The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-12-31 00:00:00

A VERY LAMENTABLE ACCIDENT.
(From 31onday's Times.)

An accident occurred on Saturday afternoon last at
Bearwobd, Berkshire, the seat of Mr. Walter, M.P.,
which caused the loss of a very valuable life, under the
following oircuzni talicet:—
There Is • fine lake In front of the house, extending over
many acres, and in parts of considerable depth. It affords In
whiter a splendid skating geld, and it had been completely
frozen over by the severe weather of last week. The family
were assembled in the house to spend Christmas together,
and in the afternoon • large party were enjoying themselves
on the ice. Mr. John Walter, the eldest son, who had just
returned from alengthened tour, wasskatlng with his brothers,
Mr. Arthur Walter and Mr. Henry Walter. Another brother, Mr
Thomas Walter, was pushing his cousin Richard before him on
a chair. Mr. Walter himself, with some of his younger chil.
dren. was upon another portion of the lake, On • sudden
an alarm wax raised, and on looking round nothing could
be seen of Mr. Thomas Walter and his cousin but their
head. They had fallen into the water at one of the deepest
parts of the lake, where the waterfowl had kept the water
open as long as possible, and where the Ice consequently was
weakest. Mr. John Walter and his two brothers skated as
rapidly as pmible to the spot, and found Mr. Thomas
, Walter clinging to the broken ice with one hand, and sup-
porting his cousin with his disengaged arm.
Mr John Walter Instantly threw himself on his face upon
the Ice, and stretched out hls arm, but no had scarcely
reached his brother's hand when the Ice gave way beneath
him, and he, too, was Immersed. Oa seeing this Mr. Henry
Walter promptly followed his brother's example, and
stretched himself along the ice to rescue his two brothers
and his cousin. But just as his elder brother had grasped
his hand the ice gave way under him also, and &for of them
were thus in the water together. Both Mr. John Walter and
his brother Henry were excellent swimmer,, and had
perfect confidence in themselves ; but the position
was evidently perilous. Meanwhile, Mr. Arthur Walter,
with great presence of mind, bad skated as fast
,as be could towards the home farm, calling out
,Is he went for uststacco and for a rope. lisppliy his ortes
were heard, and • rope was at had. It was soon brouoS
10 ilia op», Ind Wl* WIWI 11 peolosa 1110.

John Walter had—disappeared. Els brothers said he lank
almost immediately after Mr Henry Waited' effort had
felled. It le evident he had uttered one of thou soleness
try which the trongest and most etperfeneed mrbasners are
from time to time overpowered. The annals of boating and
bathing at our schools and universities record several inch
melancholy inetancee. Such 'allures are generally ascribed
to cramp, bat they are probably due tosome sudden determina-
tion of the blood to the he., .4 In the present Mutant's this
was rendered the more probable by the extreme cold
of the water. The other two brotherd were touch exhausted,
and Mr. Thomu Walter, who was the longut immerebd,
says he bslieves be was only kept from sinking by the sense
that hie cousin was depending on him. The rope, however,
was in time to neve the other lives which ware Shut im-
perilled. The weaker ice had been broken away, and It was
posalble to approach the edge of the water. Mr. Thomas
Walter and his cousin were rescued by means of the rope,
and Mr. Horny Walter woe extricated by a boatman. Mr.
John Walter seems never to have risen to the surf aoe after
be drat disappeared, and his body wee only recovered sitar
• four boon search.
-

- •- -
There are circumatuices which render this calamity pecu-
liarly startling and el istreming. About • year and • half ago,
after all honourable coulee at Eton and at Oxford, Mr. John
Walter started on what is now the grand tour, to go round
the world, and see all forms of human civilisation. He went
by the Baltic to St. Petersburg, and thence across
Russia to the Caucus., and thence to Constantinople
and the Holy Laud. He proceeded through the Suez
C mat and the Red Sea to India, and saw the principal
cities of our Eastern Empire. After visiting Australia he re-
turned by China and Japan to the North American continent,
and traversed the Belted States from west to said. He was ex-
paced home some days before Christmas, and hie friends
had been Joyfully awaiting his return. He reached home
aafely on Thursday evening, to the extreme delight of his
family, and to the apparent fulfilment of their brightest
hopes. Within forty-eight hours he has heen snatched from
them for ever on this side the grave It is one of these dis-
pensations of Providence of which we can see nothing
but the mystery, and which ft needs the strongest faith
to support with resignation. For • private calamity,
It ii hard to conceive • greater. Mr. John Walter
was twenty-lire years of age. As we hare said, he had
parsed an honourable as well as blameless career as
• boy and as • student. His abilities were greet, and
his character was admirable Ms rare natural good-
ness of disposition was enhanced and animated by a most
profound and unaffected piety. To a vigorous frame he
I dined an active mind and a manly heart, and he was guided
end sustained by firm religions principles. To these
qualities he had Jost added the most be ructive experience
now open to • young man, and he had fully availed himself
of Its advantages. When he reached hie home on Thursday
his life was fraught with very high promise, not only to his
family, but to • far wider circle, if not to the public at
large, and Ita sudden eclipse is overwhelming to those
by whom he was known and beloved. It may seems mockery
to seek for any topic of consolation in the presence of
such an irreparable sorrow. Yet, if It is strange ami bitter
that • young man should be spared through all the perils
of extreme climates and dangerou• voyages, and, at the
very moment when he and his Mends were most thankful
tor his safety, ahould die of • common accident within sight
of his father's house, it is something that he should have
returnei to revive, before he departed, the remembrance of
his virtue, and Ma love, instead of passing out of sight In •
foreign land. Ile lived long enough, at al events, to die tor
other., and his death binds him still more closely to lila home
and to those who are most afflicted by his loss.

