The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1920-01-17 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

OPEN VERDICT RETURNED. • The inquest on the body of the New Ferry man. Ewer Briscoe, whose body was found lying on the shore of the Mersey, halt-way between the Rock Ferry and New Ferry piers last week, was completed en Wednesday afternoon by the Borough Commit. tMr. Cecil Holden), without a jnry. A distressing story was told by the widow, Mrs. Elizabeth Briscoe, of the events preceding the ditappearance of deceased from Isis home at 6, Winstanky-street, New , Ferry, on the evening of Dec. 30th. Her I husband was 53 year. of age, she said, and a joiner employed by Messrs. Lever Bros. They had been married for 18 years, and bad always lived happily together. He was a MILD of cheerful disposition, fond of sport, and was well-known as a bowler. About nine year, ago they adopted a little girl. as they had no children of their own. She • was then four years of age, and had lived' with (hem ever since; she was treated just a, their own child, and they were very fond of the girl, and she of them. She was Sew 131 years of age. In the early hours of the morning of NT. 30th the girl came into the bedroom where witne" and deceased were sleeping. and made a statement. Witness told her to get into their bed, and a doctor was sent for. Icifteefi minutes later, the girl gave birth to a male child. She said that the father was a Turk. now in Constantinople, who had lodged with the Briscoe.; in the, spring of last. year.  She and deceaked, continued witness, had Aid no Suspicion of anything of the sort, end they were exceedingly upset. At 5 p.m. tit the evening. deceased put on his hat and ocerrost. saying he wa, going for some tobacco. "Don't be long,' said witness, and he replied "All right.' That was the last she ,aw of him.  - A rTichi.i.e -postcardfrom Constantinople was handed to the Coroner.  BeThe Coroner: j:,..—ilie"rwe"no7 as far as you know? Witness: Yes. And no: likely to come back here— No. I don't suppose so. Stanley Bedson. a young fisherman. described how, on the afternoon of Monday, January :ith, he tound the body of a man lying on the shore below high-water mark eh:wit half-way between the two piers, and medical evidence was given to show that the body, tato war& identified as :het ef Peier Briscoe, bore the usual signs of death from drownin7.  _ A verdict to till.: effect was returned by the Coronet, who said that the evidence was insufficient to eitablish how deceaserl came to be in the water. "I should like to saY, Mrs. Briscoe," continued the CoroDer." that I eympa'hise with you in what ha, happened. What has happened to this girl. followed by the death of your husband, most have been a great shock to you. This is not a court where we judge morality. and I have nothing to say about the alleged father of this child, except that. if it is true, it is a very disgraceful state of affairs. It i 4 quite possible that what has happened to This girl has preyed on deceased', mind, and caused him to commit suicide, but there is no evict. ence of it, and I return an open verdict."  By a nt rrow majority the N.U.R. halo aecepted the Cabinet's wagea scheme,  The moulders' conference in Manchester en Thursday, after a seven hours' confer'w.e. decided on a further ballot of member,: of tbe three union- concerned in the strike.  • • • •  The Admiralty it, to dispose of 183 wari uoluding. an eleven-year-old dreadthe Bellerophon.