Mexborough and Swinton Times, may 20
Inquest on a Young Woman Found in the River.
An inquest (over which Mr Heap was Foreman) was held at the Three Horse Shoes Inn, Doncaster, on Monday before evening Nicholson, Esq, touching the death of Clara Peace,aged 19, of Denaby, whose body was found floating in the river the previous day.
Carolyn Peace, mother of the deceased, said she last saw her daughter alive on 7 February, about seven o’clock. She was then in a usual health. She went with a young man to spend the evening, and it was said he seduced her. She was never seen afterwards. This was about 8.30. She had been to Doncaster and at seen a ring which she liked, and wanted to see her young man to buy for her.
The coroner said it would be more satisfactory if the young man had been called.
Thomas Cross, fitter, Bentinck Street Doncaster, said on Sunday he had been walking round by Sprotbrough, and when in the Crimpsall he saw the body of the deceased near the ferry boat at Newton.
When they were crossing over he said to the woman, “There’s a body in the River.”
When they got across they went and saw that it was a corpse. He called to the woman to bring the boat, and he and another man got in and she rowed them to the body. By means of a chain and the boat book they got the body to the landing stage, tied a cord round her, and fasten her there. They afterwards gave information to the police.
The jury returned a verdict of “Found Drowned”