The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1888-07-28 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

SEACOMBE  SHORE.  A SENSATIONAL REPORT.  Early on Wednesday morning a man named William Clarke reported to the Seacombe police that he had found the body of a man on the shore near to the ferry. It was at first rumoured that the man's face and skull gave evidence of violence, leading to the belief that he bad come to his death by foal play. A sensational report was therefore circulated in the evening papers that a murder had in all probability been committed. An examination of the body, however, which was taken to the dead•house, gave no countenance to this theory, the slight bruises on the face being only such as might be accounted for by the action of the crabs or other fish in the river, or possibly by contact with the loose graves of the river bed. The body was that of a man apparently about 50 years of age, 5f t. llin. high, fresh complexion, moustache, and sandy whiskers, shaved on the chin, and slightly bald. The deceased wore a truss. He was dressed in grey fiannel singlet, blue striped shirt, elastic side boots, and a grey Tweed suit, the coat being found on the shore about twenty yards away. This latter circumstance seemed to indicate that the man either committed suicide or, after falling into the water, divested himself of his coat to facilitate his escape. In his trousers pocket were found a tailor's thimble, a purse containing Is. 30., a penknife, and a note book containing a number of figures which are apparently tailors' measurements, and the names James McGuire and John McGuire. On another leaf there is also the address, "Mr. Kelly, Railway Hotel, Douglas." At this address, however, nothing is known of the deceased. The police incline to the belief that the deceased is a tailor's runner, or in other words one who boards incoming vessels with the object of obtaining orders for a tailor. The body has evidently only ben in the water a short time, and it is significant that ab .ut one o'clock on Wednesday morning cries as of a person in distress were heard by the crew of one of the ferry boats, but nothing could be seen at the time.  The -body was subs-eqn-e-n-tiy7e.entifieti las Olof Sversden Berg, aged 50, a tailor, living , at 14, Jubilee-street, Liverpool. At the inquest held on Thursday afternoon at the Ferry Hotel, Seacombe' tllen Berg, widow of the deceased, who identified the body, stated that her husband was a tailor, and lived at 14, Jubilee-street, off Boundary. place, Liverpool. lia was a great sufferer from rheumatic pains in his head, and occasionally took some drink to allay them. Oa Tuesday afternoon he left home to go for a walk, saying lie would not be long away. Ile was then slightly under the it,fluence of drink. Witness went to New Brighton before deceased returned from his walk, and she was of opinion that he had gone to New Brighton later in the day to look for her, and missing the last boat back, he had started to walk along the shore to Seacombe. While doing so he had either fallen off the river wall or been surrounded by the tide. She had never heard her husband threaten to do anythinl to himself.  William Clarke, labourer, Victoria road, Basco:line, stated that shortly after five o'clock on Wednesday morning he was walking aloug the shore near Seacombe stage, when he saw the body of deceased lying about forty yards from the river wall. Deceased had all his clothes on except his cost. There was a little blood on the face, but the body bore no marks of violence, and the contents of deceased's .pockets were untouched. He gave information to the police, and the body was retuoved to the deadhotive. There was not the sligliteat suspicion of foul play in the matter. A verdict of found drowned was returned.  HINSECTS —At a Wlite House public reception in Washington once when the crowd was immense, Sir Edward Thornton sod Lord George Montague, the last son of the Duke of Manchester, tried to mak- their way into the blue-room along with Mt general crowd. The policeman on duty waved them back. " Do you know, sir," saki Sir Edward, in his most important manlier, "that I am Sir Edw trd Thornton ?" " And I," said Lord George, who WM, a by no means aggressive little fellow, "I am Lord Geotge Montague." " Go 'way," responded the policeman; "don't tell me two each little grasshoppers as you are Sir Edward Thornton and Lord George Montague I"