Middlesbrough & Stockton Gazette and General Advertiser. — 1876-06-01 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

NEW LIBERAL CLUE IN LONDON.-011 Monday Earl Granville laid the foundation-stone of a new Liberal Club in Walbrook, near the Mansion House, London. The building will cost £32,000. His Lordship, before performintt the ceremony, expressed his willingness to do all in his power to advance Liberalism in the City, and said he believed, had such an organisation been in existence four years ago, the result of the last election might have been different. The banquet to celebrate the laying of the foundation-stone was held at the Freemasons' Tavern in the evening, Earl Granville presided, supported by Lord Hartington, Lord Aberdare, Sir Henry James, Mr Goschen, Sir W. V. Harcourt, Mr Morley, Mr Baxter, and other Members of Parliament.  The Suicide at Stockton. On Wards}, night an inquest was held at the Stockton Police (Jona, before Mr J. Settle, coroner, upon the body of a man who committed suicide on Thursday morning by leaping off Stockton bridge. The jury having viewed the body, the following evidence was taken : —P.C. Eden, of the North Riding Police at South Stockton, said that on Thursday morning last„about a quarter past eight o'clock, he was going over the crossing of the railway at South Stockton, when he observed a man walking in front of him. A 4 soon as the man got across .the line he turned round, and pointing on to the line said, "I have just got my Boni converted there." Witness said, "You have," and he replied, "Yes," adding, "I prayed to the Lord to answer my.mother's prayers, and he has done so." The man then went nown Briclge.mtreet, and witness saw no more of him. He presented a wild appearance, but went along the street quietly enough. He had seen deceased, and he was the same man witness spoke to. He was apparently about 80 years of rage, and appeared to have been drinking. His appearance led witness to believe that he had been a labourer upon a railway. He had a pair of dark cord trousers on, moleskin vest, blue linen jacket, cloth cap, and Blucher boots. There were no marks upon the clothing which would load to his identification. The only money found upon him was 21 He was 5 feet 9i inches in height, well built and stout-cheated. Luis hair was dark btown, with dark moustache and whiskers rather inclined to ginger, and shaven chin. —Wm. Pear, labourer, stated that whilst going from Stockton to South Stockton on Thursday morning, and when passing over the Durham side arch of the b[idge over the river, he saw the deceased coming towards him. On getting dose to him he leaned over the bridge, and, taking hold of the parapet with his hands, threw himself into the river. The act. was so suddenly done that witness had not an opportunity of preventing him. There was nothing in his appearance to indieate that he was of unsound mind. Witness looked over the bridge, and saw him rise to the surface of toe water once, the tide at the time being half ebb, and he then sunk almost immediately.—Charles Robinson, plater, spoke to dragging for the body. in Friday afternoon he found it near Messrs Byers and Co.'s low crane, some 300 yards below the bridge.—The jury returned a verdict that the deceased commi ted said. le whilst in an unsound sta:e of mind.—On Sunday morning the body of the deceased was ideutified by John Forster, a platelayer, as that of Charles Crouch. Forster stated that the deceased, who had been employed on the Stockton and Darlington Railway as a plater, lo !gel at Norton. He was a native of London, and hal previously been in the army, having served in India for ten years.