The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1867-01-05 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

FIRE AND PRESUMED SUICIDE IN CAMBRIDGESHIRE.  An inrineet was held on Monday, at Grantchester, near Cambridge, on view of the body of a poor girl named Aunie mi,b, wha would have been aged sixteen years on the day of the inquest. The Mecum. seances adduced and others disclosed the facts that Edward and Sarah Golden, man and wife, kept a public and lodgingranuee by the style of the 'Rose and Crown" at Grantches er. This couple formerly lived at Barton, of which the derearred was a native, and she acted as servant at the "Rose and Crown." Golden's house was full of lodgers, no less than eight coprolite diggers being . accomodated on the premises; two of these slept in a lower room next the road, and the others upstairs, four in oue room and two in another. Golden and his wife slept upstairs, and in consequence of the fullness of the house the deceased was compelled to sleep on a sofa or orptab in the bar. This was the usual state of things up to Friday night last. when Mrs. Golden, being unwell, retired to bed about half past-nine, and the deceased accompanied her u; stairs, bade her good night, and wished her better; the deceased then asked leave to sit up and mend her stays, of which she said she had only one pair. Her mistress gave her leave, and trusted her with part of a c mdle in a tall old4tothioned candle. stick, but warned her to go to bed directly she had , finished, and especially not to sit up in bed for the purpre4e. At teu o'clock the landlord retired to bed, leaving the girl up. The candle was then standing on a table, a yard or more off a window with some netted curtains attached. He also warned her to be careful of fire, and left her apparently mending her stays. He locked off communication between the bar and the house, but felt on the girl's side communication with the street open to her by the use of a key. About three o'clock on Saturday morning last an alarm of fire was raised ; the inside of the bar, and other lower parts of the premises were then all ablaze, and Gol -en, his family, and tho lodges were resi,ued with &lb oily. The fire burned furiously, and finally consumed the whole premises, and it was thought the deceased was burned, until on Saturday afternoon last her boots were found by the river sole, about 400 yards from the' Rose and Crown." A search resulted in the discovery of the body of the girl in the river, attired only in a print dress, a red petticoat, and a shift, but of course minus shoes and stockings. There were no marine of violence, illragage, burning, or pregnancy on the body, and the question of course arose as to whether the girl had committed suicide er no. It was elicited that she bore a very high character, and was much esteemed by her employers. The only evidence touching upon her having been Seen aiter the discovery of the fire by the neighbours and inmates was that 44 Robert Clark, a labourer, who depesed that on reaching the scene of the tire, he passed the pimp close to the "Rise and Crewn," and there saw a female, whom he thinks was the deceased, standing against the bowling alley. The female had a shawl over her head, but he could not positively identify her. When he heard a quarter if an hour afterwards that the; servant was burnt; he said, " Why, if I didn't see her just now, I saw some one just like her." When the body was got out 44 the river, ttere were no minks of burning on the dress, fl-oh, or hair. It appears that si one time ago the deceased upset some of the contents Of a frying-pan into the fire to the danger of igniting the chimney, and that her metre.s then told her, partly in jest, but partly as a caution, that if she did that again she would be transported. Them, were the circumstances for consideration, trail after a 1116 A summing up of the coroner, leaving the different phases of the question to the jury, the latter returned a verdict of "Found Drowned." The poor diggers and the landlord were uninsured ; they have lost their little all.