The Sun. — 1862-08-04 (London, England)

THAMES.  ATTEMPTED SUICIDE,--For a great many years suicides and attempts at suicide had been committed by drunken prostitutes in the waters of the London Dock from the several bridges in New Gravel lane, Shadwell, and Old Gravellane, St. George-in-the-East, and occasi nally from the swivel bridge near Wapping Church, and the swivel bridge which passes over the Hermitage Lcck, Lower East Smith • field. In almost every case the magistrates have remanded the women rescued from the waters for a week, and the spiritual advice and exhortations of the Rev. Mr. Jephson, the pious and excellent chaplain of the Clerkenwell House of Detention have met with the happiest effects. A few have, notwithstanding, relapsed and attempted suicide a second time. About 30 years ago the late Mr. Ballantine committed several prostitutes who had attempted self-destruction in the waters of the London Dock, for trial, and the body of another woman of the town, who had drowned herself, was given to the surgeons for dissection, after a verdict of felo de se was returned. The practice has latterly become so common that some hing more than mere remands for a week and a kind lecture (which the frail sisterhood call a " blowing up") from the magistrates has become nee, scary, in the way of example to deter others from the commisFion of a crime contrary to all divine and human laws. On Friday evening, after Mr. Humphreys and a jury had held an inquest on the body of a woman named Emma Hammerton, who precipitated herself from the Old Gravel-lane bridge, and was drowned, the Coroner remarked that if the Jury were to return a verdict offelo de se, it might be productive of some good, for it generally happened after a case of suicide by one prostitute that nearly a score acted in a similar manner.  This morning Margaret Scott, aged 21, of No. 31, Angelcourt, Shad well, where none but "fallen angels" are to be found, was charged with attempting self-destruction. She was observed by a butcher's boy, named Nicholas Hornsworth to "throw herself over" the Old Gravel-lane swivel bridge into the water. The boy hallooed out for the drags. There was some delay in bringing them, and a young man jumped into the dock and dived after her. He brought her up and she was saved. The brave fellow did not give his name and address, nor did he attend to give evidence of his gallantry in saving the unfortunate and misguided woman. She stated in answer to (pima( ns put to her by the magistrate that she had been a gay woman for 13 months and came from Clapham. She was very sorry fur what she had done. She was drunk when she did it.  humanity. He eatrteemmapntsdeadt Ft3itliiecipdreiswonereer police IJCicieeerkonenstwaebille,wi prisonthalt.ot attempting ma pwt iene kg 'self-destruction. "he was Jl, 10. quitei ‘alrnsehSN: clafkstlnh B,gaaitdo prostitute,thesehun' was charged by 0... n .L.:ryan, a ino a state of intoxication, and shouting and bawling, and in the midst of her wild delirium she went on the new Gravel-lane swivel bridge, and said she would drown her • self. She made a pretence to clirab ON er, and was arrested. Mr. Selfe committed her to the House of Correction as a ladisorderly prostitute for 10 days, and to be kept at hard suici Inde the month th of July there were 17 attempts to commit from l„. L0nd0.....„_n ko, k swivel bridges.  THE FORDINGBXIDGE MlORDER.—r4,..eorge Gilbert, who was couvicted of the atrocious murder of Young lady at Forduigbridtge, was executed this morning)