The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-02-14 00:00:00

NEW ZEALAND IN 1884.

This was the subject of a paper read at a meeting'
of the Royal Colonial Institute at the Westminster
Palace Hotel, on Tuesday evening, by Mr.
Arthur Clayden, of Nelson, N.Z. Sir Charles
Clifford presided. Mr. Clayden divided his paper
into two heads—first, "The Industrial Position of
New Zealand," and second, "Its Social and Political
Position." With regard to the first he stated that
every description of industry, pastoral, agricultural,
manufacturing, and commercial, had been, and still was.
making rapid progress. Sheep farming and the produc-
tion of wool has made tremendous strides during ten
years, and the breeding of cattle had enormously in-
creased—the shorthorns being specially fine—while
several flourishing companies were engaged in the mann-.
facture of cheese and butter. High-bred horses had
recently been introduced into the colony from America
and England, and their progeny realised exceptionally
high prices. South Australia had had to yield the
palm to New Zealand in wheat growing. Several
woollen mills had been established, and were turning
out excellent material utterly devoid of shoddy, the
timber trade was flourishing; while the sugar refining,
kauri gum, rabbit skin, frozen and canned meats, jam,
gold and coal mining, and cement industries were all
making rapid progress, with profitable results. With
regard to the second head, the social conditions of
I New Zealand life were wonderfully similar to those
at home. Religious provision was almost overdone,
at any rate as far as quantity was concerned; the
intellectual life of the populace was intense and
universal. For the cultured Englishman, however,
there was much to put up with, for success was the
universal test of merit there, but that no doubt would
be rectified in time. Mr. Macandrew, a member of
the Legislature, had moved a resolution to set apart
10,000 acres of land in ten-acre sections at a price of
20s. per acre for the benefit of the Highland crofters,
and the resolution had probably been carried by the
House of Representatives by this time. The reading
of the paper was followed by a discussion, and
the proceedings were brought to a termination by
I the custeowy compliment to the lecturer isza
mar,

=II \ ..,

A SOLDIEk t'ATONETUD AT
WOOLWICH.

Early on Sunday moninag information "'Ns tam
-"eyed to the police that a seldierr had been kill'etl at
the magazine known as No, 2, situate on the mart dis-
tant part of Plumstead-marshes. Inspectors Sauneers
and Grover at once went across the marshes froth.
Abbey-wood, while Surgeon Todd, of the Medical
Staff, rode from Woolw;ch by way of the practice
range. They found the men in thegnard-room much
excited, with their dead comrade in their midst, and
the following facts were narrated. The guard, which
was in charge of a corporal, was furnished by the
2nd Battalion Shropshire Light Infantry, mad took
over the duty for twenty-four hours at half-past ten
o'clock on Saturday morning. Private dward
Botham and Private 'James Brindley, both belmiging
to 0 Company of the Shropshire Regiment, were
members of the guard, of which Corporal Edward
Ledger was in command. At two o'clock on Sunday
morning Botham was posted as sentry at the gun-
cotton magazine, his instructions being to keep a
watchful guard; and he was armed, as usual, with
rifle, fixed bayonet, and ball cartridge. The night
was very dark and misty, and the next magazine,
where a sentry named Brown was posted, could
scarcely be discerned, though only a hundred yards
off. Among the soldiers left in the guard-house was
Private Brindley, and at a few minutes to three
o'clock he obtained permission from the corporal
to go outside. A quarter of an hour afterwards
the sentry Brown heard Botham shout " Halt !
Who goes there?" Almost immediately afterwards
the same voice cried, "Brown Brown, call the
o irporal." Having sent for Corporal Ledger, Brown
ran across to his comrade's post, and there found
Botham supporting the form of a man. He exclaimed
at once, "It is Brindley, and I have wounded him. I
saw a man come round the magazine, and I challenged
him three times, but he did not answer. Then I came
down to the charge, and he came towards me on to
my bayonet." Brindley, who was wearing his dark
grey overcoat, with his helmet turned partly round
upon his head, had been-stabbed near the centre of the
left breast, and was insensible. He was taken to the
guard-room, and died in about ten minutes. Subse-
quently the body was removed to the Herbert Hospital,
at Shooter's-hill. Botham, is barely twenty years of

