The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-10-23 00:00:00

Kocat aitb
_iistrict

SAD -SUICIDE OF A GIRL AT STOUR-
BRIDGE.

An inquest was bald at the ho ise of the Mr. J.
Turtle', the Nag's Head Inn, New Street, Stow-
ge, on Monday night, before Mr. Edwin Docker,
deputy clroner, on the body of Julia Callaghan,
aged 18 yea-s, who died on Sunday morning under
cireurnstancs detailed below.

Timothy Gsllaghati said he was father of deceas d,
and lived at No. I house, Woeslmaa Y ird, New
Street. 1 is daughter had not been in service but
had bems Gut harvesting and hop-picking. She had
been in good health. She went out on Saturday
night and came back about a quarter past eleeen
o'clock, accompanied by a youag man named
Patrick Gavan, She came back in about twenty
minutes. She then went out again for about tel
minutes, and when she came back she caught hold
of a cup and smashed it on the floor. Whens-,e
came back from Gavan she was in a passion eel('
was excited. Gavan's mother had said something
to her which had excited her. Witness spoke to her
when she broke the cup and she talked very loudly.
A policeman heard her raise her voice as he was
passing along New Street. The officer came into
the house and witness asked him to take her in
charge. There was a commitment against her for
14 days, trial he asked the officer to take her into
custody because she was making such a row. Ihe
commitment against her was for trying to rescue
her sister from the custody of the police. He
thought she troubled over the commitment and it
preyed upon her mind. The officer spoke to her
and toldiher to keep quiet. She became quiet and
the policeman left. Deceased followed him out of
the house and went up the street and wanted him
to take her into custody. She came back,shortly
afterwards with a young man named Thomas Bran-
nan, who brought her back front the Town Clock.
Deceased stood by the door for five or ten minutes
and did not speak. The next thing he heard was
that she had put a bottle to her mouth. Bridget
Murray called out that deceased was taking some-
thing from a bottle. Deceased had the bottle in
her hand and after. she put the bottle down she ran
out of the house. He then went towards the clock
to look for her but could not see her. Brannan
advised him to look in the closet, and Brannan went
in the direction of the closet where deceased was
found. She went into a swoon when she was
car id into the house by her sister and Brannan.
He thought she had been drinking liquors, because
it always made he: sick. She was sick in the
kitchen and lay down. She was given some hot tea
and sal S and some soapsuds. That would be about
twenty minutes to three o'clock on Sunday morn-
ing. She lay down on the sofa in the kitchen and
witness and Brannan sat up with her all night. Be
did not send for a doctor. When cleceesed woke
she called for her sister who said witness had better
fetch a doctor and he went for Dr. Eagar, She was
alive when lie went for the doctor, and she would
have been asleep about an hour and a half. He
went to Dr. Eagar's and rung the bell. The doctor
put his head through the window and asked him
where he lived. As he thought the doctor was a
, long time coming he rung the bell again and went
I back homes He found that Lis:daughter was dead
and he went to the police station to give informa-
tion. Ile did not know anything about the bottle
or where it came from.

Bridget Murray said she lived at No. 1 house.
Woodman Yard. She had known &ceased since
she was a child. She was sitting up about twenty
minutes past two o'cl,)ck on Sunday morning She
wet ho:ne about a quarter past eleven. Deceased
had been with Patrick Gavan and she was using
very bad langu tge, and c.esmed as if she did not
know what she was about. There was a commit-
ment out against deceased for 14 days, and she said
sae shou'd nevus: do it. Deceased was standing by
the door and witness said to her, "Julia, I should
t'ait.k you are mad ?'' and she told witness to mind
her own business. When witness tur,sed round she
saw de.,eased drinking something out of a bottle,
bat she put the bottle down on the window sill and
walked cut of the house The bottle produced was
the same one. Witness thought deceased was
driukinz spirits out of the bottle. Sle Was in ihfl
habit of taking spiiits home to drink on a Saturday
night. Witness thought deceased was druck and
she went to 132 d and dii not see deceasd again
alive. She dil not know how deceased got the
bottle or anything about it.
Thomas Erannan, 7, Hemplands, StDurbridge,
said he came to the Town Cjeck about 2.2.5 on
Sunday morning, when he saw deceased talking to
P.C. Bird. She was asking him to lock her up.
Witness carried deceased down the street and into

