The Sun. — 1842-08-22 (London, England)

CORONER—The surgeon who has given his evidence has declared her to be otherwise, and that, too, for some time.  Mrs. Rowbotham (evidently much surprised and affected)—l could hardly believe it possible, and I can only say, the opinion I have expressed of her was the one I have always entertained. In reply to the question of a Juror, Mrs. Rowbotham said, that Mrs. Edwards, and, she believed, the other members of the deceased's family, were perfectly well aware of where she lived ; yet for the 12 Months she had been in her service neither of them came to see her.  Mrs. Edwards was again called, and it appeared from her own admission that she had not the slightest ground for making the imputation against Mrs. Row-botham, or the inmates of her house, and the Coroner and Jury expressed it to be their unanimous opinion that there was not the slightest imputdion against the character of Mrs. Rowbotham.  Sarah Timmins was here recalled by order of the Coroner. She said she became acquainted with the deceased by her living as servant to a tenant of her father, and that she corresponded with her occasionally, but she was not aware of her having an acquaintance with any young man, nor any improper intimacy with any one. The deceased left her house on Thursday evening after ten, and after being there about an hour and a half, left for the purpose, as she (witness) believed, of going home to her master. She did not hear any thing about Camberwell Fair, nor did she observe any peculiarity in manner on that occasion, and she had no idea where she bad been that (Thursday) night, nor any cause which led to the rash act. The witness was here questioned about some expressions in a note which she had sent to the deceased in April last, but the answers led to nothing particular.  The beadle here remarked that he had made inquiries, and found that the deceased bore a very ex • cellent character in the situation which she had been in previous to going into that of Mrs. Rowbotham, and her mistress spoke very highly of her. Ile (the beadle) had used every exertion to ascertain where the deceased had been from six o'clock on Thursday evening until half-past ten, when she presented herself at the Monument, but could not get any information on the subject.  Mr. Deputy Pewtress said that, ukon hearing of the unfortunate accident, he went to Cruildhall to examine the minutes of the Committee -who had been appointed on the occasion of the former fatal accident at the Monument, with the view of preventing a recurrence of such offences. By those minutes he found that the Committee had left the matter in the hands of the Clerk of the Works to report on, which gs he did. The report recommended two thinfor the prevention of suicides,—the first was the appointment of a person to accompany those persons who wished to view the monument; and the next, that the iron railing at the top, which was then four feet high, should be raised four feet more, but as the latter would somewhat diminish the architectural beauty of the pillar, the former recomMendation was adopted, and the man Fletcher was appointed to the situation. He (Mr. Pewtress) had been to the top of the Monument since the melancholy affair, and it was to him a matter of considerable surprise that a person so short in stature as the deceased could have got over the iron railings, such as they were. On making a minute inspection, however, he saw that it was easily accomplished, for he found that the flag-staff had been made fast at two places with bindings which formed a resting place for the feet, and by their means a person of almost any stature could have surmounted the railing. Had this shelf not been in its present situ. ation he (Mr. Pewtress) was of opinion the deceased could not have accomplished her object. Mr. Hall, Chairman of the City Lands Committees said a Committee were summoned to meet An MM.: day next, to take the present unfortunote occurrence into consideration, and he (Mr, Hall) might with confidence assure the Coroner and the Jury that such means would be adopted as would effectually prevent the recurrence of such tragic scenes.  The CORONER, in summing up VW OVldiance, observed there could he no doubt the deceased came by her death by an aot of her own, as it was impossible to suppose that she could have fallen of by accident, and the only question the Jury had to consider was the state of mind in which she was at the time. With respect to the Monument itself, he (the Coroner) wait glad to find that two gentlemen who stood high in the Corporation was in attenclall4e, and the jury had heard what those gentlemen had said on the subjeei. For his own (the Coroner's) part, he felt satisfied from the assurance given by those gentlemen, th4i something Would be at once done to effectualky pmeo further deaths of this description. 4 was impbssible to prevent suicidesi there were so many means of noon,. pushing self.destruction, but something should be done to prevent the outrage done to the public and  public feeling, by acts like the present. It was stated that, on the present occasion, a man who was accidentally passing had narrowly escaped, for had the deceased fallen upon, instead of close by him, his life must have been sacrificed. By the evidence, it did not appear where the deceased had spent her time from six o'clock on the Thursday evening until near half-pastten on the following morning; but if the Jury should be of opinion that an adjournment of the case would bring forth this fact, he (the Coroner) was willing to adjourn the case to a future day. If, however, they' were satisfied with the evidence before them, the only question for their consideration (as there could be no doubt of her having committed the act her3elf) was as to the state of mind in which she was when she committed it.  The Jury, after a few minutes' deliberation, returned a verdict—" That the deceased came by her death by injuries, by throwing herself off the Monument ; and that she had committed the act while labouring under temporary derangement, occasioned by indiscretion and stopping out all night." A Juror, after the verdict was returned, said he considered the Jurors would not be doing their duty if they did not add to their verdict their disapprobation of the City authorities in appointing to the situation such a person as Fletcher, a man who was so worn out and decrepit as to be incapable of preventing persons from throwing themselves from the top of the building, if they even attempted to do 30 in his presence, and who was a perfect specimen of the old watchman.  The CORONER remarked he Ind no doubt th iwil would be immediately remedied.