The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1888-06-16 00:00:00

THE OBJECT OF LIFE.

To excel in anything ore must be an enthusiast,
and certainly Lieut.-Colonel R. D. Osborn (who by
the way might reasonably have been expected to
have chosen a more war-like theme) has painted for
us a bright picture of lawn tennis. Rightly or
wrongly the opinion is rot infrequently expressed
that the game is essentially a ladies' game, but the
gallant author, though ?robably ignorant of the
existence of such an opinion, lifts the game entirely
out of the feminine region, and classifies it
among the " sports " which make life worth
living. "A game-playing people" is his com-
prehensive, and, as he believes, true defini-
tion of the British nation. The base needs of exist-
ence," he says, "compel the majority to devote the
greater part of the slender span of existence to occu-
pations other than game-playing; but 'game,' or
'sport' is the occupation which makes life worth
living. We work in order to get leisure to play, and
the man who becomes so absorbed in his work as to
lose the capacity or the taste for play is felt to have
missed the true end of life." We imagine that our
happiness as a nation and individually is dependent
upon such things as the possession of India, upon the
Tories or Liberals being in office, and the like, but,
says the author, "let anyone endeavour to realise an
England in which there was no cricket, no fox-hunt-
ing, no shooting, no racquets, no billiards, no tennis,
no lawn-tennis, and he will feel at once than in
banishing these from the island the very springs of
popular happiness would be dried up."
Starting from the basis that the worthiest aim of
man is to increase the sum of human happiness,
Colonel Osborn proceeded to woo his readers to a
comparison of the career of a great game-player and
a great statesman, selecting' for his heroes Mr. W. G.
Grace, of cricket renown, and the world-famed
diplomatist, Count Bismarck. No one will quarrel
with the selection of characters. "If any man
stands convicted of having made the playing of a
game his chief end in life Mr. Grace would have to
p'ead guilty to such an impeachment. . . . Having
selected our game player, let us contrast his
public career with that of a statesman as
pre - eminent in the field of politics as Mr.
Grace is in the field of cricket. Let us, in
a word, contrast Mr. Grace with Prince Bis-
marck. Which of these two great men has added
most to the stock of human happiness? Which life
best deserves to be preserved in the affectionate re-
membrance of mankind? The question does not need
a moment's consideration. One of Mr. Grace's great
scores at Lord's or Kennington Oval has conferred
more pl asure upon his fellow-men then all the
labours of Prince Bismarck since he entered upon the
profession of statesmanship." This, from a soldier, is
particularly pronounced. But the author has
a more trenchant condemnation yet. He says:
"It is a melancholy fact that the teachers
of mankind, the poets, historians, and philosophers,
are for the most part in semi-paralysis (owing to lack
of sport)." Their limbs are a burden and "their
feet especially are a sore embarrassment to them
• • • even their writing is, in nine instances out
of ten, an unintelligle scrawl. . . . And in this
way society becomes bisected into two great classes.
. Athleticism goes its way, enlarging . its
and philosophy goes its way, spinning theories
about a human nature of one-half of which it has no
experimental knowledge. Both alike are but poor
and mutilated specimens of human nature as it might
and ought to be, but the philosophers are decidedly
the
sgreater culprits of the two.

THE MANCHESTER MURDER.,

JACKSON CAPTURED.

Jackson, the murderer of the warder at Strange.
ways gaol, Manchester, was captured early on Mon-
day, the 11th inst., at Bradford. This news, says a
Bradford reporter, unlike other reports, is quite true.
About two in the morning Police-constable Flood
apprehended a man in the act or burglary, at Brad-
ford Moor. A severe struggle ensued, in the course of
which the policeman used his truncheon with terrible
effect on the man's head. The man was secured
and lodged at the Town Hall, giving the nanre of'
Harrison, Garnett-street, Bradford. No suspicion
that it was Jackson was then entertained,but 011 detec-
tives visiting the cell later on in the m. .4 they
noticed the man covering his hands aeodce. This
raised suspicion. They examined him and found a
mark on thumb exactly corresponding to the des-
cription of Jackson. They then striped him; and
found the mark on the groin and n',4imilarly cor-
responding. Prisoner,‘:7:ring his cup.' .t'as hopeless,
admitted, "Yes, lam the man. lam gliCcl you have
copped me, for I have had enour.A of it-:" The police
have no doubt that the real ritisnow caught.
They have communicated witr ..24 Manchester Police.
Jackson was known to be in ri% neighbourhood on
Saturday, but policeman Fle-~1 had no suspicion when
apprehending the house-baker what an important
c.tptule he was making. '

J FUGITIVE'S AUDACITY.

