Southeastern Gazette, 6 September 1853.

A Female Found Drowned.

On Thursday last, as the men employed on the Royal Military Canal were proceeding to their work in a boat between nine and ten o’clock, one of them, named Edward Cooke, observed a bonnet in the water; and on endeavouring to take it out discovered the body of a female attached to it. Further assistance was procured, the body taken out, and placed in an outhouse adjoining Mr. Jesse Wanstall's.

At two o’clock the coroner of the borough, W. Smith., Esq., and a respectable jury, assembled to hold an inquest. After being sworn, they proceeded to view the body, which had not been identified. On search being made several letters were found in the bosom of deceased, dated from Hythe barracks, signed Henry Fletcher, 2nd battalion of Rifles; and addressed to Alice White, King-street, Ramsgate. Parties were immediately sent to the barracks, and shortly returned with Henry Fletcher, who identified the body as that of Alice White, of King-street, Canterbury. The jury then returned to the Town-hall to prosecute the enquiry. Colonel Hay and Captain Fox were present to watch the proceedings.

It appeared from the evidence, that the deceased, who had been residing at Ramsgate for a fortnight with an aunt, returned to Canterbury a day or two previous to Friday, August 29th, on which day she clandestinely left her parent's house at one o’clock, and started for Folkestone by the van, having previously pledged two dresses to pay her fare. She walked from Folkestone to Hythe, and proceeded to the barracks to visit Fletcher, with whom she had been on terms of intimacy for more than a twelve month, although only sixteen years of age. They spent the night together at the "Ordnance Arms," and he stated that he left her there at a quarter before six o’clock in the morning; but no one saw him leave her, nor was she seen there at all afterwards. The jury were very anxious to ascertain if the deceased had been seen by any one after he said he left her, and kept up an enquiry for several hours, without, however, procuring any further evidence. They, therefore, returned a verdict "That Alice White was found drowned in the Royal Military Canal, but there was no evidence to show how she came there."

We have subsequently ascertained that the deceased was seen, by a party of soldiers on their way to rifle practice, at eight o’clock the same morning, sitting on the banks of the canal, near where the body was found, in a dejected state.

Information was forwarded to Canterbury to her parents, who arrived here on Saturday morning, to perform the last sad duty to their unfortunate child.