The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-12-31 00:00:00

27th inst., the property of Frederick Perks Prose-
cutor said he was at the Cro,s Inn, and had :•Aame
Lie. He left the house about 6 o'c!ock to go home,
and went down the road and over the railway, and
when near the Glue Works, at the Lye, he fell
down and became insensible, and next mowing, he
missed the money. The bag produced was 'the one
he lost.—Elijah Chance said he met the prisoner at
Kiddermin,ter, and he said that he had got sAnte
money, Witness got him outside the house and
found that he had a bag containing thiity-one
sovereigns. Prisoner said that he had picked up
the money in the horse road, near Mr. Jones shop
at the Lye. Prisoner was remanded for a week.
CHARGE OF DRUNKENNESS.— Thomas James
Instill, was brought up on remand, charged with
being drunk on the 17th inst. Police-constable
Oakey proved that the defendant was drunk, which
was coroborated. by Mary Turford. Defendant
denied being drunk, and called his wife and son
who said defendant was sober. The Bench con-
sidered the case proved, and ordered defendant to
pay costs.

THE BRIERLEY HILL DROWNIN CASE.
GALLANT RESCUE.
On Monday afternoon the District Coroner (W:
H. Phillips, Esq.) held an inquest at the Commer-
cial Inn, Bromley, near Brierley Hill, on the body
of Ellen Blyee, aged five years, daughter of Thomas
William Bryce, a fitter, of Bromley, and who was
drowned in the canal during the dense fog on the
night of the 9th instant.
Mercy Bryce, the mother of the deceased (who
fell into the canal at the same time as her daughter,
but was rescued), was stated to be still ill in.bed
from the effects of her immersion, and unable to
appear to give evidence. The Coroner, under the
circumstances, proceeded with the foreman of the
jury (Mr. C. Chambers) to her room, and there took
her deposition. She stated that about six o'clock
on the evening in question she was returning home
with the deceased from Brockmoor. The fog was
very dense at the time, and she was feeling for a
railing on the Bromley side of the bridge which
crosses the Stourbridge canal by the side of what is
, known as the hollow way. Instead, however, of
being where she thought she was, she wandered to
the left, over what is termed the " footshole "
bridge, and there fell into the canal, dragging the
deceased, who had hold of her hand, along with
her, Witness was rescued, but her child- .vas
drowned. She knew the road well, but there was
no fence between it and the:canal.
George Henry Chidduck, tin-plate packer at the
Brockinoor Tin Works stated that on the night in
question he was on the canal side, between Mr.
l'artridge's dock.and Mr. Bryce's dock, at Brock-
moor, and heard two splashes in the water, about
a dozen yards away from him, accompsuii d by cries
for help. He jumped into the water and rescued
a.woman, whom he afterwards ascertained to be
Mrs. Bryce, but was unable to rescue the girl, whom
he had no doubt was drowned before he had res-
cued her mother. Dec.eased and her mother must
have fallen into the water off the canal side. The
spot was unprotected. and would be dangerous to
pedestrians during a fog.
A juryman said it had been stated that if a man
who was passing at the time of the occurrence had
stopped, with a light, which he carried, the child's
life might have been saved.
..Witasss : There was a man came with a light,
but I hae: a hard job to get Hin to come with it.
The Coroner: He didn't run away with sour
lie•ht ?
'Wite.ess : No, sir. Continuing, the witness said
when he heard the splash he jumped into the water,
and first picked up a bundle, which he brought out.
He then saw a glimmer of light on the bridge, and
he shouted, aim found that a man was carrying
lighted torch. Witness called to him to hasten up
as quickly as possible, as there were two persons in
the water, and requested him to take the bundle and
dive him (witness) the torch. The man refused to
give up the torch because he was afraid witness
would leave him behind. Witness thea gave him
the parcel and entered the water. Just then the
mother came to the surface, and he saved her.
'l he Coroner: Did the man who had the light
run away with the parcel afterwards?
Witness : No, ir.
The Coroner: Did not he lend you the light?
Witness: No, sir. •
The Coroner: All I can say is he is a great
vagabond, and I only hope he might be discovered,
Witness: To tell the truth I don't think the
light would have been of any use, because by the
time I got the mother out the child was drowned.
The Coroner: Still the man is a great vagabond,
and deserves to be prosecuted to the very utter-
most.
Witness: He afterwards brought the parcel back
and took it to Mr. Gillmore.
George Goode, boat. builder, Brocknioor, deposed
that on Saturday, the 24th inst., he found deceased's
body ficatine, on the surface of the Stourbridge
Canal at a spot between the railway bridge and the
eide bridge near to the dock wharf at Brockmoor.
The body, which was fuDy dressed, was covered
with mud. In answer to the Coroner, witness sad
the exact spot where the body was found was only
about four boats' lengths from the spot where de-
ceased and her mother fill into the water.
The Coroner, in summing up, said he was only
surprised that the hollow-way spoken of had not been
the cause of some terrible accident, He thought it
was in such a dangerous state that it amounted all
but, if not quite, to a public nuisance.
A verdict of" Accidental death " was returned,
the jury adding a recommendation to the effect that
they wished to call the attention of the surveyors
of Bromley and Lirockmoor to the fact that the canal
is dangerously exposed to the public travelling
between Broelemoor and Bromley, and also to the
very dangerous state of the hollow-way between
the two places named :and which they considered
is a dangerous nuis ince, and they desired that the
surveyors should give their immediate attention to
the matter. The man Chiddock was much praised
for his gallant conduct. A pubiic subscription has
teen started with a view to making him some testi-
, tnonial, and it is expected that he will elso receive
a medal from the Royal Humane Society.