It seems that Jackson had been living for the last ,
week in the neighbourhood of Brao+ Moor, under
the name of Thomas Harrison, 93:11,/•int? most of hie
time drinking with a number ca conipanione he had
picked up. They wee drinking together the greater
?art of last week, -and Harrison was frequently
:haffed on his resettimtnce to the published descrip-
tion of the murderer-4 buti*,,,Ways turned off the
suggestion in a banterine ow, and -xucceeded in
allaying all suspicion. Amasit,the -IS with whom
tle had stayed was a man naineS Booth, living in
Lee-square, Thornbury; but he went to lodge else-
where a day or two ago. On Monday morning, about
one o'clock Booth was awakened by a noise in the
lower part of his house, and on looking out of
ne window h'!' saw a man in the act of attempting to
f ,rce an entrance. He shouted out, and the man ran
into the yard of the Waggon and Horses Inn close by,
and concealed himself in a closet. Booth rushed out
Df the house after him, dragged him from the
closet, and they had a desperate fight in the yard, in
the course of which Jackson's head was severely cut
by coming into contactwith a sharp stone, and he was
thus partially stunned. About half-past one Police-
constable Flood had his attention attracted by the
noise and after a brief struggle he succeeded in
handcuffing the prisoner and taking him to the Town
Hall.! At this time there was no suspicion of the im-
portant nature of the capture. The prisoner gave his
name as Thomas Harrison, and said he was a joiner
by trade, and that his residence was at 29, Garnett-
street, Bradford. This name was entered in the
charge-book. On being searched the prisoner was
found to have only a knife and sd. in his possession.
Detective Talbot went into the cells, and on seeing
" Harrison " he thought he saw a resemblance in him
to the account given of Jackson, the escaped mur-
deret. On examining the prisoner's hands the mark
on the thumb, which has been published as one of
Jackson's physical deformities, was detected. The
prisoner was then stripped, and the scar on the groin,
a mule on the side, and a mark on the neck, ( ach
of which exactly corresponded to the description of
the escaped murderer, were found. Talbot said,
"It's no use denying it. You are Jackson." The pri-
soner replied, "It's time this was finished. I am
Jackson, the man you want." A few days ago a rob-
where the prisoner was captured, which the po ice ai'a
confident was his work, and in which his actions were
characterised by his usual consummate coolness; he,
after ransacking the lower rooms of the house,
having helped himself ito a ihearty breakfast, and
smoked for some time on the door step before he left
the Place. Since his capture Jackson appears to have
collapsed completely. When recognised, the desperate
courage which he had shown all through his
career appeared to desert him. Smce making
his escape from gaol Jackson has shaved
off his moustache, and his general appearance
very, slightly resembles the portraits and descrip-
tion which have been published. According to his own
statement, after he broke out of gaol and provided
himself with a suit of clothes at the house he broke
into in Oldham he made his prison clothes into a
bundle and threw them away. He then took the train
to Halifax, and the day after reaching there he had
his moustache and side-whiskers shaved off and his
hair cut. He went last Saturday to Bradford, having
wandered about that district since leaving Halifax,
and visiting, amongst other places, his native town,
Birstall, where he was recognised by several persons.
When asked why he killed the warder he said, he
"could not tell, he must have been mad." The pri-
soner was brought before the magistrate on Mon-
day and remanded.

Jackson, in the dock at the police-court, looked
haggar4 an& UtQl ^III.II TIVIOItg
the magistrate's inquiry whether he had anything to
say, he merely shook his head. The prosecutor re-
counted the circumstances immediately preceding the
capture of the prisoner, and said the struggle lasted
about three-quarters of an hour.

The news of the capture caused some sensation
in Birstall, where the man's parents reside. His
father, who has been ill since he heard that the police
were in search of his son, was much better, and was
out walking when he heard of his arrest. Mrs.
Firth, the prisoner's mother, is still very ill, and it is
feared she will not recover.