her home. Decaed afterwards went out f the
house and he.wrnt with her si4er, Mary Ann, to

find her. They went down to the closet and there
found her and carried her into the house. S:q3 was

trying to make 11;•rs,: f vomit in the closet. When
he saw her by the clock she was very excited. She
afterwards told him she had drunk some stuff out
of a bottle. He looked at the bottle and could only
see the word " poison "on it As soon es he saw
that he got some hot tea and sat and made her
drink it, and he also gave her some soapsuds which
made her very sick. She then said she would go

to sleep. She asked for a cup of tea, and whit
her sister was making it she fell asleep again. She
woke about twenty minutes past five. She jumped
up from the sfa, caught hold of her sister round
the neck, srid God bless you, Mary Ann,"and fell
loick into his arms and died. At 5.25 he went to
the clock and met Dr, Eagar.
The Coroner complimented Brannan for the
straightforward mann,2r in whieh he had acted and
given his evidence.

Dr. Ea;,:ar staid about half-past fivo on Son lay
morning he was ellied up and got to Callaghan's
hu in about ten minutes. Deceaa d was lying
dead on the sofa. There were no marks cf vildence
on the h dy. He examined the inside of the mouth
‘vhich presentut the appearance of drinking acids
The mouth was turned white. He examined the
bottle vrodaed to ascertain what it had contained
and I;e found it lad contained nitaic acid. The
name on the bottle was Philip Harris and Co.,
anft laballed " Poison " Deceased
had diel from drinking nitric acid.
The jury rctarn_,(l a verdict of " Suicide whilst
iu a state of temporary insanity."

EMBEZZLEMENT AT STOURBEIDGE,—At the Wor.
cestershire Sessions, on Tuesday, Creo:.ge Burton
(43), commission agent, on bail, pleaded guilty to
embezzling various sums of money, amocu'ing to
£33 12s 7d, belooging to his employer, Mr. Charles
Albert Baxter, cunt merchant, Stourbridge, on
October 20h, 1885. and March 25th, 1886.—Mr J.
Ampitlett, on behalf of the prosecution, strongly
reco,nmended the prisoner to mercy. He had, since
the charge was mo,le, attempted to commit suiicle,
and th, re was some suspicion that his mental
faculties were not quite so strong as they should be,
—Mr. C,anstoun for the prisoner, said the case was
one of peculiar sadness. Ten years ago the prisoner
was sentenced to nine mouths'
_imprisonment for

embezzling money belonging to Mr. Baxter, and w
taken back. It appeared that there was insanity
in prisoner's family. Prisoner was Pent3nced to
twelve calendar months' imprisonment with hard
labour.

STEALING MONEY. —At the Worcestershire
Sessions, on Wednesday, Bridget Lines anl Harriett
Potter, both on bail, were charged with htealing 2s
belonging to F. and W. Oliver, on September 25th,
at Cradley, by "ringing the changes," Mr. J.
Arnphlett pro!•er..-,.€,d, and Mr. C;arlstoun defended.
—The proseeu: - • keep the Talbot Hotel, Cradley,
and prisiners c• ..,1 for a glass of ale, and obtained
change for two .ihillings without giving the bar-
maid the c.,ins that she gave change for. They
were found guilty, and 13.-3ntnced to three months'
ha7..d labour each, _

