The Potteries Examiner : — 1880-05-01 (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England)

EXTRAORDINARY AITE3II'T AT SUICIDE.  At Marylebone Police Court, London, on Saturday, Edith Dawe, aged 18, u dressmaker, was charged before Mr. Cook with attempting to commit suicide Police-constable Henry Burt, 376, S, deposed that ... . . .  about ten o'clock' on the -evening of the 16th of April, he was crossing the bridge over the Regent's Canal at Albert Road, when he hi,ard a splash lathe water. and directly afterwards cries for help. In company nih another officer he rushed to the side of the canal, and saw the prisoner and a man in the water. The man was haling the prisoner up, and they wereboth got out of the water. The prisoner was insensible, and assistance having been obtained she gradually revived.—Henry do Jongh, a decorator, living at No. 235, Kentish Town Road, paid the I prisoner same to his house six days previously to this occurrence, and asked if she could have a room there, be having apartments to let. She sail she had some writing to do, and he, after making inquiries, lot her have a room. Late in the evening of the 16th the following latter, written by her in pencil, was found in her room :—" I am quite sure Mr. Bratin does not mean to marry me, and! cannot live without him. If anyone comes for me, will you tell them lam in the canal at Regent's I'ark. 1 should never have thought of doing such a thing had my dear mother been alive, but I cannot live without her. If anyone comes, will you show them this note. How I must say good-bye,dear friends, may God bless you for your kindness.—Emni Mawr." The prisoner I was not labor room or in the house when the letter was discovered, and witness, having communicated with her friends at an address mentionei by her, hurried down to the canal. He had only just arrived at the bank of it by Albert Road, when he heard a splish, and going close to the edge he observed a woman in the water. He tried to catch hold of her, but could not, and after the water got still he saw her bode on the top of the water again. Ile immediately took off his coat, and having called for help, jumped into the water and caught hold of the prisoner. He bronklit her to the side, and the previous witness helped him out with her—Mr. Cooke: It is a very curious thing that you should bays gone to the very spot where the prisoner jumped in and at the very time.—Witness said the letter must have been found loom, diately the girl left the house. There was only one place where a person could jump into the canal.-The father of the prisoner said ohs had had a deal of trouble lately. She had lost her two brothers and her mother during the last six months, and a young man, with whom she had been keeping company , had jilted her.—The piisoner said she did net at the time what she was going to do. She loved her father and sisters too much to do it. If her mother had been alive she would not have attempted to late her life—Her brother-in-law said she would be ' properly taken care of, and it was proposed to send , her into the country.—Mr. Cooke remarked that the prisoner had made a most determined attempt to drown herself As, however, her friends had prod to take care of her, ho would discharge her 5 and give her up to them.