Marshall Booth, who effected the capture of Jack-
son, has made a statement to the following effect :
"The prisoner has been lodging a week in Bradford.
He spent all his time in public-houses, and has been
regarded by all who came in contact with him as a
jolly good fellow. He evidently enjoyed the good
company, and sang songs which evoked considerable
praise. Some of the men with whom he associated
felt a certain amount of curiosity as to his antece-
dents, and asked him where he came from, to which he
replied, From Garnett-street, in Bradford.' Suspicion
however, arose, and on Sunday night I refused to let
him sleep with me, although he had been sleeping at
the house for several days. The prisoner, neverthe-
less, came to the house again late at night, and tried
biXbßailti'iqfklldutTltrt'a.Ro3na:
Let's go and collar him.' We then ran after him and
overtook him and we tackled him. A policeman was
sent for, and eventually Jackson was overpowered
and handcuffed. He remarked, as he held up his
hands for the handcuffs, 'l'm done,' and gave in
without the least show of further resistance."
Booth has supplemented his statement by saying
that the first time he met Jackson was at the White
Bear Inn. Booth went there on Monday morning
week about some work. Jackson was in the place
with another man, whom he advised not to work,
saying he would treat him. Booth saw Jackson
there again the next evening and was treated by
him. Jackson gave another man half-a-crown to
be allowed to sleep at his house, but the man's
wife objected. Jackson then asked to be allowed
to sleep at Booth's house, and, pulling some money
out of his pocket, said he would pay whatever was
wanted. Booth replied saying he did not want any
money, and that Jackson had better leave it all at
the public-house if he wished to go home with him.
He left 28s. with Mrs. Watson, the landlady, and went
with Booth. When they arrived at the house and
went to bed, a lodger asked, "Who's that ? " Booth
replied, "it's John Haigh." The lodger then said,
"Is it a man from Rodley ? " Booth answered, "No ;
it's Jackson." That was said in fun, and Jackson
made no remark. At six o'clock on the Wednes-
day morning Jackson was still in bed, and Booth
called out, " Firth I " and Jackson nearly jumped
out of bed. He called out " Firth ! " in fun,
and later on sent a man named Beanland into
the room. When Jackson saw Beanlaad he was
frightlned out of his wits, and jumped clean out of
bed. Booth still keeping up what he thought was a
joke remarked to Beanland that the man was Jack-
son. Booth, continuing, said all along he thought the
man was a suspicious character, but he did not really
think he was Jackson. On Saturday and Sunday
they were drinking together at the Wagon and
Horses, and Jackson having remarked that he lived
in Garirtt-street, Booth told him it was about time
he went home. Booth ultimately secured Jackson, as
before tated, and says that in the struggle he kicked
the prisoner two or three times.

A Bradford correspondent states : "On Saturday
Jackson highly gratified the company at the White
Bear Inn with his songs in the tap-room. He sang
The Thorn,' and afterwards was introduced into the
bar-parlour and rendered The Pilgrim of Love.' At
this time immediately behind where he stood was a
hhl (11 scribing him and the murder for which he was
want, d. Ile also gained tile confidence of one of the
barmen, who describes him as as good afellow as one
could wish to meet,' to such an extent that on Saturday
lie lent him a shilling, the murderer promising to pay it
back on Monday. This desperate game played by the
fug ' ;lye was attended by considerable danger, however,
for that day a gentleman from Birstall called to trans-
act some business With Mr. Watson, the landlord of
the inn, and, in the course of his conversation about
the murder, this visithr said he knew both Jackson
awl his parents, and if he only saw the offender he
could recognise him. This was said in the bar-
parlour and at the time the murderer was in the
tap-room. Unfortunately, however, the gentleman
left without visiting any other parts of the house.
It is said that Jackson never produced any weapons
of any sort.
Another correspondent says: "The Bradford police
have traced several matters to the prisoner which
11,4 p t, exhibit the almost unheard-of coolness of the
man. In a house which it is now alleged he broke
into in Beech-grove, at Bradford, the occupiers being
away, he went to bed and slept till six o'clock in the
morning, when he was seen to leave, the neighbours
thinking him to be a new caretaker in the house.. In
a house in Hustler-street, which prisoner entered, he
had helped himself to a plentiful meal of cold mutton
and salad, washed himself, and brushed his boo'
before leaving."