Southeastern Gazette, 1 February 1853. (Higham)

Mysterious Death of Mr. Wm. Boys.

On Tuesday last this neighbourhood was thrown into a state of great excitement by the announcement that Mr. W. Boys had been discovered drowned in the Medway canal, and that suspicions were entertained of his having met with his death by unfair means. Notice having been given to the coroner, T. Hills, Esq., that gentleman immediately summoned a jury at the "Rising Sun," Higham, when the following evidence was taken.

John Scudder, coal-meter, Gravesend, deposed:- On Monday morning last, at about half-past eleven o’clock, I was walking along a place called Higham-bight, when my attention was attracted to something floating in the water close to the bank of the river Thames, which was the body of the deceased gentleman. I succeeded in getting it out, and gave notice to the Higham constable.

Isaac Armatage, the constable alluded to by the former witness, deposed that he was the person who first searched the body, and among other things discovered several papers, which were the means of leading to its identity.

John Harris, of Rochester, who had known the deceased when living, identified the body as that of Mr. W. Boys.

S. Steele, Esq , surgeon, of Strood, deposed that he had examined the body and found no marks of violence about it. The body, he said, appeared to have been in the water about a month. He had no doubt death arose from drowning.

This being the whole of the evidence, the jury, after a few words from the coroner, returned a verdict accordingly.