The Sun.
London, England, 1828-04-03 00:00:00

CORONER'S INQUEST.

Yesterday evening an adjourned inquest was held
at the Westminster Hospital, before Tnos. HIGGS,
Esq., on the body of Elizabeth Bowdler, aged 17,
who destroyed herself by swallowing a quantity of
arsenic.

The Jury proceeded to view the body, which pre-
sented the remains of a remarkably fine young woman,
possessed of features of no common attractions.
Amos Bowdler, of No. 44, New Rochester-row,
shoemaker—The deceased is my daughter, and was
17 years of age last May. Last Saturday week I
sent my boy to ingaire whether it was a fact that
my unfortunate child had left her situation. He
brought word hack that it was true, and that she
was in lodgings in the New-road. I went myself
immediately to Mr. Long's, and the witness Wilson
denied all knowledge of my daughter. I, however,
found out her lodgings that night. Mrs. Collington,
the landlady of the house, told me that Mr. Long's
servant had been gone out about 20 minutes. I did
not find her that night; but the next morning found
her in a disreputable house. I inquired the reason
she had not come to her own home, when she left
her place ; she replied, " her younger sister and her
could not agree." She appeared unhappy and con-
fused, and I took her home. I have since found
out she had but 6s. and had been forced to pawn
her watch to raise the money. She appeared very
melancholy, and we could scarcely get her to eat or
drink. We did every thing in our power to com-
fort her, but of no avail ; she would not inform me
of any thing, and repeated several times to her mo-
ther that she would make away with herself,
—it was what she was born to. The
landlady where she lodged informed me that
a man had seduced her, and left her in distress.—
(Witness here produced three letters, given up to
him by a medical gentleman. They were written
by the deceased, and stated in one of them that her
father had found out that she had been at the theatre
and was like a madman, and implored him to pro-
vide for her, and shield her from her friends.)
The inquest was adjourned until last night, when
the jury re-assembled,.and the committee-room was
crowded with gentlemen anxious to hear the further
proceedings.

Hannah Collington, of No. 9, New-road, Chelsea,
stated that she had lived at No. 24, in the New-
road; the deceased was then lodging in the house
in a back-parlour : she took in shoe-binding, but she
lost her walk, and became distressed. Witness
advised her to go home to her parents, but she
refused, and said that she would sooner put an end
to her existence, as they had used her ill. A person
whom she called her cousin came to see her; had
only seen a glimpse of him ; he wore a cloak. On
the Tuesday he called, when they had some
quarrel, and her cousin left in a passion. Deceased
stormed, and cried, and appeared quite distracted;
she told witness he was not her cousin, but a ■redical
man, living near Chelsea-common. She had ex-
plained to him her distressed situation, when he took
up his hat and left her, and said he would not be
made a fool of. She exclaimed, " Oh, he has de-
serted me all at once, and now I will put an end to
my existence."

Juror—Do you know the reason of her leaving
her situation ?

Witness-7-She told me that she was so much at-
tached to a person, that she could not exist with-
out him; in fact, she could not attend to her work.
The medical gentleman, who had written the let-
ters, entered into a very candid explanation of his
conduct. He had accidentally met her, when she
smiled upon him. He followed her to Charing-
cross, and she gave him her address. He after-
wards called upon her, when a letter was put into
his hand from the deceased, requesting him to pro-
vide for her, which greatly astonished him. He
solemnly declared he was entirely innocent of any
illicit intercourse with the deceased.

The Jury said they were quite satisfied with the
explanation.
Verdict —" That the deceased poisoned herself in
a state of mental derangement, through being seduced
by a man unknown."