The Sun.
London, England, 1817-08-23 00:00:00

MURDER AND FELO-DE-SE.

• CORONERS' INQUESTS. —An Inquisition was
taken yesterday before THOS: STIRLING and J.
W. UNWIN, Esqrs .. Coroners, at the' Slnice-house,
Ilornsey, and at the Red Lion, Stoke Newington,
it having been adjourned from the Sluice-house
to the Red Lion, for the purpose of 'investigating
the cause of .the deaths ..of Sarah Eliza Crofts,
aged 24 (whose body lay at
_the. Sluice-house),
and Maria Ayling, aged 20, and an illegitimate
Child, the son of Crofts .(whose bodies lay at the
Red Lion), who were found drowned in the New
River, uudet-the extraordinary circumstances we
stated yesterday.
,The evidence: was taken be-
fore both the Coroners. The place where the In-
quest was held was immensely crowded. r .
Win. Hornsby sworn—" I. am walk stnan of
the New River Company ; on iVednesday, about
eleven o'clock in the morning, I found something
against my scythe, as I was dragging Inc River
near Red Lion-lane ; I drew up the body of Maria
Ayling—a. silk
.handkerchief was tied over her
eves; her clothes were not discomposed. I car-
ried the body to the .Red Lion.---The child,•l and
my partner found about 40,yards from Maria Ayl-
ing ;• there were no marks of violence upon it. I
took it.to the Red Lion." ..
Robert Flight sworn—" I am a walksmen• of
the New River at HornserSluice..- On Saturday
last I found. a bonnet near the weed-grate. On
Thursday last, about 12 o'clock,, I saw the bbdy
partly out oldie water, close to the grate. 'I got
assistance, and took her out ; she proved to he
named Sarah Elizabeth Crofts ; she had 'a
hand-
kerchief, or lyere,of-silk, tied Over her mouth in
oue korit ; he carried the body to the 'Sluice-
huse. This body was thine than half a mile from
wilt re Maria ,A Ong and the.child were found by
the abase wo ness "
.I,llbes Sme.tley sworn—"- I am a painter and
rglaiiet :i'l. .rettle at No. 14, tronmouger,roW,
1 Old street, St. Luke's ' I h;tve • known the ; de-
ceased about a •ortOight 5 My acquaintance coot.
ineneed 'kith them by being'at wink next door to
wnerethey livid. They •were setvants to a gen-
! denim' named Guise, whose house was No. 13,
r Paimei:s- 1 tyraee, II olio wiiv,. i 4, the palish of Is-
lington. They bad cookta_sonte meat for me and
my, tellow4s( evaot , Morris; ..and .
.then asked us
.inio the honse,.4and.seemed. to court our company.-
-I breakta-tcd with them
,st Nirt. Guise's on Sam-,
slay ilk/truing, and slept .witb. 'both .of them the
pi-ecellital niglit.".
,-. . ... . .
_.JurynratlL-13!jth of Ahem I.•,Witne's, laagbed....;
• Mr. t.'"TiaLIN.O, ii;oroner-7-I)Atert laugh bere,.Sir;
you-onght-th 2 he flogged foryour. Vile profligacy;:
ebnii'dere youYiriiiiinct, and you.rill find you have
no -6ettiQe -It; letigii.•••• - • - • • • • :•
7 SteNtleyi t -Mil rutted-After they Bail breakfasted
:together on Saturday Morning I went to %rink at
"Mr. Harding's, No. 6, lii:th'eTerrace, and-returned
itt;atioacliil(;rt ti, hotir, it .tyttilliert• near half-past
n•iletreJoekel.:i was talking tts Crofts at berthas.,
ter",s.t.loor, ,sl4; told me that Maria wdi•gone to,
Al.!..l..c.Otinvi cflEpenict-i while they:were,spealo•-
inollyilgammwiping_in.likc.a.rnad•woinan,.and
said,. g. 0ix.,9:0d,.”.e, al•_ undone,, .we Fhall be,
iii,nrisonThelore night Jenkins threatens :to write
to ouf„master and expos!, its ;7 :she would,. not.
barme speak •at epitstiep Me toot of d00r5,..,- I :
went to work again at the windows of No: 6, and
alit.* brt:ore co .o'cioc.h I. saLgrats,.walk- by
with her child her arm,.and look_ sip as if she:-,
~.
wisnen to si.enk: to .me ; 1 I,iett ruled :-no-t to ,see:.
• • -

