The Sun. — 1827-11-19 (London, England)

LOO BRIDGE.  Since the investigation that took place on Saturday night, before Mr. Halls, the Magistrate of Bow-street, respectinc, the death of the unfortunate woman that was drowned in the Thames off Waterloo Bridge the preceding morning under very suspicious circumstances, Alderson of Bow-street, and ,Edwards the parochical.officer of Saint Mary-le-Strand, have been unremitting in their 'exertions to discover the gentleman, against whom some degree of suspicion teas attached, in consequence of the address he gave at the time of the dreadful affair, (Mr. Clayton, No. 11, Upper Spring-street, Port Man-square,), having been ascertained to be false. The officers were out till near two o'clock this morning in search for him, as from some private information Alderson had received, that he sided over on the Surrey side of the Bridge; however, they returned to' their homes unsuccessful. About half-past eleven o'clock this morning, Gardner, one of the officers of the establishment, was sitting in the, parldur, reading the account of the investigation in one of the morning papers, when a young man, very genteelly attired in a fishionahle brown great coat, enter ed the rnom, and, addressing Gard= ner, asked if Mr. Alderson, the officer, was there ? Gardner held up his head, and at once suspected the appliernt to be the very individual suspected to be implicated in the late affair. Gardner said. " AldersOn is not here, Sir, but I suppose Edwards will do as well." The gentleman answered, "Yes:". to which Gardner replied, " I believe you are the person for whom they have been looking, re., specting the business on Waterloo Bridge?" The appli.; cant admitted he was ; that he had just read in the news.. papers the .acconnt of the investigation, .and he had there fore con* on purpose to. surrender hiinself, in order that the unpleasant affair should be properly explained. (lards. ner told him to take a seat,- and in a few minutes after Alderson came in, and the individual surrendered hithself into his custody. The account he gives of the transaction is as follows He says that the -young woman had cohabited with-him as his wife for the last seven years, and greater put oP that time she had obtained her living in the streets ; that her real name was Mary.AnnWitson, but she frequently- went by the name Of Clay.tsn, in whiCh name they took lodgingS at NO: 2; John-street; Waterloo-road. His ownnaine, he says is Henry Lawrence, and carries on busineas as a chemist and druggist, at No. 27, Grafton-street, Soho.=-: On the night of the unfortunate affair he went home to John-street, And not finding her at home, he went to look for her towards Piccadilly, and met her at the •toli of the Haymarket. - She then appeared very , low in spirits, and complained of not having bad anA• Money.' He laid hold of her arm, and they walked together toWards hoMe ; and, on. getting on to Waterloo-bridge, she stopped at the first entry, and requested him to go on, as she wanted to stop He refused, and said she had better hasten bonny; this, howeVer, she refused to do, and declared, unless he went home, she would not speak tir again. He persistedtin stopping, and returned again to 'the toll-gate, and told the collector that he feared she intended to [drown, herself; and. then returned to her. She had now .entered the second arch, and just as he got up, be saw her standing on the balustrades, and before he could get to her, she jumped off into the river. He railed out " Watch, watch !',' and Lawrence, the watch.: man, came up with Carlo the 'collector. He saw her, floating on the surface of the water. three or four minutes, and she then sunk. - He called out for a boat as' loud as he was able, but none put off to her aid. He declared most solemnly that the cry of murder, as reported, was never raised either by him or her ; -and that he is not at all plicated in her death. He. says that .once before. she tempted to, drown herself. He-. was to be eXamined at Bow.street.at twa o'clock. •  . • General the Duke of .