Mr.Carttar, coroner for West Kent, held an inquiry
on Tuesday at the Herbert Hospital, Shooter's-hill,
into the death of Brindley. Mr. Greenap appeared
for the prisoner, Inspector Saunders attended for the
Police Commissioners, and, Captain Spens for the
Shropshire Regiment, to which the prisoner and
deceased belonged.
_ _

Corporal Edward Ledger identified the body, and
related the circumstances under which he last saw
Brindley alive and well. In reply to the coroner, he
said that there were five persons in the guard-room,
himself included. The prisoner was posted close to
the guncotton shed, and it was very dark. Botham
told him that he brought his bayonet to the charge on
hearing some one approaching, and that Private
Brindley came on to the point of it. They took the
body into the guard-room and made Botham a pri-
soner. The two men were on very good terms.
Brindley had no business round the magazine. The
sentries were provided with boxes. There was a rail-
way line close by. The sentry at No. post, where
Botham was, was supposed to meet the other sentry,
and to go round the guncotton magazine once every
quarter of an hour.
Coroner: What is the challenge when the sentry-
sees anybody coming?
Corporal Ledger: " Halt ! Who comes there ?"
Coroner: Is he to repeat that more than once?
Corporal Ledger: He is to repeat it three times.
Witness further stated that the sentry had his bayo-
net fixed. Brindley was stabbed about twenty yards,
from the entrance to the enclosure. He was quite-
confident that he had no business there. It was the
duty of the sentry, if anyone came who had no busi-
ness there, to bring his bayonet to the charge. As far
as witness knew, this was carried out on the present
occasion. The prisoner was only carrying out his-
orders. (The witness at the request of the coroner,
showed the way in which the sentry would bring his
bayonet to the charge. He showed that the point of
the bayonet would be about the height of a man's.
breast)
By the jury: Brindley had not been boasting in
the guard-room that he would frighten Botham.
Brindley belonged to a different company from wit-
ness, and he did not know whether he was given to
practical joking in the barrack-room. Joking was,
not allowed at the magazines. The sentry would
naturally be taken by surprise at hearing anyone
coming round the shed. The prisoner did his duty.
Private Brown gave similar evidence, and
Edward Birch, a private in E Company Shropshire
Regiment, spoke to the condition of Brindley when
he was brought into the guard-room.
Surgeon Dodd said he had made a post-mortem ex-
amination, and found no marks of violence except the
bayonet wound, which was quite sufficient to account
for death ensuing so quickly. It was a characteristic.
bayonet wound, bayonets being very sharp and
penetrating easily.
Inspector Saundei-s said he apprehended the pri-
soner, who only said, "Very well, when he was told
that he would be charged with causing Ihindley's
death. _ _

Private Botham, the accused, volunteered, by the
advice of his solicitor, to give evidence. He said he
was close to the guncotton shed when he saw a man
rush out upon him. It was very dark indeed. He
challenged him thrice very sharply, and came down
to the charge. He made no answer whatever to the
challenge. It was so dark that he could not see
whether the man had an overcoat on. The man con-
tinued to come on, and right on to his bayonet. When
he received the man on his bayonet he had no idea
who he was. He considered that he had done his.
duty in the matter.
Captain J. Spens, adjutant of the Shropshire Regi-
ment, said it was the duty of the sentry to challenge.
a person by saving, " Halt ! Who comes there ? " In.
case where a sudden rush could be made he should
come down on the charge at once. If occasion re-
quired he was to use force. The gate of the enclosure
was 10 or 15 yards from where Brindley was stabbed..
By Mr. Greenep : The omission of the words, "who
comes there? " would not make any difference in this
ease.

The jury, after consulting in private, decided that
Brindley died from a bayonet wound lawfully inflicted
by Private Botham, while in the fulfilment of his
duties as a sentry. They also commended Botham,
for the way in which he carried out his duty.