The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-06-26 00:00:00

SINGULAR DEATH OF A GENTLEMAN AT

WORDS LEY.

On Tuesday, an inquest was held, before W. U.
Phillips, Esq., (district coroner), at the Boat Inn,
Bucltßiol, Wordsley, touching the death of Drayton
Salisbery,

Deceased was th?. son of a gentleman living at
Rugeley, but latterly lived in Birmingham. On
the 1714 inst he went over to Wordsley, and being
in thejhabit of taking landenaum, asked Mr. Carr,
a chemist there, to procure some for him.. This he
did, and gave him a bottle containing about four-
pennyworth it was supposed that deceased filled
the bottle up with water and drank the „. whole off,
the dose being sufficient to have killed four persons.
This was at night on the 17th must, and directly
after taking the dose the deceased was seized with
illness, and died the next day, being in the mean-
time attended by Dr. Pearson,.
The Jury returned a verdict "That deceased died
of opium poisoning, taken by himself in ignorance
of the proper dose."
Mr. L. M. Warmington appeared to represent the
relatives of the deceased.

THE RELEASE OF MR. BRADLAUGH.

[CENTRAL NEWS TELEGRAM.]
LONDON, Thursday Night.

The special correspondent of the Central News
had a long interview wan Mr. Bradlaugh at a late
hour this evening, during which the honourable
member for Northampton expressed his views freely,
not only in respect to what took place in the House
of Commons to-day, but as to what course he in-
tended to adopt to-morrow. Mr. Bradlaugh, who
was dining with his daughters and several friends
at Mrs. Besant's evidently took the sudden change
in affairs as coolly as he did when consigned t , the
Prison room in the Clock Tower. Mr. Bladhiugh
said he was at tea when about 5.20 this evening,
Mr. Ashton Dilike entered the room and said, " I
have good news for you," and then added, "You
are free." A brief scene, in which congratulations
, were exchanged ensued, and then Ur. Bradlaugh
ran upstairs to dress, In a very shirt time he was
ready, and he left his prison room, and went
straight towards the House of Commons to take
his seat, Having-, however found from some of
his friends that his attempting to do so would stop
public business for the night, Mr. Bradlaugh simply
went into the House and seated himself for a little
while under the Peers' Gallery, and remained teere
as a quiet spectator for about a quarter of an hour
during which time, it is believed, some communica-
tions passed between Mr. Bradlaugh and those in
charge of the business of the House. Mr. Bradlaugh
afterwards withdrew, and proceeded to his own
residence. He told the Central News correspondent
that he would go to the House of Commons and
take his seat at the morning sitting to-morrow, and
he understood that a very large number of his
friends would be there to greet him at one o'clock.
Mr. Bradlough says he is perfectly puzzled at the con-
duct of Sir S. Northcote. He thinks that,aft,a-
own declaration to the Speaker, which was confirmed
to day by Mr. Labouchere's statement, that he will
insist upon taking his seat, that it would be putting
a fresh indignity upon him if he is simply releas-d
to be again wrested. He holds that as the matter
at present stands, Sir Stafford Northcote has done
too much or too little, as unless it was intended he
should take the oath or make affirmation he should
have been left in custody. Mr. Bradlaugh remarked
he had made no apology, which has always been
held indispensable, there being no case in which the
House has ever released anyone who has ever
shown contempt of its authority. He made no all-
plication t) be released, nor did his friends for
tie says lie was turned out so suddenly that his
room was filed with books and papers, sent. there
for him to work upon, and in point of fact, it had
been arranged and announced that Mrs Besa
nt
would lecture in is stead next Sunday. At . his
request. Capta'n Gossett has allowed the papers to
remain until he hag time to take them away. Mr.
Bradlaugh, when asked what he thought about the
course taken by the Opposition, replied with. a
smile that he never dreamed that the Conservative
would have been fools enough to arrest him, and
having done so, would be fools enough to let him
out sufficiently early to give evidence of their own
folly. He further remarked that, indignant as t
country had shown itself to he it would be slid more
so if he were only released to be re-arrested tomorrow
"I will," said Mr. Bra ;laugh at the close of the
ini erview, "certainly g. ) to the House directly after
prayers to-morrow, and claim my seat, resuming
exactly the same position I held before my arrest."
Among the t,legr ans received to-day by Mr.
Bradlaugh was one from Mr. Mr. Joseph Cowen, M.
P. for Newcastle, regretting that his absence in
Dublin on the Royal Agricultural Commission
prevented his being able to take steps to secure the
member for Northampton's release from custody.
The following extriordinary telegram was received
from the Hey. Steward D Ileadlam, of St. Thomas's
Chat terhouse, saying., "Accept my warmest
, sympathy in the name of Jesus Chris', the
Emaucipator, whom your opponents blaspherw."