A Thames Mystery: Naval Man found Drowned: His Marriage to an Actress: The tragic ending of the romance of a young Naval man and an actress was unfolded at an inquest held at Rotherhide yesterday, which cleared up the mystery surrounding the disappearance of Stephen Pinsent Toby, an electrician attached to H.M.S. Illustrious, stationed at Devonport. The body of the deceased was found in the river at Rotherhithe on Wednesday, and the medical evidence indicated that he had probably been a month in the water. Arthur Ivan Toby, of Sevenoaks, told the coroner that the deceased was his brother and was 21 years of age. Early in January the witness received information that his brother was arrested for being absent from his ship without leave. He made inquiries and found that the deceased had been living in Maida Vale, and a young lady whom he found had lived there stated that she was the wife of the deceased. Mrs. Lucy Toby, of Clarendon gardens. Maida Vale, a tall, attractive young woman, told the coroner that she was married to the deceased on September 30th. She was an actress and told her husband that she would continue her stage career. He offered no objection to her doing it. On December 14th the deceased went home on a fortnight’s leave from his ship and they then quarrelled on the question of her continuing stage career. He went away and she never saw him again. The coroner: Did he make use of any threat to commit suicide? Witness: He said nobody would see him again. She thought he had rejoined his ship. The coroner said that there a suspicion that the young man had committed suicide, but there was no evidence to show how he got into the water. “Found drowned” was the verdict returned by the Jury.
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