The Blackpool Herald. — 1884-09-05 (Blackpool, Lancashire, England)

ATTEMPTED SUICIDE BY AN OSTLEE.—Francis Anderton, a young fellow, ostler lately in the employ of Mr. Hothersall, horse dealer, Preston, was charged (at the Kirkham Petty Sessions, on Monday) with attempting to commit suicide, on the 15th of August. —James Bibby stated that lie had known the prisoner for about six months. On the day named he was taking the defendant home in the train. At that time he appeared to be suffering from mental derangement. He ma le several unsuccessful attempts to pet out of the train. When near Salwick Stetson he rushed at the carriage door, opened it, and after a hard struggle leaped from the train. On arriving at Kirkham he informed the station master of the occurrence, and he was sent back by the next train to Salwick. Here he was informed that prisoner had been pulled out of a pit. James Fentt, farmer, Clifton, stated that about twenty minutes past five o'clock on the date named, he saw the prisoner wandering about in a strange manner in a fitld of oats. He made towards him, and he thedran wildly away. He n-xt turned suddenly, and ran head first through a thorn hedge. Witness went after him, and on arriving at the top end of the field he saw him struggling in the pit. He sank twice, and on coming to the top for the last time he caught hall of a bough which witness held out to him. With assistance he pulled the prisoner out. He was then unconscious. Restoratives were applied, and he was afterwards taken home in his (witness's trap.—Prisoner, who now appeared to be quite rational, saidjthat he did notremember anythMgabout the occurrence.—On promising not to commit a similar act again, he was discharged. THE COTTqN TRADE AT KIRKHA3f.—A shop meet: big of the workpeople of Messrs. Walker, Moss, and Co. was held iti the yard of the Phcenix Mills, Kirk ham, on Thursday at noon, the 28th inst., when upwards of 500 weavers, Ac., were present. Mr. Duxbury, one of the overlookers, was voted to the chair.— Tha Chairman, in a few introductory remarks, stated that the meeting had been called to show their disapproval of .a trades union being introduced amongst them. He might add that a few weavers, who had come from other parts, had been doing their utmost to persuade the workpeople of those mills to join the union, but, from what he could understand, a very large Majority were very much against it; and he might further add that the masters of the fires thought there was no need for a union, inasmuch as their workpeople were quite content and also receiving good wages.—Mr. Spencer, another workman, then proposed the following resolution, which was put to the meeting, and carried almost unanimously "That the workpeople of these mills entirely disagree with the action taken by a few strange weavers in trying to introduce the Weavers' Association amongst us, and we are fully of opinion that there is no neeeesity for us to join the union, because our masters find us good work and we are earning plenty of money, to our entire satisfaction." In the evening a meeting of about 250 of the weavers, winders, and warpers of Kirkham was held in the Co.operative Hall, Poulton. street, to consider the action taken by the proprietors of the Phoenix Mill respecting their workpeople, who have joined the branch of the Power-loom Weavers'