The Sun. — 1858-10-25 (London, England)

HORRIBLE AND FATAL ACCIDENT TO A CLERGYMAN'S DAUGHTER.  BRISTOL, SATURDAY NIGHT.  Our fashionable suburb of Clifton has just been thrown into a state of the most painful excitement, in consequence of the death of a young lady, the daughter of a clergyman residing in the neighbouring county of Gloucester, under circumstances of the most appalling description. The young lady in question, Miss Mary Richmond, was an interesting girl of 18 years of age. Miss Richmond, at the time of the occurrence which terminated so fatally, was on a visit to a connection of her family, Mrs. Marshall, the widow of a clergyman residing at No. 8, Arlington -villas, Richmond-park, Clifton. The young lady was of a contemplative turn of mind, and the weather yesterday being of a very inviting character, she went out in the afternoon to take a stroll upon the Downs. She appeared to be greatly delighted with•the beautiful scenery of the iCvon, and entered into conversatiox with some ladies on the promenade, and also with two of the men who stand near the Observatory vending specimens of the famous " Bristol diamond" and other fragments of the rocks. 'From two of those vendors, Chas. Burston and -William Bryant, she purchased fossil specimens, after which she was observed to wander to a cliff called " The Lion's Head Cliff," which stands at an elevation of upwards of 300 feet from the road below, and from which is obtained magnificent views of the Avon-the Hotwells, the Leighwoods, Ashton, and the surrounding scenery. From this tremendous height the unhappy young lady fell. The precise circumstances which led to the terrible accident were differently stated, but that it was an accident and not, as was at first stated, a suicide, there can be no unreasonable doubt. According to one statement, Miss Richmond was absorbed in the perusal of a book, and unconsciously walked over the edge of the precipice ; another account states that she was endeavouring to gather one of the pretty rock plants which grow in the crevices of the limestone formation, and that in her efforts to reach it she overbalanced herself, and so fell. In her descent she was observed to beat against the projecting points of the cliff, and. finally to pitch on her head on the winding road which skirts the river. Henry Houston, a man in the employ of the Great Western Railway Company, and a young man named Castle, residing at 4, Dowry-parade, Hotwells, witnessed the accident, and ran at once to the spot, but the unfortunate young lady was beyond the reach of any human aid, having been dashed almost literally to pieces. Her face was shockingly torn and mangled, her lower jaw being broken and forced in on one side, several of her ribs and. her arms and thighs broken, and the flesh of her leo.s torn and lacerated. In -her descent her clothes were much torn, and her bonnet and shawl remained half way up the.cliff. Her body was removed to the Gen. Draper Tavern, where Dr. Crichton was called to see it. Information was aft6rwards given to the coroner for the city, who will hold an inquest on Monday (this day.) By the coroner's leave, the corpse will be removed at a late hour tonight to Clifton. This is the fourth or fifth accident of the kind which during the last 20 years has occurred from the same cliff, and an impression prevails that the Society of Merchant Venturers, who are lords of the manor Of the Downs, ought to -put some sort of fence so as to protect visitors against the danger of falling over. This is a matter that will doubtless engage the attention of the coroner and jury.