The Central Glamorgan Gazette, and General, Commercial, and Agricultural Advertiser. — 1877-06-29 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

SUICIDE AT NEATE ADJOURNED INQUEST.  The adj.nrned inquiry was held at the Town Hall, Neath, as to the death of the woman who jumped into the river some time ago. Mr. H. P. Charles appeared on behalf of the friends of the deceased.  John Barnes eeposed : I am a constable in the Reath Pereugh force. 1 knew the deceased; I saw her on Wednesday, the 11th of June instant, at 10.40 p.m. She was by the river-side nesr the Vale of Neath viaduct, on a small bank by the side. A sailor, named Peter Peterson, was with her. The woman and man were there for an immoral purpose. It was getting dark at the time. I went near them, but before I got close to them the man ran away, and hid himself behind a hank. I spoke to the woman • I said to her, "Rachel, why do you not go home? it is getting late; see about getting home now." I ran on before her, and I looked round, and I was then about 20 yards in front of hi r. I went on a little distance further till I was 40 yards from her, and I was about starting away again when she said, " Mr Barnes. sooner than you shall say that you have seen me with somebody, down here I will do this," and with that I saw her jump from the bank into the river. I then ran hack to the spot where she jump.sl in, and jumped down by the side of the river, and I could eee nothing of her then. I got up to the side and I called out to the man to come out, that the woman was in the river. I heard a woman's voice then. I said to the man. "There she is, jump in." As FOOD as he got down she was about twenty yards further down • that is the last time I saw anything of the deceased. When I asked the man to jump in, he said to me, "What is the use of my jumping ; I cannot swim: I should only go to the bottom." He said it was al my fault she came down here; "and I will do the same OA her; I will commit suicide." He then %prang from my side towards the river, and just as he got to the bank I caught hold of hint by the collar of his coat and threw him down on the bank. We then strug_iled by the side of the river for about ten minutes, when he got up and ran along the canal bank, and said he would jump in there if I would not let him jump in the river. Then his clothes gave way front my hands, and he ran up the canal bank. I then came and reported the circumstances to Sergeant Phelps, and, in company with P.C. Price went down to the place again. In returning from the place I and P.C. Price met the man in Angel-street. There was a great flush of water in the river that night; the deceased was carried down very quickly; I did not prevent the man jumping in to save the woman, but I asked him to do se. _ . .  By the Jury: I had a light with me at first, but it went out. I did not turn my light on the woman. It was my beat. The woman was not sober, neither wa, the man sober. The man did not attempt to save the woman. He was hiding behind the bank at the time. He did not come from his hiding place until I called out to him. I did not see them before I went down to the place I was on my ordinary duty. I did not see them going there. By Mr. Charles: It was on the Tennant canal vide of the river. It was by the fencing. They were inAide the fencing. It was getting dark. lam not aware if there was any mo..n. I believe the tide was full at 1.30 a.m. It was running out at the time. The woman got up during the time I was speaking to her. She got over the fencing before me. She said when I spoke to her that he would g.. home. I did not pass her outside the fence. There is a shadow from the viaduct. The shadow from the other bridge does not reach the place. When I looked round first she was walking towards me. The neat time I wal 49 yards ahead. She was walking when I looked round. She was a woman of very bad character. I was not surprised at finding her there. I did not see her after she went into the water. I did not hear her beating the water,  or strugging after she wet in. She was almost 20 yards away when I heard her voice in the water. The man came out of his hiding place directly I called to him. As far as I could judge it was about 20 yards she had gone down the river when I heard her voice. When the man got away he ran up the canal bank. He did not try to get into the canaL By the Jury: It was light enough to see that the woman jumped into the river deliberately. I could not have saved her; I cannot swim, and that is the reason I asked the man tojump in. By the Coroner: Parties are in the habit of frequenting that place at night. Fdizatteth Bevan, single woman, testified to the drunken state of deceased on the evening in question ; and also stated that one night the deceased told her that she would drown herself, because theytaid in the White Lion that she had stolen a watch.  Ellen McCarthy, a single woman, gave similar evidence.  Mary Ann Jenkins, residing at the Britannia public-house, sttted that near 11 at night of the 6th of June, she saw the deceased with a sailor, and her head was resting on his shoulder and she.was staggering. Thomas Llewellyn gave evidence of finding the body on the 15th of June near the Chemical Works, and also that he saw her on the 6th of June, at eleven o'cloek, as ful tight, and that she had a bottle Of "pop" under her arm. She went away, and he did not see her again. The inquest was further adjourned for the evidence of the seaman Peter Peterson until to-day (Friday).