Denton and Haughton Examiner, etc. — 1880-08-28 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

SERIOUS RESULT OF A " LARK "AT ASHTON.— A somewhat serious affair occurred on the Stalybridge-road on Sunday afternoon. A man named Michael Graley, who lives in Back Caro'ine.street Stalybridge, was, it appears, walking along the road with several companions. when one of the Manchester Carriage Company's omnibuses passed on i.e way to Stalybridge. Graley called to the guard, and the bus was stopped. None of the party wished to ride, and the guard, whose name is Horatio Bridge, becoming annoyed at being sold in this manner, went to Graley and asked him what he meant. Graley made no reply, but at °nee took hold of Bridge round the neck and struck him several times. Bridge struggled with him, and in a minute or two threw hie assailant to the ground, and fell on the top of him, the result being that Gratey sustain. I a rather ugly. looking wound on the head. He was taken to Dr Hughee's surgery, and by the advice of Mr. Tucker, was removed to the Infirmary, where his injuries were attended. It has since been reported, that the inj tries were not of a very serious nature and it is expected that the man would be able to leave the institution in a few days. Bridge the bus guard, was severely kicked about the legs by Graley and his companions.  SINGULAR CILAAGR Or klummut.—lt the Lefton petty missions on Monday, George Seymour. 18, a groom, lately in the employ of Mr T. W. Russel at the Manor Farm, etipaley, was committed for trial on a charge of having wilfully murdered a boy named Harry Geodge, at Stipaley, on the 14th instant. The circumstances of the case are very eingular. Goodge, the son of a gamekeeper in the employ of Colonel Sowerby, wee c aployed casually on the farm, and on the afternoon of the day in question Mt Russel, jun.told him to fill mine pails with pollard from a tub near the mealhouse door. One of the labourers, named Crick, saw Goodge engaged in this work, and did not hear or see any one else in the mealhouse. About a minute after. warda the report of a gun was heard. Mies Russet ran out of the house and saw Seymour standing about three or four yards from the mealhouse door. Uncalled out, "Poor Harry Goodge has shot himself." The boy was foand leaning over the tub, quite dead, with part of his head blown away. The bones were completely broken up, and one of his teeth was found in the bowl he had been us.:ng. Seymour said he was coming from an op oeite direa.'on and was 14 yards off when he heard the eliaL, Inside the mealhonse and behind a bin llft from the head of the body, a gun was found, which had been hidden under some sacks by Mr Rune], jun., in the morning. The jury. at the coroner's inquest, adopted the theory that the boy C 'edge, who was only ten years of age, exploded the gun while attempting to thaw it over the bin, which is Ott. high, by the morale. The doctor who was celled in, however, is of opinio t that tie gun mast have been fired from a dis anoe of several feet, that death moot have been instanter roue, and that it was impossible the boy should have angered lift. Moreover there was no trace of blood between bin and tub, and the boy's skin was not blackened by the powder. A great deal of evidence was given, but the case at pro-out remains a mystery. The bench (Mr J. S. Crawley, chairman', eventually decided Ito commit the lad for trial at the next Daei3oll, ranging bail.