The Kenilworth Advertiser. — 1890-04-05 (Kenilworth, Warwickshire, England)

SUICIDE OF A BIRMINGHAM CASHIER. Mr. B. Weekes (deputy coroner) held an inquest on Friday on the body of Richard Billing Biggs (51), cashier in the employ of the Adamant Cement Company, 11, Commercial-street, who committed suicide early on the morning of Wednesday by hanging himself with a handkerchief in his bedroom.—Elizabeth Bowen, niece and adopted daughter, said that on Tuesday night she retired to rest, and as she passed by her uncle's bedroom door she went in and wished him good night. He was in bed, and he replied "Good night." Next morning she got up at ten minutes to six o'clock, and shortly afterwards called her uncle, but receiving no reply she went half way upstairs. Through the window of the bedroom door she saw a shadow, and she then called the housekeeper up. They were too frightened to enter the room, and waited ten minutes until the arrival of a workman, who found the deceased's body hanging by a handkerchief from a pothook fixed' above the door. He lost his wife six months ago, and had ever since appeared greatly distressed and disturbed in his mind. On Monday night he remarked, "It is just six months ago on Wednesday since my wife died, and I should be happy if I knew I was going to be laid beside her."—The son of the deceased said he had been very despondent since the death of his wife, and had threatened to commit suicide.—Mr. Perkins, manager of the company, also deposed to deceased's strange manner. In consequence of his not being able to do his work he had been given notice to leave. Before his wife died he was a most efficient man, but since he had frequently said he had nothing to live for.—Dr. Barrett said death was due to pressure on the brain and suffocation. A verdict of "Suicide whilst temporarily insane" was returned.  Mrs. Davies on Tuesday visited her two sons lying under sentence of death at Kautsford gaol. The interview was a very painful one.  The Queen's Bench on Tuesday granted stay of execu,ion in the breach of promise action, Day e. Roberts, tried at Birmingham, to allow of motion for new trial.  Replying to a correspondent in an East Anglian constituency, Lord Randolph Churchill has expressed his regret that he was unable to accept an invitation to address a meeting of Liberals on the Parnell Commission.  When the telegraphs were handed over to the Government a bargain was made with the railway companies by which, in part payment of wayleave, they were permitted to transmit messages on the business of the company free of cost. In 1871, upon the transference of the telegraphs, 97,000 such messages were sent. In 1888, the last period at which statistics are available, these messages had risen to a number falling very little short of a million. It is estimated that a lose of £50,000 a year accrues to the revenues from this source. Mr. Heaton is pressing the Postmaster-General to introduce a bill with a view to terminate the present arrangements.  The idea of making Brussels a seaport is taking positive form, and plans have lately been laid before a meeting of senators and councillors for carrying out the idea. Indirectly, Brussels is already connected with the sea by a canal that leads into the Scheldt at Tamise, but this canal is only fit for barges. The new canal is to have a depth of 16-17 feet, and by it Brussels, the gay and Royal city, is to be turned into a busy commercial port, and the whole industrial country south of Belgium, including the coal and iron districts of Charleroi, benefited. The town council has already promised one-third of the sum required, which amounts to 16,000,000 francs, and one object of the meeting was to adopt means to induce, if possible, the Government to advance the other two-thirds.  At Burton-on-Trent, on Friday, Frank Brealy, bricklayer, was committed for trial, charged with the murder of a little girl named Baines, with whose parents he lodged. The man had been suffering from delirium tremens, and on the 20th inst. he attacked the person who was watching him with a razor. The man ran out of the house, and the prisoner then seized the child, who had a short time before entered the house, and cut her throat. While in the cell he told a constable he murdered the child because he was jealous of her mother ; but he assured the magistrates he did not remember what had taken place. For the defence a surgeon was called, who expressed the opinion that prisoner was not responsible for his actions.  Mr. Chamberlain, M.P., presided at the banquet held on Saturday, at the Edgbaston Assembly Rooms, in connection with the Commercial Travellers' Benevolent Institution. In proposing the toast of the evening the right hon. gentleman said his experience showed that commercial travellers took a very keen interest in political questions. They no doubt had their differences of political opinion, but upon one thing he thought they would all be agreed—that there was an intimate connection, a close and indissoluble relationship, between the policy of a nation and its prosperity, and that any legislation which tended to weaken the nation or tarnish its honour would strike a blow at the proud pre-eminence which had placed the United Kingdom in the front rank of the commercial nations of the globe. Alit. Kenrick, M.P., and Mr. Jesse Collings, M.P., also spoke; and it was announced that the ;local fund to the institution had reached £1,400.