. . .
her, and she passed on tnwor.ds the New River,
1 went in half. an hour aftervVaras to give some
!policy to Nlitria Ayling, and knocked at the door,
Ina after kuucking repeatedly I came away,. rand
could' not get admission: —1 have never_ seen or
heard of either-of :hem until 1 was informed they
were ttilind" droivntd. •'•• -

Cron-examined 'by Mr. STIRLINQ.--I went to
the house of Mr. Guise ,-several :titpc3 on SArtir-.
tlay,• but con1(1.00t get iii.' I looked thrutigh the
wiude)vv:anli saw the tea. things -mutt cloths ss I

saw them at • breakfasu time: I went ,ttgaituon
Sunday, Monday., Tuesday, and,Wedmsday, and
found things in ,the.s;l»e•-situation., Was•-ofKaid
to make known the eiremustanFe ;in fact, did
not.know. who to inform of it. h knew the home
was in danger of being but did not knoW
what to 110, I believe, the, deceased drowned
themselves in consequence of what Mr. Jenkins
faicf. to them, being afraid of discloStire of
their conduct. • .
. .

William Morris sworn.—l. fon:a painter and
ilazier,.and have cohabited with the deceased for
about fortnight ; 1 have not seen either of, them.
since Friday night, the. 15th instant.; I suppeo
with7them and last. witness,. and left, him when .1"
went to town.—[This witness corroborated the
evidence of last witness; ye, has a wife and
family'.] .
Mr. Jenkins sworn-74 am a carpenter,and live
at Palmer's Terrace. About it fortnight ago "saw
„ ,
the two last witnesses and the deceased females .
talking together, and_ frequenting Mr. Guise's
house.; I 'found they cohabited together, and re-
monstrated with, the girls on Saturday last on the
"impropriety of their conduct. 1 told Maria I
should write to her master, who was at a water-
ing-place with his family.
• . ,
Mr. Thomas Yisc.aris, surgeon, Stoke Newing-
ton—On Wednesday last, about three o'clock
the afternoon, I was-called to see Maria Ayling,
who was found drowned, anti taken, Ao the ged
Lion; I found her in such a state that it }vas awl
less to open the body. 1 ordered the body to _be,
cleansed, and wentto see it, agtsin on
,the following morning ; •I found no fracttires on the head,
but on ~,the left.side of the breast andTheek I ob-
served a more than
.ordinary degree.of decompo-,
.Which might be the effect,of blows or vio-.
:lent treatment. I. cannot give . any positive evi
deace on that point ; and whether she wasmdrowned,,
or whether she died from the.. violence of any.
person or, persons, lic•co.uld not say.--[This wart-
ness-Werititosie a the other botlies _
.‘:
)!Re-examined-7I have the bodies of
Sarish•Crofts and,of her child ;:i can give no .other
opinion with. regard.to them
.than. what I have
with, regard to Ayling. The..appearances. of all
or them do not negative the probabillt y, that their
deatip were caused by drowning; c„rofts has., had,
two illegitimate children ; was delivered of them
in 'Newington Workhouse; onediid soon it;
birth.

Nrs. Herne. s worit--I know all the deceased per-

sons. r nursed the child till last TuesdayWoekt
when the mother took it borne, having the leave
of her mistress, as she said, to nurse it during
her absence. She (Crofts) was a tender mother,
and very affectionate to her child. On Saturday
last Crofts and Ayling were seen walking near the
New River, with the-child, about noon.
The Jury viewed the bodies ; there appeared
marks of violence about the head of Ayling ; there
was no appearance of violence on the child ; but
on the body of Crofts there were the appearance of
violent bruises.

The Coroner (Jr. ST•fitul,lo addressed the J,ttry.
lie said thlit the i‘itnesses Morris and Smedley
had given the plainest evidence, and.there was no
ground for supposing that they drowned.the.de-
ceased. It appeared to be their own deliberate
and horrible act: They not only murdered the
child', but themselves. The evidence proved theta
most abandoned creatures ; and it being proved
from circumstances that they had committed mur-
der, be conceived such characters were fit objects
to stiffer thC extent of the law, to deter Others
from the commission of the act of suicide.
There were two 'separate Juries, though they
received the evidence conjointly. They severally
returned the•following verdict" Wilful Mulder
against some person or persons nnknown with rem
gar(' to the (la!, supposed_Ltolts and Ayling
mud " Frio-de-se against Crofts and Ayling."
• • rue Loruners issued their -warrants to bury
them in the cross rOads,Ayling at Stoke New,ing.
too, ;:nd Crofis at klurusey. The child was or?,
tiered to be buried in
,Newingtorr Church-yard.