The Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1866-09-22 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

INTSRVSTING SRDAMING MATCII IN LONDON.— On Monday evening Professor Beckwith, the famed " Merman " of Lambeth Bathe, entertained his numerous friends and patrons with a grand swimming match, in which some dozen of his pupils contested each heat, and in which the best men were rewarded with eilver medals. There were matches of youths under sixteen, and of youths over ditto; of amateurs who hal never contended before, and of others who came crowned with the lame]s of previous triumphe. The last race was • spirited handicap, open to ad comer,, and at its termination the Professor himself took water and performed some surprising feats of natation amid thunders of applause, lie swam tirst with one leg out of the water, then with two; afterwards with a waltzing movement, or sort rif perpetual turnover, and finally capped the climax by permitting both his hands and feet to be tied, and then swimming with great rapidity all round the bath. The company was very numerous, awl the whole scene bad much of the excitement of a horse-race, Lond cheers inininlated the competitors, partizsnehip ran high, and at the terminstion of the races there were questions raised as to the eligibility of the winners, something like those which once stood between Gladiatehr and his cop. The swiitimmg, which was in the style technically called in natatory science "side-swimming," being, an it were a mixtute of screw and !iodide, was on the whole gooii.  Ate AMATISUR FIBIIER3fAIC—On Thursday week Dunbar Harbour presented a buoy scene. Large num. hers of the boats, on their return from the herring fishing off the Niirthiimberland coast, bad fished for mackerel all the way down, and the consequence was that the quantity landed was enornsmo, the takes ranging from 40 to 100 dozens. The fish met with ready sale at Inc. averaging from is. dil. to 3.. rid. per dozen. Among the boats which entered the harbour was one steered by the Marquis of Bowniont, who had arrived at Broxmouth Park on the previous evening, for the purpose of enjoying the mackerel fighing. As the boat shot up to the quay, with the marquis oeatrd in the mem, and rigged out in full fisher fashion, including sou'wester, blue blouse, oil. skins, mid fisherman's boots, it coon became the object of special attenticn. The usual good luck of the marquis seemed to have followed him on the occasion, as the boat landed about KO dozen of beautifu mackerel.  Sr ICIDE TIT • CoNvlcr.—On Monday an inquest was held at the .Millbank Penitentiary, on the holy of a convict named John Crawley. The evlence showed that deceased, who was about twenty-three years of We. 1,711.9 A soldier in the Royal Artillery. On the 3rd of March last he was received into the prison under the sentence of a court-mortisl for insubordination and striking his superior officer. Being a soldier and a Protestant, he was transferred to Pentonville Prison on the 21st of April. Since then he had become a Roman Catholic, and in conruipience was, on the 22nd of August, sent back twain to Militant. Ile had always seemed cheerful, and no sign had been noticed of any intention to injure himself; and yet on Friday last, whilst in hi, cell, he cut his throat with the knife used by him in met-making. The verdict returned was to the effect that deceased hail committed suicide whilst in an unsound state of mind.