Frederick John Magner

Frederick John Magner was found in the River Medway with a broken neck on 15 February 1925.

He was an inspector of the Southern Railway and was last seen when he left home in Bower Street, Maidstone on 7 January 1925. He had been serving in Ramsgate but at the time was on sick leave.

A man, or a dark object, was seen to jump over the Rochester Bridge at 10.15pm on 27 January 1925 and it was noted that it was a coincidence that Frederick Magner's watch had stopped at that hour. However, a stick found on the bridge where the man had jumped off was not identified by Frederick Magner's wife as being his.

When he was pulled out of the river his neck was found to be broken and his face flattened.

The Coroner said that his death would have been instantaneous due to the shock from the dislocation of his neck and was probably caused by falling head first on something soft from a great height.

He added that he was not satisfied that the dark object which was seen going over the bridge on 27 January 1925 was Frederick Magner.

He was married and had one child.