The Sun. — 1844-08-23 (London, England)

CORONER'S INQUEST. SUICIDE.-At a few minutes after six o'clock on Wednesday morning, a shipwright, in proceeding to his work at the Deptford Dockyard, had his attention drawn to two women walking along the towing path of the Grand Surrey Canal, near Deptford-bridge. Their appearance at such an early hour, and in a loaality not much frequented, even during the day, excited his suspicions, and induced him to watch their movements. Scarcely had five minutes elapsed before they stopped, and clasping each other's hands, precipitated themselves into the centre of the canal. He instantly shouted for help, andvvith all speed hastened to the spot, but by the time he had gained it they had both disappeared. Without waiting to divest him: elf of any of his clothes, he plunged into that part where he had seen them go down, and succeeded in grasping one of the unfortunate creatures, and after much exertion managed to swim ashore with her. Having placed her on the bank, he again dived under the water, with the hope of regaining the other unfortunate woman, but after many attempts he failed in discovering her body. By this time several persons had come to his assistance, and by their united efforts effected the resuscitation of the one preserved. The unhappy girl would have again attempted her life, had not the police secured her, and for her better protection she was removed to the Rotherhithe station, where she stated her name to be Mary Ann Kendall, agel 20, residing at Deptford, and that her unfortunate companion, who had accomplished her destruction, was her sister Eliza, 19 years of age. The body of her unhappy sister was found in the course of the morning, and at one o'clock yesterday an inquest on the body was held at the Trinity Arms public-house, Deptford, when the following evidence was adduced :  Richard Edwards, a lighterman, deposed, that on Wednesday morning, at about twenty minutes past six o'clock, hearing an alarm that two young women had thrown themselves into the canal, he jumped into a boat and rowed to the spot with the drags. On arriving he found that one had been got out, and was standing on the bank, held by two men. He then used the drags and found the body in the course of two hours afterwards. Jane Kendall said—l am the sister of the deceased, and live with my father, at Deptford. I am the eldest of four girls, and am twenty-four years of age. Eliza (the deceased) would have been nineteen next month, and Mary Ann, pointing to her sister, is twenty. My mother has been dead five years. My father is a shipsoraper, but has been out of work for some time. The deceased was a single woman, and the last time I saw her alive was on Tuesday afternoon, about two o'clock, when I left her with Diary Ann at home to go for some work. On my return at four o'clock they had gone out, leaving word that they had both gone up High-street, and would soon return. Hours passing by without returning, I began to fear that something had happened to them, and I went out for the purpose of making inquiry about them, and after searching for them till nine o'clock without finding them, I went home, and being much fatigued soon went to bed. On rising the next morning at half-past six o'clock, I learned that they had come home in the course of the night, but had gone out again—a neighbour having seen them leave the house at about half-past five o'clock. I still feared something would happen to them, and shortly afterwards a little girl came running into the house and told me that two women had jumped into the canal, and from the description she gave me of their dress I was positive they were my sisters.:l never knew my sisters to stop out all night before.  The