Bridlington and Quay Gazette. — 1882-01-14 (Bridlington, Humberside, England)

THE MURDER AT BRISTOL.;  A BURIAL SCANDAL.  A letter has recently been addressed to the Home Secretary by the secretaries of the Legal Committee appointed by the Wesleyan Methodist Conference, drawing his attention to a burial acandal which occurred at Barrowforii, in Lancashire, in November last. The secretaries mention that Mr. Woolinden, The dredging of the Floating Harbour at Bristol, , a Wesleyan, died, and upon his decease notice WVA ler the body of the woman pushed into the water on served in legal form upon the vicar, the Rev. F. Saturday night, resulted on Tuesday afternoon in &kiddy Staddy, that the burial service would be the recovery of the body, which has been identified , conducted by the local Wesleyan minister. The as that of Margaret Blade, a aiegle woman about ! clear was not at home when the notice was thirty years of age, whofor the last two months has ; served, but he was afterwards seen. He consented been living in Britt's lodging-house, Great Ann to the relatives having a plot of ground which they Street, with a man named Brown. Mrs. Faille, one bail selected, but attera &As learning that the of the three persons who witnessed the murder, has person to be interred was a Dissenter, he further identified the deceased as the Welirill who replied that they could not have the ground was pushed into the river. After hearing the cry they had selected, but that the deceased must be and the splash, Mra. Paine went to the river buried where they could find room. Various other bank, and, by the aid of a lamp directly expressions were used, as that he might be buried over the spot, she was able to see the deceased under the ashes, bat that the ashes must be replaced; clinging to the river wall. Sh called t and that he might have a grave for ten shillings; e o . the deceased to bold on till help came; but she re- but they might lutve to put him in with another plied that she could not keep up much lonizer, and body. As • result tne family were advised that they she Was almost immediately washed away. Mrs. I had better have the grave they desired than the minister they preferred. The notice was accordNine awe saw the murderer run away, but she could not, identify him. The police have ascer. ingly withdrawn, and the service performed by the tamed that the deceased woman and the man Brown • vicar. The secretaries add that "the right claimed were on Saturday night in the Three Tuns public- by the clergy to exercise an uncontrolled discretion house near their lodging house, but they were not in the appropriation of sites in the parish churchdrinking together. The deceased lett about a , yards may frequently render the Burial Act pea°, tically inoperative, and under them circumstances quarter to ten, saying ahe was going to meet a man. Brown remained in the house until closing the committee feel it their duty to bring the above statement of facts under your notice, and to express time, and then went straight to his lodging, where , he remained the rest of the night. The police have a hope that you may be able to take some stops to no clue to the man the deceased went to meet. prevent the recurrence of such conduct."