Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1876-07-15 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

SAD CASE OF DROWNING AT STOCKTON.  On Thursday night an kquest was held in the New Police Court, Stockton, before Mr Coroner Settle, into the circumstances alt!nding the death of IsabElla Garthwaite, whose boly was found in the Tees on the previous atternoon.—The following evidence was taken :  Ann Humble deposed : I am aunt to the deceased, and live at Stockton. She was a single woman, and was domei-tic servant at the house of Mr Charles Trotter, Stockton. She was 16 years of age, and was a healthy sell strong girl. I last saw her alive two or three weeks ago, and she then seemed to be in her nenal health, being in my house with her mother. I laid out the body of the deceased on Wednesday. I did not see any marks of violence upon her. I knew adeceared by her clothing and general appearance, but not by her features. She wore &lilac dress. I know nothing as to the cause of her death. I know of no reason to cause or induce her to commit suicide.— Alice Morris said : I ant in the service of Mr Trotter, and have been there about eight months. The deceased was there when I went. Generally speaking, she was a healthy and cheerful girl. She and I, and another servant named Eden Smith, slept in the same room, each having separate beds. On Thursday night Jest we all three ;slept in the same room. Deceased was totally different in spirits that night to what she had been before. We had no conversation about that on Thursday night. The next morning the deceased got up first, about six Celoca. She was always first up. She was the kitchen torrid. She always kept her bonnet in the front kitchen. On Friday morning the bonnet was removed from the front kitchen to the back, and I saw it in the beck kitchen behind the filter. I don't know who put it there. It was about nalf-past nine o'clock on Friday morning when I saw the bonnet there. Deceased at the time was standing in the back kitchen at the sink washing the break r 'at things. Deceased had had her breakfast. She was very silent, and not talkative as usual. About five weeks ago I missed from the bedroi m my purse containing two sovereigns and three pencil cases, and a small piece of jet. The last time I saw u y property it was in an unlocked drawer, which I alone made use of. I made enquiries at once of the deceased and all the other servants, two more than the three of us, and could not ascertain anything whatever. I had no suspicion at the time of any particular person. I have not got my propeity, or any part, back again. The deceased was missed from the kitchen between half past nine o'clock and ten o'clock on Friday morning, and her bonnet was gone. She had not finished washing up, and had left the things. We thought she might have gone home, and therefore were not concerned about her until her father came about 2 o'clock that afternoon to inquire after her, he was told she had gone. She had left her box and all her things. The father did not say why he had come to itiqure. I don't know of any trouble she had. The father searched for her on the Friday, and afterwards informed the police about her being missing. She had no sweetheart in Stockton, and I have not seen anyone come to visit her. She went away in alight gown.—Ellen Smith stated: I am housemaid at Mr Trotter's. On Friday morning the deceased was suddenly missed from the house. I know of no cause of her going away. On Friday morning about half past eight o'clock, when deceased and I were alone in the breakfast room, she commenced to talk to me about Miss Morris's missing purse. She said that Alice was in a great way about her purse, and added that there would be a great row when Mr Trotter came down from the farm. She also said if Alice suspected her she would soon fetch her father to her. I then asked her how she knew the piece of jet was in the purse, as Alice herself did not know. I had understood that Alice dil net know. Deceased then said, "Alice told me there was a piece of jet in the purse." From what deceased said in tue breakfast room I felt sure when she was missee from the kitchen that she had gone home to tell her father. I never afterwards saw her alive. I never heard her threatsn to destroy herself, nor did I expect she would Ido so. I know of no trouble she had. Nothing was found in her box.—By the jory : I never had any conversation with the deceased about the money except on the Friday morning. It was generally known that the money was missing.—John Watson said: I am captain of the " Happy Return," which is lying close to the Tees Bottle Works. Yesterday afternoon about half past five o'clock Iwas on my vessel, when I saw the body of the deceased floating face downwards. I had the body removed from the water and conveyed to the deal house. The body seemed to have been in the water about a week. The face was bruised. I saw no paiticular wound. I did not see any injury beyond what the holy might have received in the river by knocking about after death.—Dr J. J. Howson deposed: To-day at noon I made an external exemivatiou of the body, and aiso a post-nto-tem. Externally I discovered no marks of violence. The body is in a very advanced state of decomposition. The features are perfectly beyond identification. The whole of the skin of the arms was pulled off through being in the water. I made as much examination internally, considering the state of the body, as I was able. I opened the abdomen—the beau and chest were not fit to open. I examined the uterus, and found the girl was not pregnant. From my examination of the body I Clime to tht conclusion that the cause of deata was suffocation by drawning.—Tbe jury returned a verdict tbat the deceased died from suffocation, but how she became drowned there was no evidence to show.  Tan B&