased disappeared the instant she let go her hold
of him.

Juror—Did Fieken appear jealous at your con-
versing with the deceased ? Witness—He ap-
peared rather sulky, but I am not aware that it arose
from feelings of jealousy.
The deceased's brothers were next examined, but,
though they sat facing the deceased, none of them
saw how he disappeared from amongst them. The
party appeared friendly.
The CORONER and Jury here remarked that it
was a most extraordinary circumstance, that out of so
many persons not one should have witnessed the
accident.

Ficken was next examined, and extraordinary as
it may appear, declared that though perfectly sober
and collected at the time, he knew not how the de-
ceased or himself came into the water.

Juror—Do you recollect having hold of the de-
ceased in the water? Witness—l do, and telling
the female so; but what happened afterwards, or
how I got into the baat, I cannot remember.
The CORONER and Jury said it was impossible for
them to believe such a statement, and were of opi-
nion that this witness knew more than he was wil-
ling to disclose.

Ficken, on arriving at the Swan, called for a
quarter') of brandy, which having drunk he went up
stairs and shifted his wet clothes, without telling any
of the deceased's brothers how the deplorable event
happened.

A gentleman, named Brying, who happened to
be at the Swan at the time of the accident, heard
Ficken say that the accident was occasioned by his
falling out of the boat, and dragging the unfortu
nate youth after him, and that he had enough to do
to save himself without trying to save the deceased.
He appeared at this time collected and sober, and
although the rest of the party appeared over-
whelmed in grief, he seemed not the least concerned.
Ficken denied having made the above confession,
but merely told the gentleman that others of the
party had said that the accident occurred in that
way.

The Jury, after censuring in the most severe
terms the conduct of Ficken, returned a verdict,
" That the deceased was drowned, but how he came
into the water there was no satisfactory evidence to
prove."
The body of the deceased was not found until
Monday morning.

An inquisition was taken on Monday night last,
at the Lord Liverpool public•house, in Charles-street,
Stepney, by Mr. Baker, touching the death of Mr.
William Edward Williams, a respectable surgeon,
in good practice, in that neighbourhood, who came
to his death in consequence of taking an over dose
of laudanum while in a state of inebriation.

The CORONER and Jury, after hearing the testi-
mony of the witnesses, were of opinion that the de-
ceased bad not taken the laudanum with any inten-
tion to destroy life; but being, unfortunately, in a
state of intoxication, he had taken too large a dose,
which terminated his existence. They accordingly
returned a verdict to that effect.

Yesterday morning, about 4 o'clock, a
female of respectable appearance, apparently about the
middle age, was observed by two men sitting in a state
of •dsspondency in one of the alcoves of Westminster-
bridge. They questioned her, but could get no reply
from her, and she seemed to be almost insensible. They
raised her up, when a small phid fell from her dress upon
the seat, with a portion of laudanum in it. The men
lost no time in conveying her to the home of Mr.
SALTER, the surgeon, who introduced the stomach-pump,
and ultimately succeeded in preserving her lite. On being
able to speak, the unhappy woman said that her name was
HARRIET SIMPSON, that her husbind had left her quite
destitute on Saturday at her lodgings, in James's-court,
New-cut, and that she bad since learned he was living
with his own sister in adultery. Her feelings could nut
bear up under the affliction, and she had made up her
mind to put an end to her troubles by drowning her-
self, for which purpose she had gone to the bridge, but on
reaching there she had altered her mind, and resolved on
swallowing Liudanum. The poor creature said that her
father lived in Lambeth-walk, and he would give her
shelter. Mr. SALTER humanely placed her in a coach,
and conveyed her there, where the unfortunate woman was
received with every kindness.