Kentish Gazette, 17 December 1844.

FATAL ACCIDENT AT ERITH, AND EARLY DISCOVERY OF IT BY THE SAGACITY OF A DOG.

On Tuesday last, Mr. Alfred Watts, the foreman of Mr. White, brickmaker, left his home, in company with his wife, and left her at the "Plough" at North End with his brother, whilst he proceeded across the fields to inspect some repairs at a small Scotch terrier which had accompanied him, returned to the "Plough", jumped up into the lap of his mistress, pawed at her about, and whined piteously.

She at first took no particular notice of the animal, but pushed him from her, he then caught hold of their clothes, pulled at them repeatedly, and continued to whine incessantly. he endeavoured also in a similar way to attract the attention of the brother. At last all present noticed his importunate anxiety, and the wife then said she was convinced something had happened to her husband. The brother and the wife, with several others, went out and followed the dog, who led them, through the darkness of the night, which was very great, to the top of a precipice nearly fifty feet deep, and standing on the bank, held his head over and howled in a most distressing manner. They were convinced that the poor man had fallen over, and, having gone round to the bottom of the pit, they there found him lying under the spot pointed out by the dog, quite dead, and weltering in his blood, having fallen upon his head. It was clear that, from the darkness of the night, he had mistaken the direction, there being no defined path, and by deviating about twenty yards, had walked over the precipice. The deceased, who was perfectly sober at the time, was a steady and industrious man, and was much respected in the village. He has left a family of three children. An inquest was holden on Thursday, when a verdict of "Accidental Death" was recorded.