The Haslingden Gazette. — 1905-02-25 (Haslingden, Lancashire, England)

DUMB" MAN SPEAKS. An Attempted Suicide.  What has been described 86 a "miracle' has been wrought by the Accrington police. On Mote day a stranger. who R. 86 lodging at the Accrington Model. tried twice to hang himself. . hen first Cut down be was black in the face. Directly nicercards he sushi put his head in the noose, but was frustrated. When taken into emtody he pretended that he could not read, write, speak, or fear. The police were in a quandary, for they could neither obtain hie name nc.r description. 31ra Plummer. of Wmtwood House, very kindly came to the police station and did her best to Esser, tain the facts by mcsaes of the deaf and dumb alphabet, but was unable to obtain any information excepting that he had wetted since he was a very I.ttle bey, and had received no kind of education. He use inferred by signs that he had buried hie wife and children.  . 1 ) i\, ,  I°l  When brought before the ..te,vington magis. trr.tes on Tuesday. charged with attempted suicide, the •' male' this was how he waa described on the charge sheet) still kept up the deception, and he was remanded for a day 60 that enquiries could be made. On Tuesday night the police had a suspicion that this would-be eitiMde wee acting, anti ultimately they mule him speak. They corer tamed, among other things, that his name woe Samuel Oldield, he was a quarrymtn, living at Oakworth, tear Beighley.  Whm. brought before the magletrates on Wedto far from bete- deaf and dumb, he bad C great deal to ray for himoelf, and the proceed. tugs were of ax, amusing character. . . .  The Chief Constable el.stribed the facts. On Saturday afternoon the prisoner came to the Model at Aceringten. He was slightly under the lan. mt.° of drink, and pretended to be deaf and dumb. Ott Monday he turned up at the Model about noon, and shortly afterttards one of the lodgers (Win. Smith) happening to go into tho yard, found bias hanging by a rope that was attached to a and driven high up in the wall. He was in a sate Di collewc el black in the lace, and was carried into the Model by Smith and a man named Michael Mahoney, who came to his a...mance. A few minutes afterward. Smith heard a wceaan scream, and on again going into the yard, found the pri. rotor had made a loop with his handkerchief, had thrown it over aJean, arid Irne making another attempt upon his Lite. When brought to the police statioh the prisoner gave them to understand that ho was deaf and dumb. Every effort was made to try and get him so speak, but all failed, the only information they could glean being that he bad not wmked since ho was very Little boy, he was totally ignorant, and his wife was dead. Aftsr prisilwr land keen remanded. Sergent Read happened to stumble across a mee who had known Nei for many seers, and it then transpired he was not deaf and dumb at all. Prisoner's mother was , still alive, and lived about four mile. from %eight ley. She was a very old InoMin. and ill. Prisoner was not a married non, but had been living with a woman, who at present was staying with his mother. The Clerk s line the prisoner been in the beast of pretending to be deaf and dumb in other placer? Ph° Chief Constables Yee. I have had communication with the police, and it seems he haa been in the habit of pretending that for the purls se of obtaining alms. On one occasion, winks* in custody at Keighley. be kept the deception up for three clay, We,, Smith, a labourer, living at the Model, explained the prisater's introduction to the Model. stating that from signs he made he gave them to understand that his wife was dead. The Chief Comtables And gone to Heaven' The Clerk: Be dons not know about that. Wttnec desenhed how 4e found the prisoner on Monday afternoon. He non hanging by a tope to a nail in the well he was black in the rue, and apparently trying to regain his feet. The Chairman (Alderman Juin Duckworth): I Trying to easy himself is little? (Laughter.) Primmer was asked whether he had any questions to ask the witness, but made no reply. The Chairman: Now then, speak, we all know sou have leg-anted your speech. Michael Mahoney corroborated the evidence of the last witness.  The Chief Constable: When you EN., he was hanging you at once eat him down? Witness: Yes. but I did not know he was acting the dummy, or I would not have done. (Laughter.) During the whole time he was at the Model did you ever hear him .peak!—No, he ivas acting the dummy the whole of the time.  James Bonney. deputy at the Model, deposed dint he had known the prisoner aliostt three year, dirtier 'which time he had stayed at that house four or five times, and on each