The Express. — 1846-10-26 (London, England)

INQUESTB.-MELANCHOLT SUICIDE THROUGH SEDocetosr.—Late on Friday night, Mr. \V. Payne, the City coroner, held an inquest at the Blue Pig, St. Mary Axe on the body of Mary Greene, an interesting female, aged 16 years, who pot a period to her existence by hanging herself on Friday morning, under the following melancholy circumstances:—Eliza Chitty, nursemaid in the service of Mr. Wilkinson, of No. 11, Jeffries-square, dosed— Deceased was my fellow *errant. She had lived in the family about six months. Saw her last alive at nine o'clock on Friday morning. She got up at half-past seven, and went about her usual work. Missed her shortly after nine o'clock, and upon going into the store room saw deceased suspended from the water-pipe. There was a ladder near. She had evidently got upon the ladder, and tied the rope by which she was suspended to the pipe, and afterwards thrown the ladder down. Witness immediately gave an alarm, and a man came in and nit deceased down. A surgeon was sent for, but she was quite deed. Can't say who ! her sweetheart was. Knew she had one, as she had told witness she was very fond of him, and that she could not exist without him.—Mr. T. Brown, surgeon, St. Mary ! Axe, deposed to being called on Friday morning to are deceased. Tried the natal remedies to restore animation, but she was quite dead. In reply to a question from the coroner, Mr. Brown said deceased had been recently seduced.— City policeman Tibbins, 645, said he was on duty in St. Mary Axe on Friday afternoon, when a person at Mr. Medona's printing-office asked him if it was true that a young woman of Mr. Wilkinson's had hung herself. Witness replied in the affirmative. The person then said, " My reason for asking you is because one of our men has been boasting that he took her out on Tuesday last, and seduced her." Witness had made inquiry, and found that deceased was out on Tuesday ' with a man of the name of Bowen, who is a compositor.—Catherine Knight, St. Mary Axe, knew deceased. Saw her last alive on Thursday night, when she came to witness's shop. She said she was very much distressed in mind. Witncm asked her the reason, when she said she had been keeping company with a young man, whom she said she had since found to be a married :can. That something had occurred which would prevent her from seeing her parents again. The young man she alluded to is Mr. Bowen, a compositor, in the service of Mr. Medona, Bt. Mary Axe.—The coroner here sent for the man Bowen. Upon his arrival, Mr. Payne said, I have sent for you that you may, if you can do so, contradict the statements that have been made. We are told that you have been in the. habit of this unfortunate young woman out lately, and that you did so on Tuesday last, and then seduced her ; and she, from fear of her disgrace, has put an untimely end to her existence.—Bowen : 1 positively deny it • juror : Have you ever seduced her ?—Bowen (smiling) : To be sure I have.—A juror: Have you any family ?—Bowen : Yes, I have three children.—A juror 'fhen you are • disgrace to society. Your object from the first, no doubt, was to seduce the unfortunate girl. She has hanged herself, and you areas much her murderer, morally, se if you hung her.—Bowen attempted to justify his conduct by saying that the girl was always running after hits.—A Juror regretted that they could not punish the man Bowen.—After a few minutes deliberation, the jury returned a verdict of "Temporary insanity, produced by the conduct of Bowen."—Dearn AND MILLI) or A