Kentish Gazette 26 November 1819.

Death.

Nov 20, at Bredgar, the wife of Mr. Elliotts, landlord of the "Sun" public house at that place.

Kentish Gazette, 25 January, 1870.

Shocking and Fatal Wound with a Knife.

An inquest was held on Saturday afternoon at the "Sun Inn," Bredgar, before Thomas Hills, Esq., coroner, on view of the body of Emma Stedman, 17, who died on Wednesday.

John Smith, groom to Mr. Maxted, farmer, Frinsted, stated that on the 25th of last November he was in his master's kitchen, where there were also the deceased and two others named Bryant and William Collins. Collins was now in custody charged with cutting and wounding the girl. At that moment prisoner was cutting his nails with a knife. He heard the deceased exclaim, "You have cut me, Bill." He had never heard them quarrel, and he believed they were on good terms.

This evidence was corroborated by Edward Bryant.

P.S. Harrington deposed to charging the prisoner on the 30th November.

Prisoner said, "I do not know how I did it."

On searching prisoner he found the knife (produced) in his pocket. It was a very sharp one.

Jane Stedman, mother of the deceased, said her daughter was brought home on the 1st December, her clothes were suffused with blood, and she suffered severe pain night and day until her death. On the day after the assault the prisoner Collins came to her and told her of the wound, he said he was cutting his corns, when the girl went to the fire for some water, and his knife accidentally run into his leg; he did not know how it was done. Witness said it was strange that his knife should run into her leg, but he made no reply to the observation.

Dr. Fisher, of Sittingbourne, stated that he was called in to see deceased on the 3rd December. He found a wound half an inch deep in the groin, which was likely to have been caused by the knife, and the clothes she was wearing had likewise been cut through, apparently with the same weapon. Inflammation supervened and caused her death.

The last witness was the assistant clerk to the Magistrates of the Bearsted Division, who took the evidence of the girl when she was examined at her home before J. Whitehead, Esq. The statement of the dying girl was to the effect that the prisoner was cutting his corns on the night in question, and was swearing. Fearing that the company in the house would hear him, she boxed his ears. Whilst she was at work just afterwards, prisoner cut her with a knife, and blood ran down her legs. She said, "You have cot me, Bill"; he replied, "I would not have done it for £5." Once previously the prisoner had cut her with a knife. At the first she told the constable it was an accident, but then she thought she would get better. The jury (after an address by the learned coroner) deliberated for a short time in private, and returned a verdict of manslaughter against the prisoner Collins, who was committed for trial at the Assizes.