The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — 1825-11-22 (London, England)

AFFECTING INSTANCF. OF SELF-DESTRUCTION.—YeSter. day afternoon, an inquiry was held before Richard Carter, Esq., at the Lord Wellington public-house. Kent-road, touching the death of a young girl named Harriett Runcorn, whose body was found in the Surrey Canal the preceding morning. The deceased had been missing by her friends nearly three weeks, and from a letter found on the bank of the Canal (a copy of which will be seen below), on the evening of her departure from home, there was every reason for believing that she had committed suicide. Her brothers and sister, at a very early hour on the morning after the letter was delivered, repaired to the canal, and having obtained drags from the landlord of the Lord Wellington public-house, commenced searching for the body. After they had been thus employed some hours without success, they abandoned the undertaking, and not hearing any thing of the deceased, it was rather believed site had fallen Into bad company, and had been pre. stalled upon by some wicked person to indite the letter above al. hided to. These surmises proved to be without foundation, for the dead body was picked up by two bargemen on Sunday, and was afterwards conveyed to the Lord Wellington public-house. A gentleman who occasionally superintends the Smith-street Sunday-school, in Newington parish, was here asked some questions by one of the Jurors respecting the conduct of the deceased, who had been lately in the habit of attending the school. He stated that the young girl was apparently very low spirited, and having particularly noticed it on the day before she quitted her mother's roof, he questioned her, but she gave no reason for her depression. Sarah Piggott, a widow, who lives in the same house with the mother of the deceased, said that the deceased had left her situation about nine weeks ago, in consequence of ill health. She used to walk to and fro in the garden in a desponding way. Her step was net agitated, but slow, and she cast her eyes on the ground. , In her conversation she betrayed a disordered mind. She was rather a fine girl, and was tall for her age. being in her sixteenth year. A youth and she were on friendly terms, and were in the habit of going to chapel together on an evening ; a disagreement had arisen between the deceased and her sweetheart ; she lived nn must friendly terms with her family. On the evening the de. ceased left home, a letter was brought, haring been picked up by a bargeman on the bank of the Surrey Canal. The hand-writing was that of the deceased. It was written in these terms, bearing date Oct. 91.  " Dear Mother—l have left my home myself to make away, and at the bottom of the Canal, there you may find me. flood bye, dear mother, and sister, and brothers. I wish you all welL And now I am gone, for ever farewel ! farewel !" The letter was neatly folded up, and on the outside were thae words...." I live at No. 23, Rant-lane, Walworth." To a question by a Juryman, witness said she did not know where the deceased could have written the letter. Verdict—" Insanity." Yesterday evening another inquest was held at the Town-house, Mile-end 0141 Town, on the body of a young man named James Ilanstead, which had been picked out of the Regent's Canal. The death of this young man, it appeared by the evidence, was entirely attributable to the gross negligence of the Regent Canal Company. On Saturday night, between ten and eleven o'clock, as he was coming over the 31de-end Lock, the footway being in a decayed state, he slipped into the Canal. He was crossing over the lock for the purpose of opening it, to let a barge through ; there was a handrail to it, but the footpath was quite rotten and decayed, and so round. instead of being flat, that, by night particularly. it was almost impossible to keep on it, and escape danger. He was taken out in about two hours ; he was then quite dead. By the evidence of one witness it appeared that three persona had lately, in consequence of the bad condition of the footway, fallen into the canal, and by the greatest chance, escaped with their lives.  flic Jury returned a verdict of " Found drowned."  An inquest was held on Saturday afternoon at the Red Lion, Ilanway-street, Oxford-street, to inquire into the death of Wesgate Capping, Esq. It appeared that the deceased had been lunatic for many years. Latterly lie had lived with Mr. Hughes, a chinanaan, of Hanway-street, who was allowed 801. a.year for his maintenance. His habits were exceedingly filthy, and it was necessary to wash him daily. 1/n Tuesday, in getting out of bed to see his brother, he staggered against the door post. He afterwards drank a glass of brandy and another of beer. He fell ill, and gradually became worse till be died, on Friday morning. Mr. Hughes was examined at great length by the Jury as to his treatment of the deceased, but nothing was elicited to his prejudice. The only fault was his not calling in meslical advice wben the deceased was dying. Mr. flushes said, that in a ca►e of lingering sickness and gradual decay like this, he did not consider it necessary. The body was inspected by two sun. grans, who found upon it no bruises sufficient to cause death, nor any appearance that the deceased had perished froth btarvatiou, The Jury found a verdict accordingly,