The Blandford and Wimbourne Telegram. — 1880-02-06 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

SUPPOSED SUICIDE OF A SERVANT AT WEYMOUTH.  On Sunday morning Joseph Hart was walking at Greenhill, and observed in the sea what appeared to he a sailor's bed. However, as a wave lifted the object he found it to be the body of a woman. P.O Haines was on the beach at the time, and at once identified it as the body of a young woman named Catherine Morrice, for whom he was searching, and who had been missing from Jordan Farm, Preston, since the previous night. The body was at once taken to the Park Hotel, and Dr. Rhodes at once sent for, but the poor woman had evidently been dead Kim- hours. The inquest ‘./01 held on Monday evening at the Park Hotel, before R. N. Howard, Esq. The jury were :—Mr. Job Rogers (foreman), and Messrs. S Marder, Barch, J. R. Cotton, S. Martin, .1. Pickard, J Keeley, J. Howard, T. Drayton. J. Cook, C. J. Hughes, end J Smith. Police Sergeant Coates, stationed at Radipole, said on Saturday last be went to Mr. Charles Slott's. at Jordan Farm, Preston, where the deceased was a servant, saw her in the kitchen, and told her and the other servant that Mr. Scutt had been losing money, and he had called me in. Told them he wished to see over their boxes, if they were quite agreeable. Neither of them objected, and he then went upstairs with the nurse. Her pockets were first turned out, and then he went with her to her bedroom and searched the room thoroughly, but found nothing in her boxes belonging to Mr. Scutt, At this time the deceased was in the kitchen wit's Mr. Scott, whilst Mrs. Scott had accompanied in the search in the nurse's room. The pockets of the deceased were searched, but he found nothing, and in her bedroom he searched several things, but her box was locked. She had forgotten where she had put her keys. I told her the box would have to be opened; but in the first top drawer of the kitchen dresser he found the bunch of keys, as well as one key loose. The box was then unlocked in the presence of Mrs. Scutt, and he took out various articles. but Mrs. Scutt could not identify any of them. In the box was also a small one, which was locked, and a "'ill' forming part of the big box was also locked. I found in the box £43u. 6L, and in a purse in the "till' 2s. 341. None of it was marked. Went to Mr. Scutt's bedroom, tried the keys, and found one of them unlocked the cash-box, and the loose key unlocked the outer drawer of a chest of drawers in Mr. Scutt's room. The deceased was present all the time. They then went to the kitchen, and he went to Mr. Scutt's room. Whilst there he heard that the deceased had gone out of the back-door with her hat on, and with Mr. Scutt he went out to find her, but did not succeed. Did not see her again until she VMS taken out of the water at half-past eight the next morning. Saturday night was very dark and rather mi,ty. There is no protection from the beach. In answer to Mr. Pi-kard, witness said the deceased was quite willing that her box should he searched. John Mears, the sweetheart of the deceass.l : I am in Mr. Scutt's employ at Jordan Farm. I saw the deceased at eight o'clock on Saturday night, in the farm-yard, near the stables. I was talking to her about ten minutes. We arranged to see each other the next evening at six o'clock, to go for a walk. She seemed in her usual health and in good spirits. As far as I could see there was nothing amiss with her. She was about 24 years of age, and belonged to Tintinhull, near Yeovil. Dr. Rhodes: I saw the deceased yesterday morning, about nine o'clock, immediately upon her being brought to the Park Hotel. She was quite de id, and had been dead for souse hours no doubt. There were no marks of violence on her body, and there was every appearance that she had died from drowning. Joseph Hart, labourer, spoke to the finding of the body. Mr. Charles Scutt said : I am a farmer hying at Jordan Farm, and the deceased was a general servant in soY employ since March last. I had recently missed money at various times, and the last was bet cern five and seven on Saturday. My suspicions were aroused in consequence , of • drawer having been opened, information of which was gum him by his wife. I was accuatossed to  keep my money in a cub-box in the drawer in my bedroom. It w locked at five o'clock and at half-put it was unlocked. I had gone to Dorchester in the morning. and on my return at seven, upon being told the drawer was unlocked. I examined the cash-box, in which he had put some marked money. He found a marked florin had liven taken. I met Sergt. Coates at eight and brought him to the house, as he has stated. I was afterwards present with Coates, the deceased and my wife in my bedroom, And saw the sergeant unlock my cash-box with one of the keys on the bunch which belonged to the deceased: and the drawer with the loose one. I did not see the deceased leave the house. I helped to search for her, and went half a - mile on the road, to try and find her. Th next morning I saw tracks and a gate opened which led me to suppose the deceased had gone through the field in the direction of the cliffs. When Cates went upstairs with the nurse and Mrs. Scott I saw the deceased go to the drawer and put away several kitchen cloths. It was in this drawer that the keys were found. The marked fi kin was afterwards found in the drawer where the keys were. In answer to a juryman: I had taken my key of the cash-box with me to Dorchester. Continuing, witness said the deceased was a good servant. She was never very cheerful, in fact he had never seen her smile in his life. Verdict—" Found Drowned."