The Sun.
London, England, 1829-06-17 00:00:00

over with ashes, and thus have carried them out.—
IPratt and his wife were fully committed.
• LAMBETH.WriEgE

Yesterday afternoon, shortly before the business
of the day was over, and just as the sitting Magis-
trates (Messrs. HARDWICK and WYATT) were
about to leave the bench, Simpson, the Constable,
and Purdy, the watch-house-keeper, of All Saints,
Poplar, entered the office, bringing with them a
young man named William Jackson, to account for
an occurrence of a very mysterious and tragical
nature, which had on that morning taken place on
the river Thames.
Purdy stated, that about two o'clock the prisoner
and two foreign ladies were handed over to one of
their watchmen, by some of the men stationed on
board the Trinity barges lying off Mill wall, for the
purpose, as they then said, of having the females,
who appeared in a state of disturbed mind, taken
care.of, and the young man being brought before
their Worships in order to his giving some account
of the death of the third, who was drowned in the
river.

The prisoner, who appeared considerably affected
at the serious charge, which subsequently appeared
to be groundless, preferred against him, proceeded
to state, that he plied on the river, and that he was
on that morning, about half-past one o'clock, at the
Crane-wharf, near Greenwich College, when three
ladies came up to him, ar►d asked him if he would'
take them to London. He replied, that it was not
in his power; and just as he had given the refusal,
two warermen, named Gilbert and Hart, pulled up,
and he said to the former, " Gilbert, here's a fare
for you to town." Gilbert said he could not take
it, as he had a ship to go on board, and desired him
(the prisoner) to get a boat and row up the ladies
himself. He followed his advice, and having pro-
cured a wherry belonging to Burdon, a waterman,
the ladies went on board it. He then pulled up the
river, and just as they had got opposite to the
King's Arms tavern, Limehouse-reach, his three
passengers leaped up the same instant, and jumped
overboard one at each side, and the third over the
stern. He immediately stopped the boat, and with
his right hand he grasped one of them, while with
his left he held out an oar to the other, who sup.
ported herself by its aid for a minute or so on the
surface of the water. He then called out " murder,"
and a skiff from a Trinity yacht came to his assist:-
ance, but before its arrival he succeeded in getting
two of the ladies into the boat, and the third sunk.
Mr. WYATT—What is the appearance of the sur-
vivors--is it respectable ? Simpson answered in
the affirmative; they:seemed lady-like women, and to
have moved in good society. He found on one of
them, lie said, a passport, from which he inferred
that they were Hanoverians. The passport was
here handed in, and was made out in the names of

Charlotte Both, Hermandine Both, and Adolphine
Both, and purported to be for Hanover, via Calais
and Paris. It was under the hand and seal of
Count Munster, the Hanoverian Ambassador, and
was dated the 27th April last.
_ _ _

Mr. WYATT (to fackson)—llad they any con-
versation in your boat previous to their throwing
themselves into the water ? Jackson—None, Sir,
that I could hear.

Mr. WYATT—Did they, when you saved them,
seem grateful for your exertions? Jackson- They
never thanked me; but they did not look as if they
were sorry for being saved. _

Mr. HARDWICK asked where the surviving sisters
were at present ? Simpson replied, at private
lodgings, which he had procured for them, and
where they are attended by the parish surgeon ; they
seemed, he said, affected both in body and mind.
Mr. HARDWICK—DO they give any account of
themselves, or of this occurrence ? Simpson—By
what I have learned from them, Sir, they yesterday
morning left Chelsea, with the intention of going
to Woolwich, but on reaching Greenwich they
changed their mind, and determined on returning
home. For that purpose they got into the boat;
but their sister who was drowned (Hermandine)
getting ill, she, in leaning over the boat's side, fell
overboard, and they in endeavouring to save her,
were also precipitated into the water. They further
stated that they lodged at the house of Mrs. Wells,
151, Sloane-street, Chelsea, and that they had left
some property there.

.
Jacison was particularly questioned by the Ma-
gistrates as to the correctness of this version, and he
positively asserted that it was not true, for that the
whole flung themselves over, in different directions,
at the same moment.

Mr. WYATT—Did these ladies appear to be under
the influence of liquor ?—Jackson : Not at all, your
Worship.
The Magistrates said, that there was not the
slightest ground for supposing that Jackson was at
all culpable; on the contrary, he deserved rather to
be rewarded than censured, and holding this opinion,
they ordered his immediate liberation.

Jackson thanked the Magistrates, and giving his
name and address, said, that he would be at all times
ready to come forward when called upon.
Mr. Miller, the chief officer, received directions
to make inquiries at their lodgings and other quar-
ters, as to who and what these ladies were, and to
report the result on this day.
During the investigation a person in the office
suggested that it was probable they were the foreign
females who lately occupied, by their alleged claims
on the British Government, their freaks at Sablon-
niere's, and White Cross-street Prison, so much of
the public attention.