The Sun. — 1858-09-13 (London, England)

THE DISTRESSING FATALITY AT WOLVERHAMPTON.  On Friday Mr. W. H. Phillips, deputy coroner, opened the inquest, at the Fighting Cocks Inn, at Blakcnall, on the body of the young girl Emma Griffiths, who, under the distressing circumstances already recorded, threw herself down an old coal pit shaft near the above-named inn on Wednesda Last. The following evidence was given :  Sophia Harper, wife of Joseph -Harper, collier, had known deceased four months ; she was about fifteen years of age, and had been living as servant of all work at the beer-house of William Traunter, at Blakenall. Traunter was also a collier. Deceased always appeared in her right mind. Witness saw deceased last on Tuesday morning, when her mother sent for her and asked if her daughter had been sleeping in her (witness's) house. Witness replied that she had not. Deceased was then crying, and appeared much distressed. Witness went with the jury and identified the body, which the jury remarked appeared that of a " mere child." William Cartwright, a blast furnaceman, deposed that at about 11 o'clock on Wednesday morning he saw the deceased running up the road leading from Penn to Bilston. Her father was then 20 yards behind her. When she came to Dainty's garden, without speaking a word, she turned along a byroad leading to the Cockshut engine, ran up the bank which surrounded the pit, which is about six feet from the path and 20 yards from the turnpikeroad. She flew to the pit like a bird, and rolled over the wooden protection around the pit on her side. Witness was quite sure that the deceased did it wilfully. [Here the Coroner and jury proceeded to the pit in question. The 'shaft was protected with some stout oak planking, reaching up about three feet from the ground. It was evident that the suicide must have been the result of much deliberation.] Examination continued—Witness heard the deceased fall upon the scaffolding, which was 69 yards from the mouth of the shaft. _ _  Joseph Elwell, eugineman in Messrs. Poole's field, deposed that some one came to him and said that a girl had thrown herself down a pit. He went to the spot, and was let down by a rope. He went down three times, and dragged for her through the :30 feet of foul air; at last he got air-troughs which cleared the shaft to within nine yards of the scaffold. Through that he went down to the. scaffold, where he brought her up. He considered that , the pit was properly fenced. John Griffiths, collier, living in Traunter's-yard, Dudley-road, deposed that he was the father of the deceased, who was fifteen years and four months old. She had been living at service at the house of William Traunter, who lived by him (the father), and had been there about six months. She came home on Sunday morning ; and when he got home the girl was in bed. He asked her what brought her home ? She said that her master had been " pulling her about." Witness replied, " Then, my wench, I'll make an example of him." She was then very much agitated, and then, and on Monday and Tuesday the sight of a man seemed to frighten her. On Tuesday, she went to her aunt •at Willenhall, and told her how her master had been treating her. He instructed her to meet him at the magistrate's clerk's office. She failed to do so, and when he went home at night he found her in bed. He asked her why she did not meet him ? She said, " Father, I was ashamed ; I am very bad." She had not taken off her clothes since she had been home. He said, "My wench, it's no use for you to deceive me, for to-morrow I will take you to a surgeon's, and I will get a special warrant for him." : On Wednesday morning, however, he found, upon getting up, that she was gone out from home. He saw her near the Penn turnpike, and, accompanied by his little boy about 5 years old, followed her at about 30 or 40 yards' distance. When she got near the Fightini, Cocks she ran towards a p't • witness then shouted out to her " Oh, my • , wench, what are you going to do ?" and sherolled herself over. He did not believe that she knew what she was about, for on the Sunday when Traunter came into the yard the deceased became dreadfully agitated, and wanted to. go out at the front window. Her mother, Who .Was now near her confinement, and who was unable to attend from premature ness brought on by this occurrence, said, "My poor. wench, what .as the matter ?" Deceaeed had not' then told her mother all that she afterwards re-. vcaled. The Coroner inquired whether on any previous Occasion the deceased had come home and com-, plaincd of ill-treatment ? Witness said she had not, but when he put the question to her respecting Traunter's previous conduct, she Said that he had " pulled her about, before," but .hadlieVer " served her so bad as on' Sunday morning:" lle (witness) was able to say a great deal More about that, but he supposed that' it was not necessary there. He, however, hoped, that he should be able to punish .Traunter. • The Coroner said he had no power to interfere. with that, but he,shonld'recommend him to go to a• solicitor and take hiS "advice ; and he (the Coroner)`. sincerely hoped that he -(the father) might succeed. in prosecuting Traunter, • If all was true that the father had 'Stated, he (Traunter) richly deserved to be severely punished. The father said that he was a poor man, and had no money, but he would put himself to the utmost inconvenience to prosecute him. He could not, however, tell how he should be able to find the means of doing so. - • Police-constable James Hosley and another officer, on the instruction of the Coroner, examined the body, and returning said that the leg was cut through the bone at the knee. The right shoulder -was dreadfully broken, the left wrist was broken, and there were other injuries. The Coroner then said that although- it was not, ecessary to the ease, as' it appeared before the jury, yet as the father expressed himself unable, through poverty, to call in professional help, he thought that the jury would concede with him that it would be well to have the body exas mined-by a surgeon, and adjourn the inquest for that purpose. The jury warmly apprOved of the suggestion, and expressed themselves in strong terms upon the supposed conduct of Traunter, who they said, was known as Traunter;the fighter.' The inquest was then adjourned till Wednesday next, to afford time for the post mortem examination. The Coroner'told the father that if he could do anything more for him in bringing Traunter to justice he should be glad to do so.  • [