Nelson Chronicle, Colne Observer, and Clitheroe Division News. — 1897-06-04 (Nelson, Lancashire, England)

SAILOR'S REMARKABLE LETTER. On Saturday afternoon Mr. Carttar held an inquest at Charlton Assembly Rooms on the body of Alfred Spooner, ship's carpenter, lately arrived from New Zealand, where his wife died six months ago. At the time of his death he was on a visit to his sisterin-law, Mrs. Radford, of No. 1, John's Place, Lansdowne Road, Charlton. He was very depressed, and, under the delusion his wife was continually beckoning him to come to her, he drank some aconite, clenching his teeth against an antidote. After his death, the following letter, addressed to Mrs. Radford, was found in his desk : _ _ _  "1 have made a good many long voyages. I have now signed articles for the longest voyage of all, and one that we shall all have to make; but, although I know my port of departure, I have not the least idea of the port of destination. It may be a very short distance, or it may take millions of years. But I cannot believe one of the self-constituted pilots' though they all tell us they have been appointed by the High Admiral. There are millions of them scattered over this molehill of ours,and they all differ as to the course, and say, 'lf you don't obey my instructions you. will be lost.' But as I find that not one of them out of 100,000 act up to the orders they give to others, I have made up my mind not to depend upon any of them, but to follow my own course. So I have sailed as straight a course as I could. Still, I ant afraid that if a chart could be made of the one I have followed these last sixty-four years it would be found to be rather crooked, as I have had b beat against bead winds pretty often. Still, it is better to study the chart and Use your own judgment than depend upon those frauds of pilots who are, one and all, craving and working for the same thing, viz., lucre. Now I must give you my reason for sailing so suddenly. As you know, my mutate left ins just six months ago, since which thus I have done nothing but go to leeward. All the time that mate was with me, which was fifty-eight out of the sixty-four years, we always managed to work to windward, and to whom must be given the whole of the credit, for if it had not been for her I should often have gone a few points off the course, and very likely have got stranded. But she was always at her post, and never grumbled at inn when she found me a point or two off. As to character, she was as near perfection as it is possible to be —loving, kind, industrious, truthful, and patient. She was respected and loved by every person that ever knew her in every part of this world. Yet, for all this, one of these pilots (pirates) had the audacity, and only within four hours after she had left, to say he was certain she was lost, because she did not follow the course he was hiving down. The consegnimee wits that he found himself lying down in the gutter quicker than he expected, and I standing over him advising him to took after his OWII vessel and nottinterfere with Others. And now this long voyage that I have mentioned is a voyage of discovery. I have told you several times that this good mutate of mine leis appeared to me a number of times, and each time has signalled me to come, and as I have always been accustomed to obey orders, I AM going to try and meet her."  The jury returned a verliet that the decea.eel committed suicide by KW:I neouite, whilst labouring under mental delusions.  Mr. Charks Er...human will produce in Amorica Mr. Edward Rotle'll dramatisation of Mr. Anthony Hope's " Heart of Prineess ()Ara." . .  'The Queen's Proctor," at the Strand Theatre, is sufficiently successful to have encouraged Mr. Bertram to postpone the production of "The Lay Figure until after the Whitsim holidays. The season of Madame Rejane at the Lyric will begin on J 1111,3 26, with " Madame Sans-Gene," It will last three weeks, and will, it is expected, include performances of "La Doulourouse,'"‘ L' Amoureuse," antl " Wahl." Gr. Naylor, late oiganist at York Minster, has just died while on a voyage to Australia for his health. The deceased gentleman wss a skilled musician. He composed several anthems, and did much to promote the success of the military services in York Minster.  The Archbishop of Canterbury regrets that he cannot attend the meeting' of the National Society for Women's Suffrage. Ile is still an unhesitating supporter of the claims of wotiodt to the Parliamentary franchise, and has no doubt that it will ultimately be conceded.