On Monday morning the incineet,ras held, and the first
witness called was George Webb, a carpenter employed on
the estate. About twenty minutes to four on the previous
Saturday he was near the lake In front of Bearwood, when
he taw Muter Thomas Walter, who mu skating with a
chair in which his cousin, Master Richard Walter, was
seated, fall into the water with his cousin, the ice having
given way. The deceased, Mr. John Walter, immediately
went to the rescue, bat the ice gave way under him, and
he went In too. The deceased, while In the water, kept
the two younger ones from slaking for about three
minutes. VVitnese told Healey, the fisherman, who
was on the Ice, about it, and he went to the rescue. He
stooped on the edge of the ice and put the rope round the
body of one, and the other younger one clung to him, and
they were both pulled out Mr. John Walter, however,
sank He only saw these three and Rackley, and one other,
either Captain Waiter or Mr. Henry Walter, he arm not cure
which, on the Ice at the time. He saw Mr. Walter, and told
him of the occurence, and he went to within 10 feet of the
edge of the ice, but Mr. John Walter, Jun , mu then gone.
Ile saw the party skating at halt past two upm the ice, and
they might have been there before.
James Itsckley said he was a fisherman In the employ of
Mr Walter. Between three and four o'clock n Saturday
lut, as he was going throws the ice, he Diet George Webb, who
told him that three or tom of the skating party lied fallen
through the Ice. He went at once towards the spot, and
Master lienry told Mtn to Ile fist on Ma belly, which he
did, and grasped the Ord he could reach—be did not
know whether it was blaster Tom or Master Richard,
Ceptsin Waiter's son ; and he pulled the two out, the
second one clinging to the first he had graved. When
he Met came up he saw three in the water, but the third
had disappeared when lie had pulled the two out. He had
no rope, but he pulled them out with his hands, and if he
had had help he could have saved the other. He was shield
that the two would have overpowered him, and if they had
no one would have been saved, lie mu obliged to tell Mr.
Henry Walter to held his lege, as he could get no one to
come near him. Mr. Arthur Waiter went for some roots,
and he came up with them Just as he got the two out. The
poor old man added that he would have lost his own life to
nth Mr. John Walter's. The water where the deceased fell
tat, between 20 and 30 feet deep
- - - -

-
James DADCP, a gentleman's servant out of employ, In
dragging f. r the body in the evening, discovered It near the
opening where the brave young moo fell ill.

The jury were satisfied With this evidence, the coroner con-
siderately abatalning from calling auymemher of the bereaved
family as a witness. A verdict of "Accidental Death " was
blatantly recorded.
The h qvmso afterwards requested the incumbent of 13esr-
wood the Rev 11.1tou Paul to convey the ja*'s expression
of deep sympathy with the bereaved family on the death of
Mr. John Walter, in his attempt to PIM the lives of his
brother and cousin. The Rev J. T. Brown added that the
indecent was felt In every home and by every heart in the
district.

Referrine to the above, Mr. A. F. Walter thus
writes to The Times, under date Bearwood, Dec. 27:

I beg you In the Lame of truth, good some, and Justice to
the survivor. from this calamity to 'We that the evidence
given at the irgoest on the body of my late lamented brother
liar Incorrect as it is c..nfitcting. tly dear brother went
down before we had, humanly apeakiug, any chance what-
ever of saving him.
0•Ing to • mhunderstanding, none of u. who were alone
capable of giving evidence were called. The account of the
accident inserted in your blondes'. Issue Is true, and tame
who ILved and mourn the dead may be satialled with It.

I will add no more, but that, u far a. anything can be
called certain, tile certain that In losing his own life my
brother did save two others, and, therefore, did not die In
vain.

On Sunday morning the Rey. Dalton Paul, Instead of
preaching the usual sermon in Bearwood Church, delivered
a short and feeling address upon the sad event which had
cat such • deep gloom over the whole neighbourhood. The
subject also formed the theme for comment In the neigh-
bouring churches.

A London contemporary, in noticing the above
melancholy accident, rays:—

"There Is something Inexpressibly touching In the whole
story. Mr. Walter, who was drowned at Bearwood, had
hoer educated at Eton and Oxford, and when that coune of
education was at an end he set out of his own accord
to go round the world. Ile went through Russia, the
East, the British Indies, Japan, Australia, the United
States. From this emphatically Grand Four he had
JIM returned to this country ; and, If we read the
gory right, had got back to his home on the after.
noon of Thursday last, That a traveller Atonic' have gone
safely through all the hazards and dangers of so remarkable
a voyage to bee his life within sight et his father's house,
recalls the fate of the African Bruce, who, after °leaping
from unexampled perils of exploration abroad, died from the
effects of a fall downstairs to his own house. The accmint
of this evcrit, will be read with the deepest sympathy in
every household where the English language Is spoken.
there are other sons to take the young man's place;
but we ehould doubt if any one of them will till tin
void which he has left In his father's heart, He
would have been, U we mistake not, the fourth Jhn
Waiter who had borne sway In Priutlng liouse-equare, "the
father of the preeent proprietor being the son of the original
founder of the famous Journal. The present Mr John
Walter has been tetce married, and the son he has lost was
the eldest son by his first marriake with Min Court, a Berk-
shire lady,rwho has been dead for some years. The manner
of his death will, as we trust, prove of some consolation to
those whom he Ins left behind him to deplore his
loss We are very sore that every pectin connected with
London journalism will feel deep regret that such a sorrow
has befallen the esteemed proprietor of The Tints. It will
be a slight solace, however, to him and to his friends to know
that in the care of thie young man his death was as honour.
able as loin life was pure and ',lnmates& Eugland will feel
for Mr. Walter in his grief.*