Age: unknown
Sex: female
Date: 2 Oct 1907
Place: Broadstairs, Kent
Annie Elizabeth Hamlin was found dead at the foot of some cliffs between Broadstairs and Ramsgate.
She was found at the foot of the cliffs with a fractured skull.
She was last seen walking a few yards behind a man on the Friday night along a footpath between Broadstairs and Ramsgate.
She had also been seen earlier in the company of two men, one of whom was thought to have been the man she was later seen walking along the footpath with. However, the men were never identified.
However, the police said that there was no evidence to indicate that she had been interfered with.
Her mother said that on the Friday night that she sent Annie Hamlin out to get some pills as she had complained of feeling unwell. She said that she told her not to be long and that Annie Hamlin replied that she would only be a few minutes, however, she never returned.
Her mother said that Annie Hamlin had been extremely lively and not the sort of girl that would be likely to commit suicide. She noted that her eyesight was bad and that she used to stumble about.
She said that she didn't know whether she had had a lover.
Another witness said that they saw Annie Hamlin outside a public-house in Ramsgate and that she told her that she was waiting for a young man and that she heard her call out, 'Alf' and saw a young man come out.
She said that Annie Hamlin asked the man to go with her but that the man told her that he would remain in the public-house for ten minutes, but that if she waited for him, she would have to wait a long time.
It was then heard that another person apparently saw her sometime later on the footpath between Broadstairs and Ramsgate, a few yards behind a man who was apparently a sailor.
A police inspector said that there was no evidence that Annie Hamlin had ben interfered with, except that one stocking was pulled down and her ankle was twisted.
The Coroner observed that he didn't think there was much in the theory that there had been foul play, and further noted that one of the witnesses had stated that Annie Hamlin had told her that if she didn't meet her sweetheart that she would either take drink or commit suicide.
The jury then decided that there was insufficient evidence to justify them in returning anything but an open verdict.
see www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk
see Lincolnshire Echo - Wednesday 02 October 1907
see Exeter and Plymouth Gazette - Wednesday 02 October 1907
see Empire News & The Umpire - Sunday 06 October 1907