biglam/hmd_newspapers huggingface dataset:
The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-03-03

HAGLE Y.

STOOK SALE.—At this sale on Mundy last there
was a g )od supply of fat beasts, sheep and calves
but very few fat pigs. There was a large companY
ot buyer 3, and st)ck was all well sold. COWS SlSde
as high at .227 17s 6d, bullocks £25 Is 6d, feleep
85s 6d. calves 1078.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-03-03

THE VOLUNTEER FORCE.

The complete returns of the Volunteer force for the
last official year have just been presented to Perna.
ment.

The total enrolled strength is 207,336, of whom
199,374 are efficients, or a percentage of 9616 as
against 9608 in the previous returns. 5,692 officers
(328 of whom passed the examination in tactics) and
11,929 sergeants have earned the extra grant for pro.
ficiency, and 175,878 of all arms were present at
inspection.
The efficients of each arm are as follows :—Light
horse, 210 out of 260; artillery, 36,591 out of 38,261 ;
engineers, 8,551 out of 8,896; mounted rifles, 38 out of
52; and rifles, 153,984 out of 159,867.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-03-03

A SINGULAR FATALITY.

Mr. Carttar held an inquest on Saturday at Lewis-
ham as to the death of George Merriott, aged 49, a
waterside labourer, residing at Bermondsey.
Eliza Merriott identified the body as that of her
husband, whom she last saw alive at ten o'clock on
the previous Saturday night, when he left home with-
out saying where he was going. He had been strange
in his manner during the previous fortnight, but there
had been nothing to prey upon his mind except slack-
ness of work. He was a very sober man and fond of
his home and family.
Charles Prickett, signalman, on the Mid Kent
Branch of the South-Eastern Railway, said about 7.35
on Sunday morning last he was walking on the line
from Catford towards his signal box at Lady well
when he overtook a man (Merriott) walking in the
same direction, but in the " four-foot " way of the
down line. He had a coat turned inside out, which
completely covered his head and shoulders, and
reached to his waist, so that the man could not see
where he was going. Witness laid hold of the man's
arm and pulled him off the line, and then saw
that his face was covered with blood and frightfully
injured as if he had been knocked down by an engine.
Witness asked him how he got such a face, and the
man replied. "What do you mean?" and on asking
him what he was doing on the line, he said, "What
line ? " Another signalman then came up, and
WitEess left deceased with him. Deceased was very
wet, and to get on the line would probably cross a stream
(the River Ravensbourne). _ .

William Bayton, signalman at the Catford-bridge
box, gave corroborative evidence, and added that the
man seemed at first to know what he was talking
about, but after a time his mind wandered. He said
that he had fallen in the water, but did not know
where Catford was. He had a clean cut across the
top of his nose, which was slit in two, his face was
smeared with blood, and his whiskers and moustache
covered with congealed blood.
Dr. Mitchell deposed that he dressed the man's
wounds. He had lost a deal of blood, and was com-
pletely exhausted. He appeared sober, but refused to
answer questions. The in3nries had been caused from
four to eight hours previously—and probably from
falling on the metals by tripping over the wires by the
side of the line.

Dr. Duke, of Lewisham, who made a post mortal',
examination, said the cause of death was effusion to
the brain, caused by the fracture and loss of blood.
The jury returned a verdict "That the deceased
died from exhaustion from loss of blood from injuries
received, whereby his skull was fractured, whilst he
was in an unsound state of mind; but how such in-
juries were received there was no evidence to show."
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-03-03

PATENTS FOR INVENTIONS BILL.

Sir J. Lubbock, in moving the second reading of this
Bill, said that it was the same as that which he had had
the honour of introducing last year, and to the second
reading of which the House last year agreed without a
division. He hoped they would adopt the same course on
the present occasion, and that it might be then referred to
the same committee as the Bill introduced by the Govern-
ment. Ile believed the present Bill was a good one, and
felt he might say so, as the merit was not his, but belonged
to the Society of Arts, and especially to Sir Frederick
Bramwell Me introduced it on behalf of the Society of
Arts, and in their name he asked the House to assent to the
second reading. It was a comprehensive measure, and he
knew that on some of the clauses there would be discus-
sion, but he thought they could be better considered in
committee.
Mr. Chamberlain said that he should not oppose the motion
of the hon. baronet. At the same time he did not think that
it was altogether satisfactory to agree to the second reading
of a Bill without discussion. The views of the framers of
the present Bill and of the Bill introduced by the hon.
member for Glasgow might have been fitly expressed in
the form of amendments to the Government Bill on the same
subject.
The Bill was then read a second time, as was also the
Patent for Inventions (No. 3) Bill on the motion of Mr.
Anderson. _ •

The House adjourned at five rainutes past one.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-03-03

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