The Express. — 1868-10-19 (London, England)

EXTRAORDINARY SUICIDE OF TWO GIRLS IN TIIB RININTS CR-VAL.  INQUEST.—(TIIIS DAY.) At 12 o'clock to-day Mr. John Humphreys, the Middlesex coroner, hold en inquest at the sheen Mau Tavern, lioxton Old Town, respecting the death of Mary Juno Haycock. aged 17, and Esther Watt*, aged 18 year., who were druwued on Friday morning in tho Regent'scanal. __  John Hayman, s dish-cover maker, living in the Caledonian-road, said that the deceased girl Haycock was his daughter. She was a servant out of place. On Thursday night she sent her little brother in to witness to say that she had got a place. lie never saw her alive afterwards. On Friday • policeman brought witness her portrait, and be identified it. She had a will of her own.  Esther Watts, 1, Witbc.court, St. Luke's, the wife of a itoncmai-on. raid that the girl Watts was her daughter, and she was also a servant. On the Thursday she came home from her place. Witness said to her, " Getting on with your impudence again 1." She replied, " You believe everything that they ray." There was no quarrel, and the went back to her place again. The neat that witness heard of her was that she had been dismissed for impudence. She kept company with a young man. Witness d id not knew that she was ma-mfr.  Caroline Booth, 50, Golden-lane, St. Luke's, sail that she was 16 years of age. On Friday morning, between 12 and 1 o'clock, she saw the two girls together on the banks of the canal. She asked them what they were going to do, and they replied, " We are going to make away with ourselves.' 15 itness said. " Oh, (kid!" Witness knew the girl Haycock. She said to witness, " Take this portrait to .my father. When you see him you will see me. ' Watts then said, "He will not come now." She said, "They have got my pot. trait at home." The girls then got up on the bridge and threw their arms round each other. They then leaped from the bridge into the water. Witness continued Before they did so they threw their jackets and hats on the ground. A man who was on the tow-path cried sit, " Good God !" We saw him run along the towing-path. It was from the Queen's-road-bridge, Balaton, that the girls leaped. We looked at the water alter they jumped from the bridge, and the water was moving. We were then frightened, and we took the clothes np. It was cold, and we put the hats and the cloaks on while we were walking borne. There was another girl with me. When we got home to '• Blind Con's," Golden-lane, we sent for a policeman, and he took the things from us. The inspector said that the witness had not stated that the deceased girls had given her 4d. and a purse before they leaped into the water. The witness said that the deceased Haycock said, " The money will be of no use to us now ; give them 2d. each." They did not intend to say anything about the girls until the next morning. Emma Fox, the girl who was with the last witness, corroborated her statement.  The lock-keeper proved recovering the bodies. They were clasped in each other's arms. Dr. Forbes said that the girl Watts was enceinte. The other girl was not. The Coroner Paid that the two girls, Booth and Fox, thought more of the deceased's clothes than they did of saving life. The jury returned a verdict, " That the deceased girls committed suicide while of unsound mind, and the frog request the Coroner to censure severely the girls and Fox for their conduct.",