The Sun. — 1842-09-24 (London, England)

SUICIDE OFF THE CHAIN PIER,  BRIGHTON.  Yesterday afternoon an inquest was held at the Sussex County Hospital, on the body of George Adams, aged '2O, a private soldier in th►e 19th regiment of foot.  John Golfe, a gentleman residing at 1.5, Upper Rock-gardens, deposed that on Wednesday evening last he was on the Chain Pier, accompanied by his wife. A soldier was standing at the Pier-head, looking over the rails apparently very thoughtful. Ile then got up and got over the railings, holding by his left hand. Witness cried out, "'('hat man has no business there." The deceased then pulled off his belt, and placed it upon the railings. Witness noticed some ladies speaking to him, and immediately one of them called out, " Ile is in." Witness look4l over and saw him in the sea. He appeared ns if he could swim. Witness commenced ringing the alarm bell, and told a female to continue ringing whilst he ran for assistance.  James Barber, special constable on the Chain Pier, deposed engaged ltihglit tinagbotthtte paieqrlaamrteprs, when seven‘leileonhemet ltlieleNitaTt witness, who told him he thought a soldier was drowning himself. Witness got a cork buoy, and ran to the further end of the gallery under the pier, and threw out the buoy to the soldier. Seeing it was no goal he jumped into the sea and swain with the buoy towards the deceased; but when witness was within four yards of him 'he disappeared. Witness swain about for two or three minutes, and gave up, thinking the flood tide had carried him away. Witness on his return struck against the deceased with his right. foot, but being nearly exhausted, be seated himself on one of the cross pieces of the pier, when he saw some' thing come up. Witness then stretched himself out, and got hold of the collar of deceased's coat, and drew deceased towards him. Witness unclasped his stock, and threw it away, thinking it would relieve him, and then held him until Pearce, a fellow-worlonan. came to his assistance. There was a heavy swell at the time, which completely covered the three; witness thought they would have been all lost, when Mr. Matthews, the Pier-master, called from the top, and sent a rope down. The deceased was then drawn up over the rails apparently dead. Witness had not strength to keep the deceased's whole body out of the water, having met with an accident whilst saluting Queen Adelaide, in 1833, which partly deprived him of the use of one arm. The depth, from the pier to the sea, was about forty feet, and at the time there was nine feet of water. Edward Pearce, carpenter to the Pier Company, confirmed the evidence of the last witness. James Magnus, lance corporal, and George Season, a private,. gave evidencewtts asa ht‘onytshe low-spirited, of nindirited, but the deceased; he :111 way appeared very a r 3 s 7 iif he had more particularly within the last day or two previous to the oce,i)ilrdrieeiri,ceandi ; discontented at being a soldier, felt some one behind him. On one occasion he admitted being low-spirited, through leaving a girl he kept company with, and would often say he wished himself home again. He had just finished his dr'll which appeared to please him very much listed at Paislev on June 17. His character was very II . I ' punished, recorded, regiment. good, and he had never been found fault with, since he had 1) or In answer to a question by a Jur • any other. . was particularly soldiers said the drill of the regiment light, more so than in Coroner an, one of the The Jury returned a verdict of " Temporary Inssaaltiiistty.a,:tiaonndartetqhueesntoebdlethaneto append their and gallant conduct of James Barber. e TCORONER heartily concurred, and hoped he would be rewarded by the Royal Humane Society. A Juryman said a subf,vrrp tion , for him ' was already on foot