INQUEST.

Evening Star, Issue 3234, 2 July 1873, Page 3

INQUEST.

An inquiry into the circumstances of the death of Jane Edmunds, whose body was found in a ditch near the Forbury Park yesterday, was held by Mr Hocken, District Coroner, at the St Kilda Hotel to-day. The following evidence was given : John Pugh Jones, boot-maker, and proprietor of the St Kilda Hotel : I have known the deceased, whose husband is a plasterer, at present at Quccnstowo, for seven or eight years. She leaves live children, was about forty years of age, aad had been in the habit of drinking heavily for some years past. Between eight and nine o'clock on Monday evening she came to the hotel, apparently sober, and had a small glass of beer; and, after staying some twenty minutes, said she must take some beer with her in a gin bottle which she had. Owing to my taps being ont of order I could only half rill the bottle, which she took away. Witness heard or saw nothing more of deceased until he was told the next morning that her body had been found in a ditch about twenty chain from the hotel. Margaret Catchpole: My husband is a drayman, residing at St. Kilda. I have known deceased for four years. I saw, and was conversing with her jjp the St. Kilda Hotel on Monday evening, when she seemed perfectly sober-; talking rationally, and able co walk as well as anyone. Saw her drink % small glass of beer, and afterwards ask for sixpenny worth in a bottle, for which she paid, taking the money from a purse, and which beer she took away with her. On my saying "Good night" to her, deceased Baid she was going to C'aversham. Allan JKobert Davidson : I am nine year.* of age. On Tuesday morning, between eight and nine o'clock, 1 was taking a horse to the Forbury Park, when I saw. a hat lying by the aide of a ditch. I told my father, and went back, when 1 saw the body of deceased lying in the ditch near the hat. There was about a foot of water in the ditch. The body lay on its back, and the water covered the face. There was a gin bottle floating at its feet. John William Davidson : I am keeper at the Forbury Park. On the morning iu ques.ion I was following my son to the park, when he told me there was a woman in the ditch. 1 saw the deceased in the position described by the last witness. The ditch is about three feet wide, and there were about two feet of water in it. A sober person could easily get out of the ditch, in the event of falling in. Before touching anything I went for a policeman. James Anderson : I am a police constable, stationed at Caver*ham. On Tuesday morning Davidson came to the station and gave me information as above. I found the body of deceased, as has been stated, in the ditch by the district road leading from the Forbury road to the Anderson's Bay road. Tbere were a hat and a chignon lying on the bank by the body. A bottle, now produced, was floating on the water. It was uncorked, and contained about two ounces of muddy beer. There were no signs of a struggle or of a footslip on the bank. I had the body removed to the hotel, and searched. I found no purse or anything about deceased. There were no marks of violence, except a scratch on the nose, and a slight bruise oa the left knee. The Coroner considered that there was sufficiently full evidence on which to find a verdict. There was nothing to show whether deceased was drunk or had fallen in a fit. The most probable supposition was that the top of the bank being covered with grass, she had lost her footing, fallen with her head against the opposite bank, and, being a woman addicted to drink, been momentarily stunned by the shock; before recovering from which, her head being under the water, she was suffocated. The jury returned the following verdict:— "That deceased was found lying dead in the ditch aforesaid, which contained two feet of water. That there was no evidence to show how such death occurred, and that there were ao suspicious circumstances or marks of violence discovered in connection with it."