Kr. John Brooks, of the Locks Works Lye, near
Stourbridge, has received a notice that the jury has
awarded him a silver medal and diploma for his
exhibits at the Liverpool Exhibition, for anvils,
vices, hammers, and picks. This makes the fifth
medal Mr. Brooks has obtained, ene at Melbourne,
Sydney, Montreal, Boston, n.
ALHAMBRA THEATRE.—At the last morne-it m
Henry Hampton and his company were agitio •
engaged for at other week, to-night (Saturday)
being positively the last night, Mr, 11. Crielitoa's
" Slocum " Company being announted for next
week. The piece played during the week was
" Arrah-na-Pogue," anl last night "Othello" was
played. To-night (Saturday) the public will be
treated to two plays, " Arrah na-Pogue " and
"'The Hole in the Wall.' Miss Stockley, Mr. H.
Hampton, and Mr. Wilde have again been to the
fore, winning for themselves golden opinions. Mr.
G. F. Lammon has installed himself a favourite
with the Stourbridge people. We hope to see the
theatre well filled to-night, and not the long rows
of empty benches to perform to. A good audience
is a great encouragement, and induces each per.
former to do their level best, and we can assure the
public if they patronize the theatre to-night they
will never regret the money they spend.
"MY SWEETHEART. "—As announced in the ad-
vertisement this popular company will give enter-
tainments in the Corn Exchange on Monday and
Tuesday next. The piece has been befzre the
public on a previous occasion, so that it is invidious
for us to mention its qualities. It proved success-
ful then, and we hope the good opinion it then
gained will be extended, and that crowded houses
%%i!l reward the enterprise of the company. A good
treat is in store, and the public ought not to be loth
in taking advantage of it.
BOAELD OF GUARDIANF3.—Mr. Haskew presided at
the usuil weakly meeting of t'-is Board yesterday.
There were admltt,:d during the weekls, discha-gld
14, born 2, dead 2, remaining 501, against 550 in
the corresponding week last year. Out-door relief,
Kings wild ord district 9,47 98 10d, Stourbridge £B2

4s 40, Halesowen £27 las 14d, non-residents .E 1
17s sd, total £lO9 7s 9. against £lOl 8s 1114.
FOOTRACING.—At the Police Court, yesterday,
before Colonel Fletcher, Crlonel C.:cbrane, and Mr.
W. J. Turney, Thomas Cotterill, bucket maker,
.Wollescote, was fined 5s and costs for running a
race on the footpath at the Lye.
CAUTlON.—Christoph,s.r Harbridge, labourer, was
charged with letting off fireworks within 50 feet of
the highway, on the 15th inst. Fined Gs 61 in-
cluding Costs.
OWiTRUCTION —Henry Edward Pll.l,•kiss, draper,
High Street, was charged with obstructing the free
passage of the footpath on the 20th inst. P.C.
Davis proved the caee. A fine of 5s and costs was
imp:med.—Thomas Moyle and Co„ High Sxeet,
were charged with obstructing the footpath on the
20th inst. Fined 53 an'l costs.

INEBRIATES.—Frederick Staniland, plumber, was
charged with being drunk on the 16th inst, and
was tined 2s 6d and costs.—Thomas Cartwright was
fined a 9imilar amount for drunkenness. —Henry
Derbin, Ridge To„p, was fined 5s and costs for being
drunk and disorderly on the 161 h inst.
OBSCENITY.—Bridget Murray, an old offender,
was fined lOs and costs for using obscene language.
—Catherine Levison, pedlar, was charged, and fined
lOs and costs, for using obscene language on the
10th June.
A PUGILISTIC COUPLE, Elizabeth Cox and
Elizabeth Winwood, married, Lye, were charged
with assaulting Eliza Skelding, Lye, on the 13th
inst, at the Lye. Mr. Roskell appeared for the
complainant.—A quarrel arose between Cox and
complainant about some money and iron. The
complainant ordered her out of the hGuse, and after
some hesitation she went. She returned soon after
with Wanwcod, and together they assaulted her
by nearly strangling her, and striking her with
their fists and with a broom. Whilst they were
assaulting her one of the defendants said, "Give
her enough, she's got no one to protect her." The
Bench fined defendants 5s and costs.

DAMAGING A HEDGE.—John Henry Tremana and
Henry Davis, boys, were charged with damaging a
hawthorn hedge, on the 13th just, the property of
Simeon Wooldridge. Davis was discharged with a
caution, and Tromans, who has been convicted
for damaging potatoes, was fined 2s 6d including
costs.