The Barrow Herald and Furness Advertiser. — 1866-06-09 (Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England)

JUMPING A PIT.—On Monday an inquest was held at Halifax, on the body of Isaac Denton, cartwright, who on Saturday. morning committed suicide by throwing himself down a pit. The pit is an old working, 84 yards deep, and is known as Holt's Brow pit.• The mouth had been covered for 44 years, with the exception .of a small openidg at the edge made recently by some mischievous person. Through this hole the deceased is supposed to have forced himself, and in doing so broke down some of the wall at the mouth of the pit. A coat found upon the bank led to an inquiry. In the pocket was a letter with the address of deceased upon it. His family were communicated with, and as he was missing it was decided to search the pit. Deceased has been in a desponding state of mind for some time. The jury returned an open verdict of Found Dead. EXTENSIVE FRAUD BY A TRADE SOCIE'rY SECRETARY —John Oliver, late secretary of the Birkenhead branch of the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters' and Joiners, was brought up on the charge of embezzlement and forgery on Wednesday at the Birkenhead Police-court. Mr. Moore appeared for the prosecution, and stated as the investigation proceeded tney found that the robberies on the part of the prisoner were more gigantic than they at first supposed. For a long time he had practised a gross system of pretending to give relief to persons who never applied.—Mr. Charles Eayrs, ' treasurer to the Birkenhead branch, was then called, and he deposed that the memorandum produced, dated the 14th October, 1865, and bearing the signature of John Low, was a forgery, it being in the handwriting of the prisoner. The document purported to be a receipt of £3 paid for expenses for opening a new branch of the society at Garston. The branch in question was opened by the Aigburth branch and No. 2, Liverpool branch, and the Birkenhead branch had nothing to do with the open. lug of the Garstang branch. In March of this year the prisoner presented to him a receipt for 10s. purported to be signed by E. Ellis for travelling expenses. Witness paid the los.— John Low, a j drier, living in Geornt'iana-street, Bury, said he was a member of the Amalgamated. Society of Carpenters and Joiners. He had not a travelling card from the society in October last, or at any other time. He was not, in Birkenhead in October, neither did he apply to the prisoner for a donation of 10s. His signature to the counterfoil produced was a forger y.—Samuel George Booth, of Penryth-street, Liverpool, also a member of the society, said he was present at the opening of the Garston lodge at the end of January or the begining of February last, but neither tht, prisoner nor any other delegate from Birkenhead was there. The money for opening the branch was paid by the Garston lodge.—Edward Ellis, joiner, residing in Queon-street, Tramnere, said he was member of the Birkenhead branch. He did not apply to the prisoner, on the 31st of slay for IU. or any other sum. The signature to the receipt produced was not in his handwriting, but a forgery.—John Ferguson, of Rose C,ttage, Tramnere, secretary pro tem, of the Birkenhead branch, stated that the previous witness was. the only E. Ellis connected with the society in that neighbourhood.—The prisoner. Who had nothing to say in, his defence, was then committed to trial at the assizes on • ~ these charges. also.