The Sun.
London, England, 1827-09-17 00:00:00

INQUEST ON JANE FRY.

An adjourned inquest was held at the Fighting
Cocks, Ryde, on Monday, Sept. 10, before *ln.
Hearn; Esq., Coroner of the Isle of Wight, on the
body of Jane Fry.
Mr. Maven, assietant to Mr. Banks, the surgeon,
was called to the deceased between eight and nine
on Monday morning the scl September; he found
her lying on the beach surrounded by sea-weed,
quite dead; she was removed to the room, end the
Coroner sent for; he had, with Mr. Banks, made
an examination of the deceased, and found her sto-
mach filled with undigested food, no ernell of spirits,
no symptoms of poison having been swallowed ;
the viscera perfectly healthy; she was not with chili,
and witness described the reason from which
concluded she had recently ceased to be a maiden.--
He farther stated that there were no perks of vio-
lence, except two small scratches on the left side,
which, he concluded, were produced by the friction
of the sand as she was washed ashore.

Mrs. Parke, the wife of Captain Parke, R.M.,
stated that Jane Fry had lived with her as a nur-
sery-maid seven months; that she always thought
her a well-behaved servant, and that- she was of a
very cheerful disposition ; that she had on one occa-
sion only known her go out without leave, when
she had spokes to her about it; that on Saturday
night, the Ist day of September, about half-past
eight, she heard deceased walking to the door, when
she asked if it was her, and upon being answered in
the affirmative, said, " I do not permit you to go
out at night"—to this no reply was made; the de-
ceared went out, and never returned. Witness and
the family went to bed about half-paAt ten ; is quite
sure deceased did not sleep in the house.
Elizabeth Fry, the sister of Jane Fry, stated that
deceased was about sixteen years of age; the last
time she saw her was about nine o'clock on Friday
evening, the 31st day of Aug., near Mr. Edw. Car-
ter's, in the High-street; she was then walking arm
in arm with an officer. Witness requested deceased
to quit him, which she refused, although witness
represented the consequences of her continuing, with
him. She has never seen her since. .

Atiother witness proved seeing het with the same
officer on Friday night, in Kepple-row, which, she
stated, was a place that had houses of ill-fame in it.
• Mr. Hollingsworth, the proprietor of the Royal
Clarence Rooms, stated, that a short time before
nine o'clock on Saturday night, a man of the name
of Hutchins, came to the Rooms, and stated that a
person, whose shrieks and struggling he had heard,
was drowning near the Eastern Bathing Machines;
that he had left a woman on the spot, whilst he ran
for aid. That witness directed a warm bath to be
prepared, and accompanied the man to the spot,
whilst Mr. Brenton, his assistant, pushed off the
beach in a small boat, and pulled to the Eastward.
When they arrived where the woman was standing,
all was silent, and no person could be discovered.
The woman declared she had heard the shrieks, and
the man that he had seen the person struggling, and
almost out of the water. That it looked dark, and
had a black hat or bonnet on, but he could not dis-
tinguish which.

Mr. Spike, assistant to Mr. Tyler, linen-draper,
of Portsmouth, stated that he knew the deceased
very well; that he saw a pair of gloves sold to her
in the shop on the Saturday night, and that he saw
her on Sunday morning, between seven and eight
o'clock, in the High-street, Portsmouth : that he
spoke to her, and she nodded to him ; that she wore
the gown produced, which witness had sold to her.

Tile Jur), consulted together for ten minutes, when
their foreman (Mr. Ferrell) returned a verdict—
" Found drowned, but how or by what means does
not appear."—Hampshire Telegraph.