Swansea and Glamorgan Herald, and South Wales Free Press. — 1862-06-18 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

SHOCKING SUICIDE OF A BRISTOL TRADESMAN.—An the afternoon of the 28th ult , a great land-slip took inquest was held on Tuesday, at the Britannia tavern, place on the coast between LyMe-Regis and Charmouth. Grosvenor-place, St. Paul,., by J. B. Grindon, Esq. , on Several men and boys were at work in gardens on and the body of Samuel Badharn, a butcher, who had been near the spot, and one boy escaped with his life by carrying on a very respectable business in j Grosvenorplace, place, and who was found hanging in his shop on themping over the cracks as they opened under him, as in an earthquake. A woman who was near at the time previous night. Mrs. Selina Badham, the widow of the was so terrified that she threw herself fiat upon the deceased, said her husband, who was 27 years of age, ground. Iler fright may well be excused, for half-ahad been in bad health lately, suffering from lowness of dozen acres of land marching off bodily, must be a strange spirits He had been worse than usual within the last sight, and one not altogether devoid of the terrible. A four days and had not cared to speak to any one, or to answer when spoken to. The pocket•book produced was man, who was close at hand, describes the noise as having been " like a thousand thunders." Scarcely ten minutes his. She identified the writing in it as his, but had no before the slip took place, a gentleman who owned part idea when it was written. The contents of the pocketof the lost land was standing on the edge of the very book, which were read by the coroner, were as follows : highest part of the cliff, expressing his admiration of the -" Take care of my poor Lilly, and God bless her. 1 magnificent view before him, as, it being clear weather, hope I shall meet her in heaven. If my wife had forgiven me fer doing wrong I should not have ceme he could see Portland on the one hand and Start Point to o this untimely end, and I hope God will forgive me and on the other. Within a quarter of an hour, the ground let merest. Good bye, and God bless you all." John on which he stood was strewed in fragments upon the beach, at least 100 yards in perpendicular depth below. Dowling, of St. James's Back, Mrs. Badham's brother, The appearance of this land-slip is very different from deposed to having seen the deceased frequently. On that of the great slip near Axmouth, 1839. In the ease Monday he appeared in a low desponding state. He had of the latter an enormous mass slid bodily into the sea, been in that state for the last month or five weeks. Ile and was comparatively but little broken. In this slip had only one child (Lilly) living. He was a steady man. Had no idea what depressed him to such an but a very small part of the detached mass held together. extent. He was a young man, and had been going on Nearly the whole of the cliff seems to have fallen over, and to have been dashed to atoms. It is difficult to steadily for the last six months. He had been in partnerestimate correctly the area of cultivated ground lost; at ship with him, and been earning plenty of money. First present the distance from the road to the edge of the heard that something had happened just after midnight, cliff is now about 80 yards. It is said, however, that as he was coming by his door. He was told that his the slip covers nearly 10 acres of ground, and certainly brother-in-law had hanged himself, and he said he would is the largest fall of earth since the great land-slip of cut him down, but the neighbours would not allow him, 1839 referred to above. The beach itself, right down to and took the key away.-The Coroner' What could their object have been ; did they wish him to die ?- low water mark (and we cannot say how much further), a a perfect chaos of blue has, mud, and rocks, the latter P.c. 44.: They ran away with the notion that no person should enter the house till a policeman came.-The is in size from the smallest conceivable fragment Coroner: That is a most absurd notion, for if life is in to the great mass of many tons weight, and the former Iy n consistency from treacle to butter. The peculiar danger a person may enter any place on the face of the , le 3,1 m a 11,4, 11. kal Mall , natur•e and direction of the strata seems to render the earth without asking any man.-P.c. 44: When I came 4- j The Education of Pauper Children Bill, Retiring Pay, from the Central Station, having been fetched by a lad, neighbourhood of L 3-Tee Regis liable to these great slips. ------------------ ii: a.m. 1 a.m. Pow Pembroke, &c., and Ireland) 15 9 9 II 0 4ID 10 401 1 26 &c. (British Forces) India Bill, and Landed Property ~. there were fifty men and women outside, and no one Tlae sea is rapidly gaining on the east end of the town Milford Road __ Improvement Ireland Act Amendment Bill were read a would enter till I went in.-A man named Cricks gave itself. Part of the churchyard has already slipped away, 40 9si II si 4 110 • as ii 51 4 50 second time. ' Lord PALMERSTON thought that Sir James Hudson- evidence as to deceased's lowness of spirits, and said he and more than one grave disappeared. The next slip ciars„ion goad Haverfordweq 52 II 42 5 9 4 IV 2 8 518 ‘.5 St I II 371 5 is The Oxford University Bill passed through committee, than whom there was not a more honourable man living was forbidden to enter the house till a policeman arrived. 20 11 15 1 37 II 491 Their Lordships adjourned at eight o'clotk. had been very unfairly attacked by Mr. Bentinck. He misted the policeman to take deceased dawn.-A will certainly carry away a considerable part of the road, Narberih Road for Cardigan and it behoves the natives of Lyme to look to their com- Zhci'llea."4••• ...... •••••••••• .......... •• 35 IS St 1 5 40 52 12 2' 5 411 munications in the eastern quarter of the town. Carmarthen Jane. 2O 0D12.11 5i 559 115 It 21 IMt No doubt, he remarked, Mr. Watson Taylor bad sue- juror. A great time had elapsed then.-Witness : 1 15 93 5 6 II 23 , ig 40 514